The European School of Oncology came into existence to respond to a need for informa­ tion, education and training in the field of the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. There are two main reasons why such an initiative was considered necessary. Firstly, the teaching of oncology requires a rigorously multidisciplinary approach which is difficult for the Univer­ sities to put into practice since their system is mainly disciplinary orientated. Secondly, the rate of technological development that impinges on the diagnosis and treatment of cancer has been so rapid that it is not an easy task for medical faculties to adapt their curricula flexibly. With its residential courses for organ pathologies and the seminars on new techniques (laser, monoclonal antibodies, imaging techniques etc.) or on the principal therapeutic controversies (conservative or mutilating surgery, primary or adjuvant chemotherapy, radiotherapy alone or integrated), it is the ambition of the European School of Oncology to fill a cultural and scientific gap and, thereby, create a bridge between the University and Industry and between these two and daily medical practice. One of the more recent initiatives of ESO has been the institution of permanent study groups, also called task forces, where a limited number of leading experts are invited to meet once a year with the aim of defining the state of the art and possibly reaching a consensus on future developments in specific fields of oncology.

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Normal Cell Lineages and the Phenotype of the Breast Cancer Cell.- The Oestrogen-Regulated pS2-BCEI Protein in Breast Cancer.- Do All Roads Lead to the Oestrogen Receptor?.- Tamoxifen for the Treatment of Breast Cancer in the Premenopausal Patient.- The Multi-Drug Resistance Phenotype and its Reversal by Drugs (with Special Emphasis on Anti-Oestrogens).- New Endocrine Agents for Breast Cancer.- Prognostic Factors in Primary Breast Cancer: Second Thoughts.- The Contribution of Perturbed Epithelial-Mesenchymal Interactions to Cancer Pathogenesis.- Reporting Results from Adjuvant Therapy Trials with Special Emphasis on Quality-of-Life Findings.- Adjuvant Chemoendocrine Therapies in Pre- and Postmenopausal Breast Cancer.