19 WORLD GASTROENTEROLOGY NEWS JANUARY 2015 Editorial | Expert Point of View | Gastro 2015: AGW/WGO | WDHD News | WGO & WGOF News | WGO Global Guidelines | Calendar of Events Taiwan Digestive Diseases Week 2014 The Gastroenterological Society of Taiwan Taiwan Digestive Diseases Week (TDDW) has become a major regional congress. A record 1,825 delegates attended the 7th edition of this popular annual event, which was co-hosted by the Gastroenterological Society of Taiwan (GEST) with 10 other digestive disease related societies and associations, at Kaohsiung from 3–5 October 2014. The comprehensive program encompassed basic research, transla-tional medicine, and clinical practice in diverse fields of hepato-biliary and gastrointestinal (GI) medicine, with a strong emphasis on viral hepatitis and digestive malignancies. Leading local and regional luminaries and emi-nent international experts, including World Gastroenterology Organisation (WGO) President, Professor James Toouli, reviewed the epidemiology and pathogenesis of digestive diseases, took stock of current management, and assessed the implications of the latest research for clinical practice. Hepatocellular Carcinoma Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the leading cause of cancer mortal-ity in Asia. Professor Hashem B. El-Serag, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA, highlighted the etiologic role of Hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV, HCV). HBV is endemic in Asia and primary preven-tion includes vaccination and antiviral therapy, while secondary prevention focuses on surveillance. Landmark research by Professor Masao Omata, Japan, proved that viral clearance re-duces fibrosis and HCC, and antiviral therapy with pegylated interferon (PEG/IFN) plus ribavirin is highly effective in Asians. Potent new all-oral combinations that clear HCV in almost all patients promise to dramatically reduce the incidence of HCC. Professor Chia-Yen Dai, GEST Vice-Secretary General, emphasized that despite effective combination therapy, clinicians should individual-ize management to optimize patient outcomes. Due to late diagnosis and intervention, many Asian patients have advanced HCC. Professors Kwang-Hyub Han and Jinsil Seong, Yonsei University College of Medi-cine, Seoul, Korea, along with Profes-sor Masafumi Ikeda, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Japan, shared expert perspectives on non-curative therapies including trans-catheter arterial chemoembolization, sorafenib, and chemoradiotherapy. The poor prognosis of HCC despite TDDW Registration. TDDW 2104 Co-hosting Organizations • Gastroenterological Society of Taiwan • Digestive Endoscopy Society of Taiwan • Taiwan Association for the Study of the Liver • Taiwan Surgical Society of Gastroenterology • Taiwan Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition • Taiwan Liver Cancer Associa-tion • Taiwan Pancreas Society • Taiwan Society of Coloproc-tology • Chinese Oncology Society • Taiwan Association of Medi-cal Screening • Taiwan Association for the Study of Small Intestinal Diseases
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