The 44th congress followed the previous one of International Society of Oncology and Biomarkers (ISOBM) that took place in Chicago (USA) in 2016. The title of the 44th Annual congress was: 'Biomarkers in oncology: new horizons and challenges in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer' [1].
The congress was co-organized by ISOBM, European Group on Tumor Markers (EGTM) and Brazilian Society of Clinical Pathology SBPC/ML. The event attracted more than 180 participants from all over the world.
The program offered many topics regarding discovery, validation, evaluation and use of tumor biomarkers. The presentations were split into the key note lectures, oral presentations, poster presentations and satellite symposiums sponsored by companies.
The congress offered participants the opportunity to link clinical and research oncologists to discuss new tools for diagnosis and monitoring of cancer diseases. Prominent people in the field of cancer research and clinical oncology were presented and offered the unique opportunity to exchange experiences and knowledge in an international forum [2].
Compared with previous ISOBM congresses, it was held in Latin America for the first time, and due to that more participants from Latin America were present.