EUS 2006: Welcome

Dear participants of EUS 2006

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to Amsterdam on the occasion of the fifteenth edition of the International Symposium on Endosonography, EUS 2006. It is the third time that this meeting visits Amsterdam, the last time was in 1989 and a lot has changed since.

In 1989 participants were discussing whether EUS would survive another decade as an imaging technique or whether non-invasive imaging would take over. Now in 2006 we look back on an enormous growth and expansion of EUS in the past two decades. In 1989 EUS-guided FNA-biopsy was non-existent; it is now one of the key-elements of EUS. Additionally EUS is no longer limited to gastrointestinal disease but has expanded into pulmonary medicine as well. In 2006 EUS is more powerful than it has been ever before in the diagnostic field (including FNA-biopsy) and it is also moving into the therapeutic field.

”Learning live and looking forward” is the motto of this 15^th Symposium. This motto encompasses the two main objectives of the symposium: EUS-education and a look into the future of EUS. Education has been mixed into every session, with live-demonstrations from the Academic Medical Center, performed by world experts. Another educational aspect is formed by the presence of a concise Learning Center, where every participant can obtain some initial hands-on experience. Yet another educational feature is the teaching sessions, a first for this conference. In small break-out sessions a maximum of 50 participants per session can exchange their views with the experts. ‘Looking forward’ is integrated in every session. All lecturers have been asked to not only include the latest information but to also combine this with their ideas on the future of EUS for each topic.

Both EUS and Amsterdam are very much alive and kicking. We hope that you will not only enjoy the conference but that you also enjoy the fantastic atmosphere of a city that is over 700 years old. The year 2006 is extra-special for Amsterdam because the 400^th anniversary of Rembrandt van Rijn is celebrated.

On behalf of everyone that has worked very hard to make EUS 2006 a big success, I wish you a very pleasant and educational stay in Amsterdam!

Paul Fockens, MD PhD, president EUS 2006