History of the European Pancreatic Club: The First 40 Years 1965-2005

The invited lectures, the symposia and panels and the printed abstracts of the meetings are the basis for analysis of the development of pancreatic research over the 40 years from 1965 to 2005. 245 invited lectures and 59 symposia, panels and round tables presented and discussed the latest state of the art at the meetings of the European Pancreatic Club (EPC). We analyze in detail the contributions to physiology and biochemistry of the pancreas, the neurohormonal control of pancreatic secretion, cell biology, stimulus-secretion coupling, and cell receptors. The research on the endocrine-exocrine relationship, nutrition and the pancreas, experimental and clinical acute and chronic pancreatitis, function tests and imaging of the pancreas, pancreatic development and growth, experimental and clinical pancreatic carcinoma, genetics and inherited pancreatic diseases over the years are listed in special sections and discussed. At the center of the EPC meetings there are scientific sessions with either oral or poster presentations. From 1971 to 2004, 4,837 contributions were accepted and printed as abstracts. In the first 30 years papers on basic research usually amounted to around 30\2-40%, on pathophysiology also 20\2-40% and the rest were on clinical work. In the years since 1993 the basic contributions became less with 20% and even only 10% of all papers in the last years. s from patho-physiology and pathology increased in the 1990s, mainly with work on pancreatic carcinoma. Papers on clinical topics also rose to 40\2-50% of all in the years since 1998. The interest in clinical topics shifted over the years. Chronic pancreatitis was the main topic in the 1970s; in the 1980s until 2000, acute pancreatitis gained more interest, and pancreatic cancer is now an attractive fi eld of study due to new methods of research with cancer cell lines and genetic models. Since 1993 a Young Researchers Corner with international experts is offered at the meetings of the EPC, the programs are analyzed. In the last section the question of 'what stood the test of time?' is asked as refl ected in 40 years of meetings of the EPC. Topics are physiology, biochemistry and cell biology in relation to the pancreas, pathogenesis of acute and chronic pancreatitis, methods of diagnosis, treatment of pancreatitis and of carcinoma.