II International Conference "Comprehensive treatment of plasma cell dyscrasias in 2013"

Krakow, Saturday, 11 September 2013

On Saturday, 11 September 2013, the Stary Hotel in Krakow hosted the second International Conference: “Comprehensive treatment of plasmacytic dyscrasias in 2013”.
The conference touched upon issues concerning a comprehensive and multidisciplinary treatment of patients with multiple myeloma, amyloidosis and Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia. The pathology in multiple myeloma includes many tissues and organs, such as haematological, skeletal, endocrine, renal, nervous and more. Therefore, comprehensive and multi-specialty care of patients gives a chance of high efficiency and improvement of the quality of life and its prolongation in good comfort.
The conference was officially opened by Prof. Aleksander B. Skotnicki and Artur Jurczyszyn, MD, PhD from the Clinical Department of Haematology, Jagiellonian University Medical College. The lectures were given by internationally renowned experts:
– Prof. Ruben Niesvizky (New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Cornell Medical Center, USA)
– Prof. David Vesole (John Theurer Cancer Hackensak University, USA)
– Prof. Steven Treon (Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, USA)
– Prof. Enrique Ocio (Department of Haematology, University of Salamanca, Spain)
– Prof. Giampaolo Merlini (Amyloidosis Centre, University of Pavia, Italy)
The conference attracted a lot of interest and brought together over 80 participants from the Polish haematological centres from Olsztyn, Lublin, Łódź, Katowice, Gliwice, Brzozów, Chorzów, Rzeszów and others. Each presentation was summarised by Prof. A. Skotnicki, who led the conference, and was followed by a lively discussion about the treatment options in plasma cell dyscrasias and the optimisation of therapy in Poland.
The participation in the conference of scientists from the US, Italy, Spain and Poland with a lively and mutual discussion proves that medicine knows no borders and that doctors from different countries speak the same language about similar cases.
In addition to the factual and scientific part, the participants had an opportunity to explore the chambers of the Wawel Castle, Wieliczka Salt Mine, St. Mary’s Church, Museum in Collegium Maius and in Auschwitz as well as the Schindler Factory. The views of the centre of Kraków from a cafe on the roof of the Stary Hotel in the fine weather will certainly long remain in the memory of our foreign guests who visited Poland and Kraków for the first time.