Dear colleagues, seniors and friends,
It gives me great honor and pleasure to serve as the President of the Indian Society for Neuro-Oncology (ISNO) for the year 2017-2018. I congratulate my predecessor, Dr. Rakesh Jalali, for his outstanding leadership as President last year and earlier as the secretary of the society. Dr. Jalali has worked tirelessly to ensure the continuing and increasing success of the society. He has been a model president and deserves our thanks. I am also grateful to all my preceding presidents for contributing in their own unique way significantly for the growth of the society and who continue to strive in fulfilling the aims and objectives of the society.

As you are aware, ISNO is now a well- recognized society and continues to provide a pivotal platform for the dissemination of neuro-oncology information and knowledge to treating oncologists, researchers and clinician scientists in the country and across the globe. The society has always aimed to promote interaction amongst the Neuroscientists of the country, and spread the awareness of neuro-oncology to every nook and corner of the country. The uniqueness of ISNO is its’ multi-disciplinary members, including, neurosurgeons, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, neuroradiologists, neuropathologists, basic researchers and molecular biologists, and all other health care professionals working actively in the field of neuro-oncology, and have enriched this society with their knowledge, expertise and interactive discussions. We welcome more number of such multi-disciplinary professionals to become members of this great society.

The society has members with tremendous expertise and has managed to generate quality data from a large number of patients and this will continue in the coming years. The discussions held in the annual conferences of the society and in the various CME/ regional chapter meetings organized by the society, has augmented our knowledge considerably, through shared interest in all matters pertaining to neuro-oncology and this will ultimately benefit our patients. There is little doubt that ISNO is now the premier society representing neuro-oncology in India. It is also a well-known society in Asia and at a global level. This year, in the month of May, several members of ISNO attended the World Federation of Neuro Oncology (WFNO) meeting, and made good contribution. The membership of the society continues to grow progressively over the years, with the essence of multi- disciplinary nature being its strength right from its inception. The society now aims to strengthen its regional groups to continue the educational and CME activities.

ISNO provides a platform for improving the care and treatment available to brain tumor patients. The society also actively promotes support services not only for patients with brain tumour but also their families. The quality of the meetings organized by the society with the participation of International and National experts in the broad field of neuro-oncology reflects on the growth and transition of ISNO into the dynamic organization that it currently is. A designated ISNO expert panel has recently formulated the national guidelines on medulloblastoma. The expert panel would soon draft the guidelines for neuropathology reporting of gliomas for the country, in light of the updated WHO2016 classification of central nervous system (CNS) tumors. The panel will soon propose a set of mandatory testing and minimum reporting format for various CNS tumors taking into account available local resources, cost, and expertise. Apart from the mandatory requirements, it will also recommend optional and/or preferred testing which could be performed at select academic or referral centers.

Each year, the society provides several fellowships and awards for young promising medical professionals and basic scientists interested in any field pertaining to neuro oncology. We look forward to receiving applications for the same. The details are available on the highly informative ISNO website.

The 10th annual conference of ISNO will be held in New Delhi in between 5th-8th April 2018. The forthcoming annual conference is being organized by Professor Ashish Suri and Professor Chitra Sarkar, from AIIMS, New Delhi. They are in the process of putting together an outstanding program with multiple sessions. I am sure that it would turn out to be an extremely informative meeting. The organizers plan to get some of the leading national and international experts for this stimulating meeting. Some of them have already confirmed their participation. I request all members to mark the dates in your calendars and plan accordingly.

Overall, ISNO remains a strong and vibrant society with an active and continually growing multi-disciplinary membership. I thank all the executive committee members who have worked hard throughout the year to keep ISNO on track. We all remain indebted to our past president, Dr Rakesh Jalali, who continues to work with untiring devotion to ISNO.

I request all members to kindly provide suggestions on how best we can improve our society, to reach our ultimate goal to better the treatment of brain tumor patients.

Yours sincerely
Dr. Vani Santosh
Imm. Past President
Indian Society of Neuro-Oncology