We established an international consortium to review and discuss relevant clinical evidence in order to develop expert consensus statements related to cancer management during the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2-related disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The steering committee prepared 10 working packages addressing significant clinical questions from diagnosis to surgery. During a virtual consensus meeting of 62 global experts and one patient advocate, led by the European Society for Medical Oncology, statements were discussed, amended and voted upon. When consensus could not be reached, the panel revised statements until a consensus was reached. Overall, the expert panel agreed on 28 consensus statements that can be used to overcome many of the clinical and technical areas of uncertainty ranging from diagnosis to therapeutic planning and treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cancer care is increasingly delivered by multidisciplinary teams. Cath Taylor and colleagues argue that stronger evidence is needed of their effectiveness

In "Table 6. Recommended choice of treatment options within TNM risk category of primary rectal cancer without distant metastases" (rows 3 and 4, column 3) Surgery (TME) alone is a standard only if good quality mesorectal resection assured (and local recurrence 0.5% or, if not, preoperative SCPRT (5 x 5 Gy) or CRT followed by TME Preoperative SCPRT (5 x 5cGy) or CRT followed by TME, depending on need for regression Is replaced with: Surgery (TME) alone is a standard only if good quality mesorectal resection assured (and local recurrence 5% or, if not, preoperative SCPRT (5 x 5 Gy) or CRT followed by TME Preoperative SCPRT (5 x 5 Gy) or CRT followed by TME, depending on need for regression

Well-recognized experts in the field of gastric cancer discussed during the 12th European Society Medical Oncology (ESMO)/World Congress Gastrointestinal Cancer (WCGIC) in Barcelona many important and controversial topics on the diagnosis and management of patients with gastric cancer. This article summarizes the recommendations and expert opinion on gastric cancer. It discusses and reflects on the regional differences in the incidence and care of gastric cancer, the definition of gastro-esophageal junction and its implication for treatment strategies and presents the latest recommendations in the staging and treatment of primary and metastatic gastric cancer. Recognition is given to the need for larger and well-designed clinical trials to answer many open questions.

The end point of complete clinical response is inconsistently defined and seems insufficiently robust with only partial concordance with pathologic complete response. The rationale of a "wait and see" policy when complete clinical response status is achieved relies on retrospective observations, which are currently insufficient to support this policy except in patients who are recognized to be unfit for or refuse radical surgery.