The two-faced keeper of gates to heaven

Abstract

There are several reasons why Janus the ancient roman god sive cancer conferences to ensure that quality reigns over might be adopted as a patron of oncology. Suitably the guardian of the Gate of Heaven, Janus was represented with two faces, one in front and one behind. January is the month dedicated to Janus who presided over the entrance to the New Year, and with his two faces could look back to the past year and forward to the year ahead – we welcome the latter. 2005 was truly an ‘‘annus horribilis’’. Of all professions, oncologists are particularly used to tragedy and the unfairness of life-threatening illnesses at an inappropriate age, but last year the whole world witnessed natural disasters on an unprecedented scale: the Asian Tsunami; appalling drought in Africa and Western Europe; and in the USA, the hurricane Katrina. The now famous conference centre in New Orleans hosted many oncology conferences, for example, the huge 2004 ASCO meeting and it is through such events that many cancer researchers came to know and love the uniqueness of the ‘‘old’’ New Orleans. The future of this city is uncertain – especially as a conference venue upon which so much of the city s economy depended. Our heartfelt sympathy has been extended to all those involved. The world is already short of venues capable of hosting the ever increasingly large conferences for which there seems to be an insatiable appetite. Year on year there are more and more conferences attended by more and more enthusiasts – will it ever cease? I have written in these pages before to express a personal hope that we will move to fewer more comprehen-