Proceedings of the 6th Copenhagen Workshop on Carcinoma in situ Testis and Germ Cell Cancer, 26–28 October 2006
Year: 2007
Type: article
Abstract: This special issue of the International Journal of Andrology contains the proceedings of the 6th Copenhagen Workshop on Carcinoma in situ Testis and Germ Cell Cancer, which took place during 26–28 October 2006. The Workshop was the sixth in the series of successful meetings held in Copenhagen since 1980. These workshops have always gathered highly engaged participants with multidisciplinary expertise ranging from epidemiology and clinical oncology to basic science studying various aspects of biology of germ cells in man and other species, and cancer-related pathways. A good reason for hosting these meetings in Copenhagen is that the risk of testicular cancer in Denmark is among the highest in the world. All workshops have resulted in publication of the proceedings, which are usually very close to the state of the art in the field of research on testicular cancer and related disorders. The 6th Workshop was no exception and nearly all speakers contributed review papers or original studies, which were peer-reviewed according to the strict requirements of the International Journal of Andrology. To give the readers impression about the lively discussions that followed each presentation, we also included the edited comments from the audience after nearly all of the articles in this volume. The focus of this workshop was on molecular and environmental aspects of gonadal dysfunction, especially during development when germ cell differentiation takes place, and when the initiation of the neoplastic process most likely occurs. The meeting gathered a multidisciplinary panel of participants who discussed this and related topics. Epidemiologists and clinicians reviewed the trends in the incidence of testicular cancer with a special emphasis on ethnic and geographical differences, and several possible environmental and genetic risk factors were indicated. Basic scientists with expertise in germ cell biology in different species from Drosophila to Homo sapiens and experts in pathology and molecular biology of germ cell tumours discussed the likely pathways that may be targeted by the oncogenic process. We did not forget the clinical issues directly pertinent to patient care, and new approaches to the early diagnosis of testicular cancer and preservation of fertility after treatment were also included in the programme. All in all, the meeting was proof of a beneficial effect of mixing people with different backgrounds and the power of a translational approach to medical science. The meeting demonstrated how epidemiological observations combined with recent advances in the developmental biology of germ cells and modern molecular technology could be applied to improve the understanding of the pathogenesis of human germ cell cancer and related disorders. The organization of the workshop was a group effort of many people at the Department of Growth & Reproduction, with particular involvement of department secretaries Tina Tronier, Lisa Lawrie, Anette M. Pedersen, Annette Lund and Britt M. Pedersen, and Susan Svenningsen from the Rigshospitalet’s Workshop Secretariat. We also extend our thanks to Leena Karlsson (Turku) and Vivien McGrath (Edinburgh) for excellent editorial assistance. Finally, we gratefully acknowledge generous financial support from the Danish Cancer Society, our main sponsor that made this workshop possible. We also acknowledge a grant given by the Danish Research Agency (FSS).
Language: English
Subfield: Surgery
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W1984611845