British Journal of Radiology (2005) 78, S63
© 2005 British Institute of Radiology
doi: 10.1259/bjr/32454291
BIR President's Conference May 2004
J E Husband, OBE, FMedSci, FRCP, PRCR
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Royal Marsden Hospital, Downs Road, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5PT, UK
The BIR President's Conference 2004 focused on imaging pelvic malignancy – a multidisciplinary approach to patient management. This special BJR issue brings together key topics presented during the symposium to provide an update of progress in imaging in these important tumours. All the lectures were delivered by experts in their fields and included radiologists, clinicians and physicists.
A highlight of the meeting was the Silvanus Thompson Memorial Lecture presented by Steve Webb, Professor of Physics at the Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust. He delighted the audience with a fascinating discussion of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and I am delighted that his lecture is published in this special issue. The diagnostic potential of MRI in cervical cancer was presented in the Mackenzie Davidson Lecture by Professor Rodney Reznek. This proved to be another thought provoking and visionary lecture with the key message that imaging can influence the way in which new therapies are explored and developed.
During recent years the importance of working together across professional disciplines has been increasingly recognized in the management of cancer. This issue clearly demonstrates the benefits of such an approach. I believe that this special issue of the BJR provides a valuable contribution to the literature in pelvic malignancy and will be helpful in guiding developments in clinical practice.
Finally I am most grateful to Dr David MacVicar for his editorial expertise in bringing this project to fruition.
