The EORTC Gastrointestinal Tract Cancer Group: 40 years of research contributing to improved GI cancer management

The Gastrointestinal (GI) Tract Cancer Group's aims are to develop protocols concerning the different aspects of gastrointestinal tract malignancies, diagnosis, biology and mainly treatment. Prior to approval, new project proposals are discussed within different committees of the group and in the presence of specialists concerned, according to the type of trial. There are three main committees in the GI Group, chemotherapy, surgery and research. All projects of GI tract cancer are discussed first in the relevant committee before being discussed in the multidisciplinary plenary scientific session of the Group meeting. Multidisciplinarity has always been one of the major principles of the Group. This is well illustrated by the fact that the Chairman of the Group has been alternately a medical oncologist and a surgeon and is presently a surgeon. Radiation therapists also participate in the activity of the group. Like other EORTC groups, the GI Group has developed high standards of quality. Officers and members work in close co-operation with the staff of the Data Center in Brussels and in particular medical advisors, statisticians and data managers. Members from 32 different countries participate in the activities of the Group, mostly from European countries, but also from Russia, Egypt, Hong Kong, Israel, Peru, Russia, South Africa and many others through intergroup activities such as Australia, Canada and the USA.