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Benedikt Westphalen: Announcing the ESMO Precision Oncology Working Group

Benedikt Westphalen/LinkedIn

Dec 21, 2024, 18:14

Benedikt Westphalen: Announcing the ESMO Precision Oncology Working Group

Benedikt Westphalen, Medical Lead of Precision Oncology at CCC München – Comprehensive Cancer Center, shared a post on LinkedIn:

“Announcing the ESMO – European Society for Medical Oncology Precision Oncology Working Group (POWG).

At the end of the year, we would like to share that the ESMO Precision Medicine Working Group (PMWG) has officially been renamed the ESMO Precision Oncology Working Group (POWG).

But why?

This change reflects the evolving landscape of oncology and the need to clearly delineate between translational research and patient care in precision oncology.

Since its inception, the group has undergone several transformations to keep pace with the rapid advancements in cancer science:

2005: Formation of the ESMO Translational Research Working Group to promote high-quality translational oncology research.
2012: Establishment of the ESMO Personalised Medicine Task Force to guide ESMO’s strategy in personalised cancer medicine.
2014: Merging of the Translational Research Working Group and Personalised Medicine Task Force to align activities in these interconnected fields.
2018: Adoption of the term “Precision” to replace “Personalised” to reflect scientific evolution.

Now in 2024, the renaming of the group to the ESMO POWG underscores a focused commitment to advancing precision oncology in clinical practice while aligning translational research efforts under the leadership of the ESMO Translational Research Faculty.

This division allows us to better address the unique challenges in each area, ensuring that translational breakthroughs are effectively implemented in precision for patient benefit.

We remain dedicated to fostering innovation, education, and the integration of precision cancer medicine into oncology practice worldwide.”

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