Conferences & Events
The Surgical Oncology department offers a wide variety of department-based and institution-wide events, and educational opportunities.
Upcoming Events
21st Oncology Update: Advances and Controversies
January 17-20, 2025
Steamboat Grand Hotel, Steamboat Springs, CO
This educational conference is designed to address the current challenges, updates, and innovative therapies for multiple tumor types through interactive sessions. It will bring together experts from various disciplines involved in the treatment of solid tumors. The goal is to facilitate the integration of new developments in cancer care into the clinical practice of surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists and allied health care professionals. By attending, these professionals will be better equipped to provide the highest standard of care to their patients. The program will cover a variety of topics including New Targeted Therapies, Gastrointestinal Malignancies, Melanoma, Lung Cancer, Breast Cancer, Genitourinary Malignancies, and Cancer Screening Prevention.
Watch for the complete program here
5th Surgical Oncology Advanced Practitioner (SOAP) Conference
April 24-26, 2025
MD Anderson Cancer Center, Duncan Building (CPB)
Floor 8, Conference Center
The SOAP Conference aims to foster collaboration and share best practices among Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) in surgical oncology. The 2.5-day program is dedicated to presenting the latest evidence on the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of solid tumor malignancies and enhancing multi-disciplinary management for medical professionals involved in patient care and clinical research. Highlights include several hands-on interactive workshops, such as beginner and intermediate suturing, wound care, dermoscopy and robotic and laparoscopic skills training.
Target Audience: Advanced Practice Providers (APPs), including Physician Assistants (PA), Nurse Practitioners (NP), Pharmacists, Physicians, Nurses, Trainees (fellows, students) and other Allied Health Professionals
Call for Abstracts: Abstracts will be selected for either poster or mini-oral presentation at the conference. Please check our website for more information. Deadline for submission is Friday, Jan. 31, 2025 11:59 p.m. CST. Authors of selected abstracts will be notified via email by Friday, Feb. 14, 2025.
1st NASOG MD Anderson Surgical Oncology Alumni Academic Symposium
September 19-20, 2025
Houston, TX
An invitation to former Surgical Oncology trainees to attend a dynamic and fun-filled academic and social two-day event at the MD Anderson campus. More details and registration information will be shared soon.
- Scientific sessions showcasing alumni's outstanding contributions to the field of oncology
- Engagement opportunities for trainees
- Opportunities to connect and network at social events (spouses welcome)
- Tour and see what’s new on the MD Anderson campus
- Alumni, share your feats and achievements with Katie Tyler at KETyler@mdanderson.org so we can include them in our future communications. If you haven't already, complete the alumni database survey.
Past Events
American College of Surgeons (ACS) Annual Alumni Reception
Sunday October 20, 2024
Hilton San Francisco Union Square
San Francisco, CA 94102
Distinguished Alumnus Grand Rounds
May 29, 2024
7 a.m.
The Surgical Oncology department is hosting the 2nd Annual Distinguished Alumni Rounds featuring Dr. Elizabeth Mittendorf. Dr. Mittendorf is the Rob and Karen Hale Distinguished Chair in Surgical Oncology and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Surgery at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She is a Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School and the co-leader of the Breast Program for the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, which is the seven-member consortium that holds the Cancer Center Support Grant. Zoom and Hybrid.
SSO Alumni Reception
March 21, 2024
6:45-11 p.m.
Atlanta Fish Market
Cocktail reception and dinner for current Surgical Oncology members and alumni in conjunction with the Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) Annual Meeting. Event contact: Cynthia Scott
Joint Cancer Symposium
20th Oncology Update: Advances and Controversies MD Anderson Cancer Center – Aichi Cancer Center Basic science, translational and clinical research lectures; case-based interactive learning and discussion.
March 8, 2024, 5-8 p.m. CST
March 9, 2024, 8-11 a.m. JST
Partial Program
MD Anderson Cancer Center President, Peter WT Pisters, M.D.
Evolution of Texas Medical Center and MD Anderson – What the Future Holds
Aichi Cancer Center President Kazuhito Yamamoto, M.D. Aichi Cancer Center
20th Oncology Update: Advances and Controversies
Steamboat Grand Hotel, Steamboat Springs, CO
This year’s program will cover a variety of topics including New Targeted Therapies, Gastrointestinal Malignancies, Melanoma, Lung Cancer, Breast Cancer, Genitourinary, Malignancies and Cancer Screening/Prevention.
American College of Surgeons (ACS) Annual Alumni Reception
Monday, October 23
6-8 p.m.
2023 Fall TRANSCEND Cancer Initiative Symposium
Friday, October 13
Keynote speakers: Peter WT Pisters, M.D., MHCM, President,
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Nathalie D. McKenzie, MD, Advent Health Cancer Institute
Contact: Laura Gibson, lagibson@mdanderson.org
Distinguished Alumnus Grand Rounds
May 3, 2023
The Surgical Oncology department hosted the 1st Annual Distinguished Alumni Rounds featuring Dr. Syed Ahmad. Dr. Ahmad is an alumni of the MD Anderson Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship and is currently the Chief of Surgical Oncology, Vice Chair for Faculty Development, and the Hayden Family Endowed Chair for Cancer Research at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.
4th Surgical Oncology Advanced Practitioner (SOAP) Conference
April 20-22, 2023
The goal of the SOAP conference is to foster collaboration and share best practices among APPs working in surgical oncology. The 3-day program brings the latest evidence regarding the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of solid tumor malignancies and multi-disciplinary management to medical professionals involved in patient care and clinical research. The inaugural SOAP conference took place in April 2018 and was co-sponsored by the Association of Physician Assistants in Oncology and the MD Anderson Division of Surgery.