International Society of Paediatric Surgical Oncology (IPSO): A Short History, Developments, and Current Status.

The International Society of Paediatric Surgical Oncology (IPSO) was officially inaugurated in 1991 through the creativeness and inspiration of a collective dynamic group of paediatric surgeons committed to advancing childhood cancer. This article traces the origins and birth of IPSO tracking its modern day development to a growing world community of paediatric surgeon oncology members. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 5.

History of Minimally Invasive Surgical Oncology.

Introduction of the fiberoptic light-source and CCD chip camera resulted in the rapid growth of minimally invasive surgical procedures. In surgical oncology, the change came slowly owing to concerns about adhering to oncological principals while learning to use new technology. Pioneers in minimally invasive colorectal surgery proved that minimally invasive resection for cancer was oncologically noninferior to traditional surgery. Early adopters treating esophageal and gastric cancer established that a minimally invasive approach was feasible with lower morbidity and equivalent oncologic outcomes. These results provide a basis for the extension of minimally invasive surgical techniques to other types of cancer surgery.

LaSalle D. Leffall Jr., M.D. The Man and the Mission.

On March 19-20, 2017; Howard University hosted a Festschrift inspired by Dr. Leffall's writings (Fig. 1). The celebrants highlighted the broad spectrum of Dr. Leffall's contributions in mentorship, leadership in American Surgery, breast cancer, endocrine cancer, pancreatic cancer, and familial polyposis coli. Perhaps most inspirational was the awe inspiring consistency the presenters demonstrated in describing the personal characteristics Dr. Leffall brings to his academic discourse: his encyclopedic knowledge and recall, his charm, eloquence, humility, and his total dedication to the patient, his students, and trainees. We are greatly indebted to Kirby Bland M.D., FACS for offering the pages of The American Journal of Surgery to illuminate this celebration.

On baseball and breast cancer.

Dedicated to the memory of Dr. William Hunter Harridge and Nonie Lowry, this manuscript discusses the ups and downs associated with novel therapies in breast cancer, and applies the lessons of persistence learned from baseball to our quest for more optimal treatments, particularly in triple negative breast cancer.

Historical perspectives and future directions in the surgical management of retroperitoneal sarcoma.

Retroperitoneal sarcomas (RPS) have fascinated and intrigued physicians both past and present. Operative mortality rates were historically very high and complete resection was not possible for the majority of patients until only the last 2 decades. More recently, changes to the surgical approach and clinical decision-making in RPS have improved patient outcomes. With select integration of nonsurgical therapies, continued RPS-specific research, and ongoing collaborative efforts among major referral centers, the future appears promising.

Romuald Weglowski (1876-1935) - Orthopaedic Surgeon, Forgotten Pioneer of Limb Saving Tumour Surgery.

On May 16, 1914, The Lancet Journal published a paper by Romuald Weglowski, a Polish-born professor of Moscow University, entitled "Malignant tumours of bones: a new method in conservative operative treatment." The idea of biological resection presented in the paper consisted in thermocoagulation of the apparently cancerous part of a bone with a jet of steam. According to the author, dead bone rid of live malignant cells reconstructed itself quickly, which helped to preserve the functionality of the organ without considerable limitations. The events of the First World War, political changes in tsarist Russia and the recovery of independence by Poland greatly complicated Weglowski's professional career. We thought it would be interesting to present the life story of the great Polish surgeon in the context of his own method of bone cancer treatment, which without doubt marked the beginning of Polish orthopaedic oncology aimed at limb-saving surgery.

Pathfinders in oncology from the end of the Middle Ages to the beginning of the 19th century.

During the 3 centuries reviewed herein, all that was known regarding cancer was limited to Italy, France, Germany, and England. Practically nothing was written about cancer in the rest of the known world, including the newly discovered geographic areas in the Americas, Africa, and Australia. The 7 pioneer physicians considered in this review lived through some of the most turbulent geopolitical, social, and religious upheavals that Europe had experienced during the Renaissance. Despite their diverse social, political, and religious backgrounds and disparate personalities, they were united in their commitment to the advancement of medicine and oncology and to spreading knowledge through printed texts. Collectively, they established the groundwork for modern anatomy, physiology, chemistry, pathology, surgical oncology, and chemotherapy. It perhaps is noteworthy that 5 of the 7 physicians who contributed the most to the advancement of surgery and surgical oncology served in various wars as army surgeons. Considering everything together, the refusal of physicians of this epoch to use the microscope is a historical enigma. Cancer 2017;123:1888-1897. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

Surgical Oncology Nursing: Looking Back, Looking Forward.

OBJECTIVE: To provide a historical perspective in the development of oncology nursing and surgical oncology as critical components of today's health care system. DATA SOURCES: Review of the literature and Web sites of key organizations. CONCLUSION: The evolution of surgical oncology nursing has traversed a historical journey from that of a niche subspecialty of nursing that had very little scientific underpinning, to a highly sophisticated discipline within a very short time. Nursing continues to contribute its expertise to the encyclopedic knowledge base of surgical oncology and cancer care, which have helped improve the lives of countless patients and families who have had to face the difficulties of this diagnosis. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: An understanding of the historical context for which a nursing specialty such as surgical oncology nursing evolves is critical to gaining an appreciation for the contributions of nursing.