A History of Neuro-Oncology Collaboration in Asia

The story of regional neuro-oncology in Asia begins with a single, memorable meeting — and grows, over two decades, into a network spanning more than a dozen countries.

The first meeting, Kumamoto 2002

The foundational gathering of Asian neuro-oncologists was held in Kumamoto, Japan, in November 2002. It was organized jointly by brain-tumour and neuro-oncology societies in five countries and regions — Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan and Turkey — and featured 142 scientific presentations. From the very beginning, the focus was clear: the diagnosis, treatment, pathology, and biology of brain tumours. A second, equally important aim was educational — to give participants a shared understanding of standard neuro-oncology and a window into research underway elsewhere in the world.

Learning from the wider world

Early meetings deliberately invited guest lecturers from the United States and Europe. Those advanced and educational lectures stimulated participants and helped raise the profile of neuro-oncology within each home country. The regional forum positioned itself within the global structure coordinated by the Society for Neuro-Oncology and the World Federation of Neuro-Oncology Societies, sending delegates as a unified Asian block rather than as isolated national groups.

A widening circle

Through the 2000s the network expanded. A landmark moment came in 2009, when the regional meeting was held jointly with the 3rd Quadrennial Meeting of the World Federation of Neuro-Oncology in Yokohama, Japan. India, the Philippines and Hong Kong joined the group around that meeting. A few years later, at a very well attended 2013 meeting in Mumbai, India — which drew some 650 participants — the neuro-oncology community from Australia joined as well, and further countries followed.

From specialty to multidisciplinary movement

What started among neurosurgeons broadened, by design, into a multidisciplinary movement. Radiation and medical oncologists, paediatric specialists, neuropathologists, neuroradiologists, neuroscientists, and allied-health professionals were all welcomed. This mirrored a global shift in how brain-tumour care is delivered — through coordinated, team-based decision-making rather than single-discipline treatment.

A bridge between regions

Throughout its history, the regional community has emphasised friendly, productive connections with sister organizations — particularly the European Association of Neuro-Oncology and the Society for Neuro-Oncology in North America — to contribute to the global development of the field. The result is a story not of competition but of collaboration: a shared, cross-border effort to improve outcomes for people with brain tumours. For the full meeting-by-meeting record, see the chronology of past meetings and the list of meeting presidents.