ESGE Newsletter

Recent and upcoming events

ESGE/EHSG/ESP/SPED International Symposium
Management of Precancerous Lesions in the Stomach (MAPS)

MAPS symposium faculty and participants, June 27^th.

On June 27^th, 2011, the ESGE Symposium on the Management of Precancerous Conditions and Lesions of the Stomach (MAPS) took place in Porto, Portugal.

This was the last meeting of a working group of gastroenterologists and pathologists, including clinical experts and young researchers, named by the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE), European Helicobacter Study Group (EHSG), European Society of Pathology (ESP) and Sociedade Portuguesa de Endoscopia Digestiva (SPED) to produce a Clinical Guideline on the management of patients with atrophy, intestinal metaplasia or dysplasia in gastric mucosa. Additionally, participants from Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, China, Chile, France, Germany, Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Latvia, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Sudan, Switzerland, Netherlands, Turkey, UK and USA attended and representatives from nine national societies were represented (Germany, Jordan, Latvia, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Switzerland and Netherlands).

This guideline was developed according to the process of Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE). After grading systematically researched available literature, two rounds of voting took place. At the following MAPS Symposium in Porto outstanding issues were clarified. Emphasis was also placed on the applicability of the recommendations. After undergoing peer-review in both journals the guideline is planned to appear in Endoscopy and Virchows Archiv.

The participating societies agreed that this mode of guideline preparation is effective. Furthermore, the lively interaction between the societies introduced different aspects, new ideas, and plans to join forces on further research in this field.