ECR 2012 Looms Large with Some Major Changes

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Philip Ward, editor-in-chief, AuntMinnieEurope.com

Editor’s note:  With ECR 2012 quickly approaching, Philip Ward, Editor-in-Chief, AuntMinnieEurope.com, highlights some changes to the congress agenda. 

Something I love about the European Congress of Radiology (ECR) is that it signals the start of spring. The worst of winter is over, and the best part of the year stretches out ahead. And then there’s the opportunity to visit Vienna, the permanent venue for ECR since 1991. With its stunning architecture, calming atmosphere and cultural and culinary pleasures, the city never fails to stimulate.

As the congress approaches, it’s important to realise there are some differences this year. The opening day (Thursday) is now virtually a full working day, and although the commercial exhibits don’t open until Friday, the scientific sessions begin at 10.30 am on 1 March. Also, to ensure good attendance levels on all five days, many of the best sessions have now been moved to Thursday and Monday. This means the program has a much more balanced look, but it also means that delegates need to arrive as early as possible.

It will be fascinating to see whether attendance falls slightly this year due to the current economic problems besetting most of Europe. Italy and Egypt are among the guest nations featured in the three ‘ESR meets’ plenary sessions – the other is Romania – and in view of the severe difficulties faced by many Italians and Egyptians, it is quite possible that the number of delegates from these two nations will be lower than expected.

To find out what else is new at ECR 2012, I interviewed congress president Prof. Lorenzo Bonomo from Rome. He’s led a personal campaign to increase collaboration between radiology and radiation oncology, and this will be a major theme during the congress. Chest radiology also features prominently. You can read my full interview with Prof. Bonomo  on AuntMinnieEurope.com. The site is free-of-charge, and it provides daily news and weekly case reports from across Europe.

We will be celebrating our first anniversary at ECR, and I look forward to seeing you there!