All who attended the 2024 ISOLS Scientific Meeting in Brisbane as part of our gathering of orthopaedic oncologists, scientists, trainees, and allied specialists from around the globe shared the same goal: to advance musculoskeletal tumour care through innovation, education, and collaboration. It was a lucrative investment that has allowed ISOLS to resume its benevolent journey of supporting our members with research consensus initiatives, travelling fellowships, and ongoing education forums for both our members and countries where sarcoma still requires educational awareness and support for the benefit of our treasured orthopaedic oncology patients.
Our Brisbane program was designed not only to showcase the latest scientific progress in bone and soft tissue oncology, but also to catalyse these advances into tangible improvements to take the bench to the bed in patient care. We witnessed outstanding presentations covering emerging research in tumour biology, advanced imaging techniques, minimally invasive surgical innovations, limb-sparing reconstruction, and targeted systemic therapies. The data shared around liquid biopsy in sarcoma monitoring and novel 3D-printed implants generated considerable interest and dialogue about immediate clinical implications.
We were proud to host joint symposia with radiology, pathology, medical oncology, and radiation oncology colleagues. These sessions emphasised the value of team-based care and helped refine interdisciplinary strategies in diagnosis, treatment planning, and complex case management. The Psychosocial Support Session reminded us that truly excellent care extends well beyond the operating room.
Several educational workshops and surgical technique demonstrations were directly oriented toward enhancing a “common language” for data collection, with sessions on margin assessment, functional assessment complication management, and data management. As a response to this, we have seen working committees form who are currently evaluating the literature and developing consensus positions to report to us at the ISOLS 2026 Scientific Meeting in Vienna. The committee reports are included in our first newsletter.
It was encouraging to see our future leaders take to the stage in our Early Career Younger Fellows Forum, where our industry’s emerging talent was provided with practical guidance on research funding, job selection, and academic growth, underscoring our society’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of orthopaedic oncology practitioners. In today’s newsletter, Franklin Sim, our founder provides some insights reflecting back on his life in orthopaedic oncology from when he was a younger fellow and just starting his career
We hosted a record number of LMIC attendees that the society sponsored, marking a renewed emphasis on global outreach and equity in care. Sessions on low-resource surgical strategies, international research collaborations, and culturally sensitive survivorship care broadened our collective vision of what orthopaedic oncology can and must strive to be. We have seen an MDT forum develop across the Pacific Islands enhancing sarcoma care and networking with sponsored attendees leading the change. We must thank the Oxford University team along with Professor David Wood in Perth, Australia for their work, which also included launching an initiative to provide virtual educational access to colleagues in underserved regions with WHO online training accreditation. This newsletter also has a report on the progress in the Pacific a year later.
It’s been a pleasure to be part of such a progressive, forward-thinking board following the challenges the society faced following COVID. Many thanks to past President Francis Hornicek for his stewardship, foresight and corporate experience. The early committee structure was created under the auspices of the past 2019 board and Secretary General Professor Ruggeri and has now been expanded considerably.
In Brisbane, the board met with medical strategic planner Dr Marc Bard, who offered his support pro bono. After intense workshopping, brainstorming, surveying and discussion, it was deduced that the society didn’t need restructuring, it needed better inter-meeting member engagement – challenging when we only meet as a society every two years.
The strategic planning outcome has seen the board create member subcommittees led by a board member portfolio. The subgroups have been meeting monthly to work on better member collaboration and new engagement programs built around the monthly education forums, culminating in the Vienna ISOLS and we also have reports from those committee leaders.
Bylaws refresh
We have commenced Bylaws review with a planned modernisation guided by the Bylaws Committee headed by Past President Panos and the Board. The Board will provide agreed changes for members’ consideration and after deep thought, an extraordinary GM planned for Tuesday night 27 January 2026 when fellow board member Lee Jeys’ BOOM South Africa meeting concludes. This will be followed by a subcommittee and Board Meeting to work with the new Bylaws resolutions if passed. The next task at hand will be to elect the new president and meeting location for 2028.
A commitment to being at the forefront of innovation
Brisbane 2024 served as a springboard for reimagining the future of orthopaedic oncology and engineering. Building on those discussions, ISOLS established a dedicated Technology Committee to drive exploration and adoption of emerging innovations. The aim is to ensure the society not only keeps pace with rapid advances but also helps shape how they are applied to improve patient outcomes. Across plenary sessions and breakout discussions, topics such as AI-assisted surgical planning, mixed-reality surgery, biomaterial innovation, and personalised medicine strategies underscored the need for this focused effort.
Events and administration support
Our new 10 year partnership with the conference PCO Erasmus has seen the society secure its financial future and provide us with a high level of administrative support.
We thank Georgia Tsatsou and her team for their ongoing support.
New committees
We must also thank Dr Eduardo Botello and the membership committee for their ongoing guidance. We have seen our membership has grown immensely over the past year.
Education
Dr Valerae Lewis and her education team’s enthusiasm, perseverance, guidance and forum orchestration, and with the energy and momentum of the Brisbane continuing.
We have also launched a redesigned member portal with a clear member value proposition supporting all our well attended education monthly meetings and preserved recordings for financial members to support ongoing learning and real-time collaboration.
Travelling Fellowship launch
The recent advertisement of the Travelling fellowship has seen a huge interest across the world with an exciting result of the Board’s ability to secure our financial future with successful membership drive.
Lasting partnerships
It’s also important to call out the ongoing perennial support of Implantcast, whose contribution to orthopaedic oncology reconstruction worldwide has been immense.
Our ongoing partnership with CORR has been invigorated for call for expanded editorial board of ISOLS members and the support of Dr John Healey and Editor-in Chief Seth Leopold.
Looking forward to Vienna
The Vienna meeting under the Austrian leadership of incoming 2026 President Andreas Leithner and his team of Phillip, Gerhard, and Maria are putting together an excellent academic program with recent call for reviewers and a timely reminder that registrations are now open. Erasmus again must be thanked for putting the meeting together and their secure financial commitment to ISOLS conference.
In closing, Brisbane 2024 exemplified our shared mission: to push the boundaries of knowledge and care in orthopaedic oncology. The insights gained, connections forged, and skills sharpened here will have ripple effects in clinics, operating rooms, and research labs around the world every day.