Do you have a question regarding abstract submission for ESMO 2014? Take a look at the most frequently asked questions below.
What are the submission categories?
You can find a list of the categories here.
When does abstract submission close?
Abstract submission for "in progress" abstracts has been extended to Thursday 08 May 2014, 23:59 CEST (GMT+2)
The final deadline for late-breaking abstracts deadline is Wednesday 20 August 2014, 23:59 CEST (GMT+2). A skeleton indicating the type of data that will be available must have been submitted online by the deadline of 08 May 2014.
When will I find out if my abstract has been accepted?
Abstract notification emails will be sent to first and presenting authors mid-late July 2014. The notification will indicate either acceptance & presentation type, i.e. Proffered Paper (oral presentation), Poster Discussion or Poster; or Rejection.
How much does it cost to submit my abstract?
There is no fee for submitting your abstract to ESMO 2014.
Do I need to be an ESMO member to submit an abstract?
No, this is not necessary.
Does my abstract submission need to be sponsored by an ESMO member?
No, as of ESMO 2014 sponsorship by an ESMO member will no longer be required.
Do you accept industry-sponsored abstracts?
Yes, but the first and presenting author must declare if the study detailed in the abstract was funded by a pharmaceutical or biotech company or by a Foundation or academic group.
Can I submit an abstract that contains data which may have been previously presented, but also include additional, new analyses?
Generally, the first author (= presenter) must warrant that the material has neither been, nor will be, previously published in any publication in peer review setting or presented at a meeting of any other scientific organisation prior to ESMO 2014.
Abstracts containing updated data may, however, be submitted to ESMO 2014. In this case, additional information must be given specifying clearly which new data will be presented, for example final analysis of primary endpoint(s) or intermediate statistical analysis. Authors must at the same time also supply information regarding the original presentation for identification and comparison purposes, indicating the name of the meeting, year and publication number. Violation of this policy will result in a rejection of the submitted abstract.
Should any similarities to prior presentations or publications exist, these must be explained in a covering letter, citing the ESMO 2014 abstract submission number, title and first author, to the ESMO Congress Programme Manager by E-mail. Except for unusual circumstances, abstracts containing previously published material will be rejected.
The only exceptions to these regulations are ‘encore’ abstracts previously accepted for presentation at and/or publication in connection with the following events: the 4th European Lung Cancer Conference (ELCC) 2014, the 6th IMPAKT Breast Cancer Conference 2014 and the 16th World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer (World-GI) 2014. In this case, authors must supply information regarding the original presentation, indicating the name of the meeting and publication number.
Do you accept submission of systematic review analyses?
Meta-analysis is welcome, but if the abstract presents only a review of the literature it will have a lower chance of being accepted.
Will there be any travel grants available?
A restricted number of travel grants to ESMO 2014 will be available. Selection of travel grant recipients will be made by the Scientific Committee on a competitive basis from among the accepted abstracts submitted by candidates aged 40 years or younger.
To apply for a travel grant, the following documents must be received by the ESMO Congress Department on or before 7 May 2014:
- A letter of introduction by the applicant indicating the following general information:
- How relevant are the topics presented during this Congress to your current practice and research?
- Have you attended any event on a similar topic in the last 3 years?
- How do you believe your attendance at this Congress will help you improve your knowledge in the field and your professional development?
- How do you consider that the findings published in your abstract make a relevant contribution to the topics presented during this Congress?
- Have you recently been awarded an ESMO travel grant? If yes, for which event?
- A copy of the submitted abstract (the applicant must be the first author and presenter)
- A readable photocopy of either identity card or passport
- A short curriculum vitae (maximum 2 pages).
Documentation must be sent by E-mail or, if strictly necessary, by fax to +41 91 973 1918.
The ESMO 2014 organisers will provide the recipients with a subsidised travel ticket, subsidised accommodation and Congress registration.
Travel grant recipients must submit a report detailing the benefits of participating in ESMO 2014 by 20 October 2014.
Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Is there a limit on abstract length?
Yes, the limit is 2,000 characters, excluding spaces. This includes characters entered in the title, abstract body and table fields, but not the names of authors and institutions.
What is the maximum number of authors?
The maximum number of authors allowed per abstract is twenty (20).
Can I amend my abstract once I have submitted it online?
No, once you have submitted your abstract it is not possible to make any further changes; however, it is not necessary to complete all the submission steps in a single session. You can enter the submission system and edit your abstract as often as you please until you select 'Finish submission'.
Do you accept trials in progress?
Trial in Progress abstracts in all phases of clinical research (phases I to III) may be submitted to ESMO 2014.
It is expected that abstracts submitted as Trial in Progress are ongoing trials that have not reached any protocol-specified endpoints for analysis and consequently will only require the completion of two (2) sections: Background and Trial design. Please note the following:
- Recruitment must have already begun or have been completed by the abstract submission deadline of 07 May 2014.
- Abstracts including results or preliminary data will be rejected
- Encore’ TiP abstract submissions will be accepted for Poster outcome only. Authors must supply information regarding the original presentation, indicating the name of the meeting and publication number. The first author will be responsible for obtaining, and, upon request, showing proof that written permission has been obtained from the copyright holder of the original abstract publication(s).
Abstracts will be reviewed by the ESMO 2014 Scientific Committee and considered on the merits of the scientific and clinical rationale of the trial.
Trial in Progress abstracts will not be considered for Proffered Paper (oral) presentation.
Does the lead author need to be the presenter?
Yes, unless the lead author contacts ESMO by email to nominate a co-author to present the abstract in his/her place. Notification of a replacement presenter must be submitted by E-mail to the ESMO Congress Department within thirty six (36) hours of outcome notification.
Can a non-author submit an abstract online on behalf of the author?
Yes, but they must create their own account in the online system to be able to do so.
When and where will the ESMO 2014 abstracts be published?
- Abstracts accepted for presentation at ESMO 2014 as Poster Discussion and Poster will be published online on the ESMO website at 12:00 local Swiss time on Wednesday, 17 September 2014.
- Abstracts accepted for presentation at ESMO 2014 as Proffered Paper (oral presentation) will be published online on the ESMO website at 12:00 local Swiss time on Wednesday, 24 September 2014.
- Late-breaking abstracts will be made public at the beginning of the official Congress session during which they are presented.
- Abstracts selected for the official ESMO Communication Programme will be made public at the end of the official Press Conference or at the beginning of the official Congress session during which they are presented, whichever comes first.
If my abstract is accepted what are the presentation options?
Abstracts accepted for presentation during the Congress will be scheduled in Proffered Paper, Poster Discussion and Poster sessions. All invited and accepted abstracts will be published in the Abstract Book (online and USB only), and in a supplement of Annals of Oncology.
The ESMO Congress no longer offers the possibility of acceptance for a ‘Publication only’ outcome.