Pune: The future of treatment for peritoneal surface cancers lies in personalised care, minimally invasive and robotic surgery, advanced imaging and stronger collaboration among cancer specialists across India and the world, said Prof. Olivier Glehen, Professor of GI and Peritoneal Surface Malignancy Surgery at Hospices Civils de Lyon, France.
Prof. Glehen was delivering the Prof. Shashank Shinde Memorial Oration at the 3rd Biennial Conference of the Oncology Group of Pune (OGP 2026) on Peritoneal Surface Oncology and Gynaecologic Oncology.
The conference was inaugurated at Hyatt Regency Pune, bringing together around 500 delegates, including leading national and international oncology experts, to discuss advances in the diagnosis and treatment of complex and advanced cancers.
The OGP 2026 conference provided a dedicated academic platform for clinicians to exchange expertise, discuss emerging evidence and explore innovative, multidisciplinary approaches to cancer care.
Dr. Debanshu Bhaduri, President of the Oncology Group of Pune (OGP) and Senior Surgical Oncologist at MN Budhrani Cancer Institute, Pune, along with organising secretaries Dr. Snita Sinukumar, Surgical Oncologist at Apollo Hospital, Pune, and Dr. Tushar Patil, Medical Oncologist at Sahyadri Hospital, Pune, were present at the inauguration.
OGP 2026 Highlights Advances in Peritoneal Surface Cancer Treatment
Speaking on peritoneal surface malignancies, Prof. Olivier Glehen explained that these cancers are largely confined to the abdominal region. He highlighted how advances in cytoreductive surgery and peritonectomy, along with newer techniques such as HIPEC, PIPAC and NIPS, have opened up new possibilities for improving patient outcomes.
He stressed the need for specialised centres with trained teams, careful patient selection and a multidisciplinary approach involving surgeons, oncologists, radiologists and pathologists.
Prof. Glehen also emphasised that continued training, advanced imaging and the use of high-quality clinical data, together with national and international collaboration, will be important in further improving the management of these cancers.
The discussions at OGP 2026 focused on the evolving treatment landscape for peritoneal surface malignancies and the need for specialised expertise in managing these complex cancers.
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Oncology Group of Pune Expands Academic Community
Dr. Debanshu Bhaduri, President of the Oncology Group of Pune (OGP) and Senior Surgical Oncologist at MN Budhrani Cancer Institute, said in his welcome address that OGP was established in 2020 as an academic forum and charitable trust and has expanded into a community of more than 200 members.
He highlighted that while Pune’s cancer incidence stands at around 82 per 100,000, substantially lower than the global average of 250 per 100,000 and lower than India’s national average of 100 per 100,000, predominantly because of a younger population, the city benefits from a workforce density of 1.35 oncologists per 100,000 population.
The OGP 2026 conference brought together specialists from across oncology disciplines to examine emerging evidence and treatment approaches for complex cancers.
The Executive Committee for the conference included Dr. Shailesh Naik, Surgical Oncologist at Indrayani Hospital, Pune; Dr. Vidita Powle, Surgical Oncologist at Apollo Hospital, Pune; Dr. Nagesh Sirsath, Medical Oncologist at Ruby Hall Clinic, Pune; Dr. Shweta Mutha, Radiation Oncologist at Apollo Hospital, Pune; Dr. Anup Tamankar, Surgical Oncologist at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, Pune; Dr. Rakesh Neve, Surgical Oncologist at Sterling Hospital, Pune; Dr. Jayant Gawande, Medical Oncologist at Aditya Birla Hospital, Pune; and Dr. Rahul Kulkarni, Medical Oncologist at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital.
OGP 2026 Brings Together Oncology Specialists
The conference brought together experts in peritoneal surface malignancies, ovarian cancer, gastrointestinal cancers with peritoneal spread, cytoreductive surgery (CRS), Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC), gynaecologic oncology and newer treatment modalities.
A key focus of OGP 2026 was the management of cancers involving the peritoneal surface, which often present complex clinical challenges and require highly specialised, multidisciplinary treatment.
The scientific programme featured expert lectures, panel discussions, case-based deliberations and interactive sessions. These sessions enabled participants to discuss challenging clinical situations and evolving treatment strategies.
The conference hosted eminent international experts including Prof. Paul Sugarbaker, Ex-Chief of Peritoneal Surface Malignancy at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, USA; Prof. Olivier Glehen, Professor of GI and Peritoneal Surface Malignancy Surgery at Hospices Civils de Lyon, France; Prof. Artem Stepanyan, Head of Gynecologic Oncology Service at Nairi Medical Center, Armenia; and Prof. Lana Bijelic, Chief of the Peritoneal Surface Malignancies Unit at CHU Moisés Broggi, Barcelona, Spain, and Academic Coordinator of the European School of Peritoneal Surface Oncology (ESPSO).
Multimodal Treatment Approaches Discussed
Advances in cancer treatment are increasingly demonstrating that selected patients with certain advanced Stage IV malignancies may benefit from aggressive, multimodal treatment approaches.
In appropriately selected patients and tumour types, strategies such as cytoreductive surgery combined with HIPEC can offer the possibility of long-term disease control and, in some cases, potentially curative outcomes.
The OGP 2026 conference underscored the importance of a multidisciplinary, patient-centred approach to cancer care.
