EANO 2020 Meeting in Glasgow postponed to 2024

Next EANO Meeting in 2021 in Rotterdam

May 8, 2020

Dear friends, dear colleagues

A few weeks ago, we announced that we were continuing to work on EANO 2020, hoping that by September 2020 the circumstances would allow this major European neuro-oncological event to happen. However, it is clear that even now when restrictions are gradually lifted many uncertainties about the COVID infection rate will remain over the entire summer period. Unpredictable travel limitations, unclear national policies on mass gatherings, and the chance of yet another surge in COVID infections make a productive and successful face-to-face EANO 2020 in early September unlikely. Therefore, we have taken the difficult decision to postpone the EANO 2020 Meeting in Glasgow to another year.

We have decided to develop a series of webinars instead, called eEANO, through which we will bring neuro-oncological updates to the EANO membership. These will start on September 10-13, the original dates of EANO 2020. We will continue eEANO as a series of webinars afterwards, which will be CME credited, for members only. We intend to provide both educational content and the latest scientific developments on clinical trials and laboratorial research as a continuing programme. Topics will be developed in collaboration with the membership. More information will be provided once we have finalized the details. The next planned EANO Meeting should take place in 2021. We will keep you posted on that situation and very much hope to welcome you to a ‘face-to-face’ conference next year.

I am very sorry not to see you in person in Glasgow this summer; not meeting colleagues is yet another loss that many of us deplore. I also apologize for not informing you earlier, but as you can imagine it has been complicated to reach a good solution with regard to the practical issues. Lastly, I want to recognize the many people who have worked hard to prepare the 2020 meeting, in particular our local chair Anthony Chalmers.  EANO is scheduled to come to Glasgow in 2024!

On behalf of the EANO board,

Martin van den Bent

EANO president

EANO 2020 Meeting current status due to COVID-19

March 31, 2020

Dear fellow members of the EANO, dear colleagues, dear friends

Our world is in disarray. With daily increasing numbers of people affected by and dying from COVID-19 our health care systems are under an intense pressure, and anxiety rules. The measures take to control this pandemic are rigorous, painful but necessary, and we all hope they will help us to manage this global crisis. Days like these also help us to remind us what really matters in life. Many of us will have had the experience of loved ones and colleagues falling ill to this virus. Certainties of our now global community have disappeared overnight.

In these days, it is important to continue to give the right care and attention to our brain cancer patients, as even without a virus, these patients and their families face similar existential threats and they depend on us. The virus has not made our task easier, perhaps even more important. With all measures taken, within a few weeks our way of living has completely changed, and it is unclear when things will begin to turn to normal again. This affects our daily routine, our family lives, but also our professional lives.

I am writing you also because of the upcoming EANO 2020 Meeting to be held September 10 - 13 in Glasgow, Scotland. This is more than five months from now, but we cannot forecast what the world will look like at that time. At present, we want to continue to plan for the meeting and postpone any decision on the continuation of the meeting until the end of May. In the event a face to face meeting is considered not feasible, we are planning for an ‘eEANO’ for EANO members, to at least update you of the many recent important developments within our field.

For now, I wish you and your families, friends and colleagues strength and luck, and remember, we are in this together: together we will overcome this crisis.

On behalf of the EANO board and EANO offices,
Martin van den Bent
EANO President