International Conference on Clinical PET-CT and Molecular Imaging (IPET 2015 ): PET-CT in the era of multimodality imaging and image-guided therapy
Vienna
5–9 October 2015
Conference ID:
46534
(CN-232)
Announcement and Call for Papers
A. Background
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is organizing the International Conference on Clinical PET-–CT and Molecular Imaging: PET–CT in the Era of Multimodality Imaging and Image Guided Therapy (IPET-2015), following the success of the IPET-2007 and IPET-2011 conferences held, respectively, in Bangkok, Thailand, and Vienna, Austria. Medical imaging technology has revolutionized health care over the past 30 years; it enables early diagnosis and improves patient outcomes. The synergistic use of multimodality imaging provides excellent information during the different stages of disease, as well as assessment of response to treatment in a safe and non-invasive manner, and it therefore allows the delivery of tailored clinical management for patients.
Changes at molecular and cellular levels provide vital clues for evaluating the effectiveness of chosen clinical treatment plans. These are also reflected through streamlined and emerging radiopharmaceuticals used in positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. This conference will provide a forum for clinicians, imaging specialists and scientists to review the important clinical aspects of cancer management and assessment of other diseases. It will also critically examine the pivotal role of streamlined and emerging multimodality imaging techniques with a view to addressing the health challenges common to many Member States.
In addition, a special session on “Ethics, Leadership and Education” will provide an opportunity for participants to review theoretical tools necessary to prepare themselves for leadership in their respective professions.
An appropriate number of accredited Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits will be awarded to participants.
B. Objectives
The conference will review important clinical aspects and appropriate use of medical imaging for the entire spectrum of cancer management and other diseases. It will have the following specific objectives:
• To review the important clinical aspects of cancer and other diseases, and evaluate the role of streamlined and emerging multimodality imaging techniques in providing best practices in the clinical management of these diseases;
• To evaluate, using a clinical systems based approach, the current status of clinical positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET–CT) and other relevant imaging modalities;
• To improve the performance of clinical practice through ‘read with the experts’ sessions and discussions;
• To interact with the user community (nuclear physicians, radiologists, oncologists, radiation oncologists, technologists, radiographers, radiopharmacists, radiochemists, medical physicists and other scientists working in all aspects of molecular imaging) and provide them with the most important information in the field;
• To provide theoretical tools on ethics, leadership and education which will prepare participants to be future leaders in the field of medical imaging; and
• To exchange information in the field of radiopharmaceutical sciences.
C. Format and Topics
The entire scientific programme is tailored using a clinical systems based approach for every session with an initial discussion on the important clinical aspects of the disease or condition to which the session is devoted, followed by sessions on the role of PET–CT and other imaging modalities. In the early afternoon on each day of the conference, breakout sessions for physicians, physicists, technologists, radiographers, radiopharmacists and radiochemists will be conducted in parallel. Each clinical session will include a main lecture and a related ‘read with the experts’ session. The sessions on radiopharmacy and on physics and instrumentation will include workshops on selected topics.
The IAEA invites participants to provide high quality contributions on all aspects of PET–CT and molecular imaging. Recognizing that many Member States are still in the planning stage of acquiring clinical PET–CT, the Conference Secretariat emphasizes that such countries can positively contribute with papers on the applications of nuclear medicine and diagnostic imaging techniques. Both academic and practice-based papers under the umbrella of the following topics will be welcomed:
• Applications of PET–CT, molecular imaging and diagnostic imaging for different types of cancer: breast, lung, colorectal, melanoma, neuroendocrine, etc.;
• PET–CT for radiation treatment planning;
• Radiopharmaceutical production: good manufacturing practices and quality assurance;
• PET and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) physics, instrumentation and data analysis;
• Quality management in nuclear medicine and diagnostic imaging;
• Radiation protection for personnel and dose reduction for patients;
• Member State experience with PET, multimodality imaging and newer applications in diagnostic imaging; and
• Ethics, leadership and education for nuclear medicine and diagnostic imaging professionals.
D. Target Audience
This conference will offer the opportunity to review the latest developments in the field of PET-CT and diagnostic imaging. The target audience comprises:
• Nuclear medicine physicians;
• Radiologists;
• Radiation oncologists;
• Technologists and radiographers;
• Medical physicists;
• Radiochemists and radiopharmacists; and
• Other scientists working in all aspects of molecular imaging.
E. Expected Outcomes
The conference will provide clinicians, scientists and professionals with an international forum at which they can review the latest developments in all aspects of clinical PET, PET–CT and molecular imaging, with a view to addressing the health challenges common to many IAEA Member States.
F. Abstracts, Poster Presentations and Proceedings
All papers — other than invited keynote papers — must present original work and must not have been published elsewhere.
Persons who wish to present a poster at the conference must submit an abstract on one of the topics listed under Section C. The abstract should give enough information on the contents of the proposed paper to enable the Programme Committee to evaluate it. Introductory and general matters should not be included. The accepted abstracts will be reproduced in unedited form in the electronic Compilation of Abstracts which will be distributed to all participants at the conference.
F.1 Submission of Abstracts
Anyone wishing to present a poster at the conference must submit an abstract in electronic format (no paper copies) directly to the IAEA. Instructions on how to upload the abstracts to the conference’s web browser-based file submission system (IAEA-INDICO) will be available on the conference web page (see Section P) as of October 2014. The abstracts must be submitted through this system by 15 February 2015. No other form of submission will be accepted.
The submission should indicate to which of the topics outlined in Section C above it relates and the abstract content should be sequenced accordingly:
• Background of the study;
• Methodology;
• Results; and
• Conclusion.
The abstract:
• should be a maximum of 500 words (including title);
• should not include more than one figure, graph or table;
• should not include references; and
• must be written and submitted using the abstract template on the conference web page (see Section P).
In addition, authors must submit the following two forms to their appropriate governmental authority (see Section G) for transmission to the IAEA. These forms must be received by the IAEA no later than 15 February 2015:
? Participation Form (Form A); and
? Form for Submission of a Paper (Form B).
IMPORTANT: The electronically received abstracts will be considered by the Programme Committee only if these two forms have been received by the IAEA through the established official channels (see Section G).
Authors should state to which of the topics outlined in Section C their contribution relates.
F.2 Acceptance of Abstracts for Poster Presentations
The Secretariat reserves the right to exclude papers that do not comply with its quality standards and do not apply to one of the topics in Section C above.
Authors will be informed by the end of March 2015 if their abstracts have been accepted for poster presentation. The abstracts, if accepted by the Programme Committee, will also be reproduced unedited in the electronic Compilation of Abstracts which will be distributed to all participants at the conference.
F.3 Proceedings
The proceedings of the conference will be published by the IAEA as soon as possible after the conference.
G. Participation and Registration
All persons wishing to participate in the conference are requested to register online in advance through the conference web page (see Section P below). In addition, they are required to send a completed Participation Form (Form A) and, if applicable, the Form for Submission of a Paper (Form B) and the Grant Application Form (Form C) to their competent national authority (e.g. Ministry of Foreign Affairs or National Atomic Energy Authority), or to one of the organizations invited to participate, for subsequent electronic transmission to the IAEA (Official.Mail@iaea.org).
A participant will be accepted only if the Participation Form is transmitted through the competent national authority of a Member State of the IAEA or by an organization invited to participate.
Participants whose official designations have been received by the IAEA will receive from the IAEA further information approximately three months before the opening of the conference. This information will also be posted on the conference web page.
H. Expenditures and Grants
No registration fee is charged to participants.
The IAEA is generally not in a position to bear the travel and other costs of participants in the conference. The IAEA has, however, limited funds at its disposal to help meet the cost of attendance of certain participants. Such assistance may be offered upon specific request to normally one participant per country provided that, in the IAEA’s view, the participant on whose behalf assistance is requested will make an important contribution to the conference.
If Governments wish to apply for a grant on behalf of one of their specialists, they should address specific requests to the IAEA to this effect. Governments should ensure that applications for grants are:
1. Submitted by 15 February 2015;
2. Accompanied by a completed and signed Grant Application Form (Form C); and
3. Accompanied by a completed Participation Form (Form A).
Applications that do not comply with the above conditions cannot be considered.
Approved grants will be issued in the form of a lump sum payment that usually covers only part of the cost of attendance.
I. Distribution of Documents
A preliminary programme will be posted on the IAEA conference web page as soon as possible. The final programme and the electronic Compilation of Abstracts will be available free of charge upon registration at the conference.
J. Exhibitions
A limited amount of space will be available for commercial vendors’ displays/exhibits during the conference. Interested parties should contact the Scientific Secretariat by email: ipet2015@iaea.org by 31 January 2015.
K. Working Language
The working language of the conference will be English. All communications and papers must be sent to the IAEA in English.
L. Conference Venue and Accommodation
The conference will be held at the IAEA’s Headquarters in Vienna, Austria. Participants must make their own travel and accommodation arrangements. Hotels which are offering a reduced rate for conference participants will be listed on the conference web page.
Please note that the IAEA is not in a position to assist participants with hotel bookings, nor can the IAEA assume responsibility for paying cancellation fees or for re-booking and no shows.
M. Visas
Designated participants who require a visa to enter Austria should submit the necessary application to the nearest diplomatic or consular representative of Austria at least four weeks before they travel to Austria. Since Austria is a Schengen State, persons requiring a visa will have to apply for a Schengen visa. In States where Austria has no diplomatic mission, visas can be obtained from the consular authority of a Schengen Partner State representing Austria in the country in question.
N. Key Deadlines
Submission of Form B and abstract: 15 February 2015
Submission of Form C: 15 February 2015
Notification of acceptance of abstracts: end of March 2015
O. Conference Secretariat
General contact details of the Conference Secretariat:
International Atomic Energy Agency
Vienna International Centre
PO Box 100
1400 VIENNA
AUSTRIA
Tel.: +43 1 2600
Fax: +43 1 26007
Email: Official.Mail@iaea.org
Scientific Secretaries:
Email: ipet2015@iaea.org
Fax: (+43 1) 26007
Ms D. Paez and Mr T. Pascual
Nuclear Medicine and Diagnostic Imaging Section
Division of Human Health
Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications
Mr J. Osso Junior
Radioisotope Products and Radiation Technology Section
Division of Physical and Chemical Sciences
Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications
Administration and organization:
Ms Karen Morrison
Conference Services Section
Division of Conference and Document Services
Department of Management
IAEA-CN-232
Tel.: +43 1 2600 21317
Email: K.Morrison@iaea.org
Subsequent correspondence on scientific matters should be sent to either of the Scientific Secretaries of the conference and correspondence on administrative matters to the IAEA Conference Services Section.
P. Conference Web Page
Please visit the following web page regularly for new information regarding this conference:
http://www-pub.iaea.org/iaeameetings/46534/IPET2015.
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