BTOG aims to improve the care of patients with thoracic malignancies through multidisciplinary education and clinical and scientific research.

In its 7th year, BTOG continues to go from strength to strength. The collaborative nature of the annual meeting has facilitated further strengthening of the links with the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), the EORTC, NCI Canada lung cancer groups, British Thoracic Society (BTS), National Lung Cancer Forum for Nurses, the All Ireland Lung Cancer Forum (AILCF) and the Irish Cancer Society (ICS).

The meeting seeks to update all attendees on state of the art management of lung cancer and mesothelioma, to increase understanding on the nature of clinical practice and research and to develop new national and international clinical research studies in lung cancer and mesothelioma. The meeting gives attendees knowledge of new procedures for the management of lung cancer and mesothelioma and developments in clinical practice and research.

BTOG 2009, to be held 28-30 January 2009 at Clontarf Castle Hotel, Dublin, will see the 5th BTOG/British Thoracic Society (BTS)/All Ireland Lung Cancer Forum (AILCF) combined session at the meeting, with a BTOG/BTS collaborative session planned for the BTS Winter Meeting 2008.

The speakers and chairpersons for BTOG 2009 are eminent professionals involved in thoracic oncology from the UK and Ireland, Europe, Canada, USA and Australia. The full programme is available on www.BTOG.org. Highlights from the programme include sessions on Stage III Disease: Radical Therapy; Clinical Trials Debate; Small Cell Lung Cancer; Assessment and Management of Pleural Effusions; Pulmonary Nodules and Novel Therapies: Assessment of Value as well as workshops on Rare Tumours, Nursing and Advanced Clinical Trials.

You can register for BTOG 2009 and submit poster abstracts on-line – please visit the website or if you have any queries please contact the secretariat. The deadline for poster abstract submissions is Friday 19 December 2008. Juniors will be able to submit poster abstracts for consideration to give an oral presentation on Thursday 29th January. Presentations will include the best nursing, science/translational and clinical/audit abstracts.

I look forward to welcoming you at BTOG 2009.
Professor Ken O’Byrne, BTOG President.

BTOG Secretariat: Dawn Mckinley, Operational Manager, British Thoracic Oncology Group, Hospital Management Offices, Glenfield Hospital, Leicester LE3 9QP, Tel: 0116 250 2811 Fax: 0116 250 2810, Email: dawn.mckinley@uhl-tr.nhs.uk

BTOG 2009 Information is available on the website: www.BTOG.org