Entries from 25 countries were received and entered into the award. The submitted images were reviewed by a panel of judges which comprised of cancer survivors, medical oncologists, oncology nurse a professional photographer art critic and curator of an art museum. The diversity of images made it very difficult to select a winner, as you can judge for yourself when looking at these images. The images were exhibited in the art gallery above the registration area in the Vienna congress center during the entire 2004 ESMO congress. The award ceremony took place during the ESMO foundation benefit concert in the Vienna Concert house. The winner, Hülya Karamerican, a breast cancer survivor from Turkey, was honored at a ceremony during the concert.

At the ceremony which was presided by Paris Kosimidis (ESMO president) and Prof Heinz Ludwig (Chairman of the ESMO foundation) Hülya Karamerican said “Thank you for adding this precious moment to my life! Thank you, also, for understanding and sharing the intensity of beauty and hope one can so easily find in Nature which I tried to reflect in my picture. I believe that we must first come to terms with ourselves and accept that Life is not fair. I might not have won my fight...But I tried…I tried with all my heart, never ever giving up hope. And I succeeded! We can always enjoy life in one way or another as long as we are ready to do so. All it takes is, to smile and say, “This is my day”- everyday. May every tear in your life turn into a smile in your heart!”