Dear colleagues,

Ιt is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the 2nd Athens Coloproctology Meeting on Rectal and Anal Cancer, which will take place on April 5-6, 2024, in the Amphitheatre of Henry Dunant Hospital Centre.

This scientific event comes as a continuation of the very successful 1st Athens Coloproctology Meeting themed as “Functional Bowel and Pelvic Floor Disorders for Colorectal and Pelvic Surgeon” which took place on April 1, 2022 and attracted the interest of a great number of trainees and specialists from various medical disciplines, as well as allied health professionals. Rectal cancer incidence within the European Union is approximately 125.000 new cases per year.

Rectal cancer must be distinguished from colon cancer due to its different etiology, risk factors, treatment modalities, as well as morbidity and mortality.

New approaches of the disease dictate a dedicated multidisciplinary team to examine, monitor and treat the patients on many levels, providing the positive result in quality of life but also affecting the prognosis of these patients. New tactics and new strategies with better knowledge, and cutting-edge technologies allow for superior surgical results in the right hands. Indeed, the role of expertise in the surgical management of rectal and anal cancer has been shown to be detrimental. In this context, the multidisciplinary approach and guidelines dictate specific handling of the patient and specific treatment of the disease by stage.

The strategy that is common to all patients with rectal and anal cancer is the importance of the Oncologic Multidisciplinary Board where surgeons, oncologists, radiotherapists, radiologists and pathologists, join forces to elevate the decision-making for each patient individually, choosing the best available strategy and validating the best possible result.

The Greek Society of Coloproctology (GSCP) remains committed to its appointment with science and education in international level, with exceptional guest speakers from across Europe and worldwide, distinguished specialists who are willing to share their great experience and knowledge with the audience.