From July 1st till July 4th, Barcelona was host to the 17th world congress on gastrointestinal cancer. The meeting again proved to be the premier global event in the field, encompassing malignancies affecting every component of the gastrointestinal tract and aspects related to the care of patients with gastrointestinal cancer, including screening, diagnosis and the latest management options for common and uncommon tumours. This report will touch upon some of the key abstracts presented at the congress. A complete overview of all studies presented during the meeting can be found at www.worldgicancer.com.

(BELG J MED ONCOL 2015;9(5):199–201)