Three years ago, I was fortunate enough and honored to organize the International Congress of Paediatric Radiation Oncology in the city of Lyon, France. In the back of my mind, I was nurturing the secret hope that the Congress would mark the birth of a new group for dialogue and advice in this exciting field. Today, the dream has become reality. The new society must reflect the true needs of each and every participant, and I know that these needs exist: thanks to Patrick Thomas’s dynamism week in, week out, we are able to discuss difficult clinical cases on the web. This Internet-based dialogue proves that not even the most experienced practitioner can cope alone with all the different situations because the latter are too numerous, too varied, too specific or too rare. Large societies such as the SIOP or COG are, of course, very useful but supply clinical trial results and answers to more general issues rather than providing sufficient help with the technical aspects of paediatric radiotherapy.

Step by step, the PROS will generate tools for dialogue - we will try to provide you with a virtual forum onto which we can transfer clinical cases and all the information that you need to take a decision. We will finalize this exciting challenge with Patrick Thomas, Carolyn Freeman, Karen Goddard, SY Woo, Roger Taylor and Sarah Donaldson.

I cannot sign off without giving a special thank you to Giulio d’Angio, who was a fantastic motor for the meeting in Lyon and thus for the birth of PROS.

I am pleased to welcome you now to the PROS and I very much hope that this new society will meet your expectations.