History

The Asia Pacific Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (APMSTS) began conceptually with discussions at the 7th International Symposium of Limb Salvage Surgeons (ISOLS) meeting in August 1993 in Shangrila hotel in Singapore hosted by then President of ISOLS, Professor Robert WH Pho. Together with a number of other pioneering Asian surgeons the principle of need of such an organisation based in the Asia Pacific region was mooted. This was especially pressing given the ready collaborative environments that were already in place in Europoe (European Musculoskletal Oncology Symposium, EMSOS) and the American Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS). Accordingly, the first APMSTS was held in Tokyo, Japan under the presidency of Yoshio Ogihara. Since then the meeting has been held every 2 years to alternate with the ISOLS meeting.

The aims of the society were to promote basic and clinical research, and to disseminate knowledge in order to provide a common high standard of musculoskeletal oncology and to promote mutual collaboration between different specialists and institutes involved in treatment of bone and soft tissue tumors. At that moment, representatives from the countries of Asia Pacific region were professor Yoshio Ogihara from Japan, Hankoo Lee from, Korea, PC Leung from HongKong, Marsden from, Australia, Natarajan from India, Pipithkul from Thailand, and Soo Yong Lee, Yong-Koo Kang from Korea, and some more doctors from China, Phillipines, New Zealand. They had agreed to have first meeting in 1995 at Tokyo, Japan and second meeting in Seoul, Korea.

The first meeting of APMSTS was held in July 12-13, 1995 at Tokyo, Japan. The President was Professor Yoshio Ogihara from Mie University. The second meeting was held in June 19-20, 1998, at Catholic University in Seoul, Korea. President was Professor Han-Koo Lee from Seoul National University. During the second meeting, International advisory boards meeting was held, and boards had agreed to bi-annual meeting for APMSTS afterward. The third meeting was held in Hong Kong at 2000, and president was Professor PC Leung from Chinese University of Hong Kong.

After then, APMSTS had bi-annual meeting in India, Turkey, Thailand, China, Phillipines, Malaysia, Australia and Singapore.

Contributed by Yang-Koo Kang, Korea