Eleventh Annual Meeting of SOHO Is Largest in Society’s History

The Eleventh Annual Meeting of the Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) was held in Houston, Texas, September 6 through 9, 2023, bringing together clinicians and researchers for a comprehensive showcase of the latest research in hematologic oncology.

With more than 2,500 registrants attending in person or online, the meeting was the largest ever.

Jennifer Brown, MD, PhD, who served as the 2022-2023 SOHO President, said the annual meeting has “grown considerably over time.” The attendance for this year’s meeting was larger “than any other year since it was established in 2012.” She added the meeting featured 180 presentations, with more than 150 speakers presenting at 14 general sessions across the spectrum of blood cancers.

“As a Society, we are a dedicated group of academicians, clinicians, research scientists, and related specialists who are committed to advancing efforts in research and treatment,” she said during the opening ceremony. “We accomplish part of this mission through the exchange of scientific information. We believe that every member of the Society plays a valuable role in reaching this goal.”

She also shared why she chose personalized medicine as the theme for the 2023 meeting.

“As our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of these malignancies [becomes better], we improve our ability to predict which treatments will work best for specific patients,” Dr. Brown said. “The ultimate goal of personalized therapy is to improve outcomes by designing patient-specific plans rather than one size fits all.”

Dr. Brown highlighted SOHO’s monthly publication, Blood Cancers Today, as well as SOHO’s partnership with DocMatter, a global medical community platform that SOHO members can use for in-depth clinical conversations.

Dr. Brown also spoke about the SOHO Ambassador Program.

“In an effort to increase geographical diversity and promote international understanding among hematologic oncology experts from different parts of the world, SOHO created the SOHO Ambassador Program,” she said. “Each member of the program acts as an ambassador for the Society in their respective country.”

On the final day of the meeting, Dr. Brown welcomed the 2023-2024 SOHO President, Guillermo Garcia-Manero, MD, PhD, who said he was honored to be chosen for the role in an interview with Blood Cancers Today.

“I’m not someone who plans or thinks, ‘In five years, I want to be the president of SOHO,’” he said. “Often, opportunities happen unexpectedly, so when I was nominated for the position, I said, ‘Yes, absolutely, I would love to do this.’ I’m honored that I was selected.”