An independent educational resource covering the rise of neuro-oncology across the Asian region — the science of diagnosing and treating tumours of the brain and nervous system, and the decades of regional collaboration that shaped it.
This site presents the public history of how clinicians and scientists across Asia came together to advance brain-tumour care. It is a reference resource for neurosurgeons, radiation and medical oncologists, neuropathologists, neuroradiologists, neuroscientists, allied-health professionals, students, and the patients and families navigating a brain-tumour diagnosis. The information is educational and historical.
What neuro-oncology is
Neuro-oncology is the multidisciplinary field devoted to tumours of the central and peripheral nervous system — gliomas, meningiomas, medulloblastomas, schwannomas, metastatic brain disease, and the many rarer entities. Because these tumours sit at the intersection of surgery, radiation, systemic therapy, pathology, imaging, and rehabilitation, progress depends on specialists working together. As the U.S. National Cancer Institute notes, brain and spinal-cord tumours are biologically diverse and demand individualized, team-based care.
Why regional collaboration matters
For much of the twentieth century, neuro-oncology research was reported largely through North American and European channels. Beginning in the early 2000s, societies across Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan and Turkey — later joined by India, Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia and the Philippines — built a regional forum to share data, standardize care, and train the next generation. That history matters because it shows how a research community organizes itself across borders and languages.
What you will find here
- The history of regional neuro-oncology collaboration, from the first meeting in 2002 onward.
- A chronology of scientific meetings and the cities that hosted them.
- A directory of national societies across Asia and the journals that carry the field's research.
- Practical patient and family support resources from established brain-tumour charities.
Use the navigation above to explore. For a short note on regional collaboration, see the foreword.