The CaGCA and CSSO look forward to welcoming you to the CSSO Annual Spring Scientific Meeting, hosted by the Canadian Society of Surgical Oncology with the Canadian Gastric Cancer Association. The 2026 meeting will be taking place at the University of Toronto’s Faculty Club. Please join us as we showcase the research being done across Canada and listen to Expert Invited Speakers.
Tari A. King, MD, FACS, FSSO, FASCO, serves as chief surgical officer for the cancer service line at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University and Emory Healthcare. She is also a professor and chief of the Division of Breast Surgery in the Department of Surgery at Emory University School of Medicine and co-director of Winship’s Glenn Family Breast Center.
In these roles, Dr. King oversees surgical care for patients with cancer and leads clinical activities, research and training in cancer surgery across Emory. She drives initiatives to enhance cancer surgery programs, practices, strategic goals and patient experience, and serves as a clinical and administrative leader for cancer surgeons, ensuring consistent standards and continuous improvement in care.
An accomplished physician-scientist with over two decades of experience as a breast cancer surgeon, Dr. King has extensive expertise in patient care and research. Her clinical and research efforts have spanned from breast cancer prevention to the molecular genetics of tumor progression while always maintaining a focus on optimizing multidisciplinary treatment strategies to improve patient outcomes.
Dr. King is a fellow of American College of Surgeons, Society of Surgical Oncology and American Society of Clinical Oncology. She serves as a member of the Executive Committee for the Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium and as treasurer and Finance Committee chair for the Society of Surgical Oncology.
Prior to joining Emory, Dr. King served as the Anne E. Dyson Professor of Surgery in the Field of Women’s Cancers at Harvard Medical School and chief of the Division of Breast Surgery and vice chair of multidisciplinary oncology in the Department of Surgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital. She was also chief of breast surgery at Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center and director of the Breast Cancer Personalized Risk Assessment, Education and Prevention (B-PREP) Program at Brigham and Women's Hospital.
Dr. Walley J. Temple was a Professor with the Departments of Oncology and Surgery with the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Calgary and the Tom Baker Cancer Centre. He retired from clinical practice in 2019 and was appointed Professor Emeritus in Oncology.
He received his MD degree from Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, did a General Surgery Residency in Winnipeg at the University of Manitoba, Canada and completed his surgical oncology training at the Department of Surgery, School of Medicine at the University of Miami, Florida. He was an American Cancer Society Surgical Oncology Fellow and American Cancer Society Junior Faculty Fellow.
Dr. Temple was a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and of the American College of Surgeons. He moved to Calgary in 1983 to initiate surgical oncology development at the University of Calgary and the Tom Baker Cancer Centre and served as Chief of Surgical Oncology from 1983-2012. He was the clinical director of Cancer Surgery Alberta for many years. From 1986 to 1992 he was Chief of the Division of General Surgery and Director of the General Surgery Residency Training Program for the Department of Surgery. He was the James IV Association of Surgeons’ James IV Surgical Traveler in 1987, and past Presidents of the Calgary Society of Surgeons, the Canadian Society of Surgical Oncology, the World Federation of Surgical Oncology Society, and the Society of Pelvic Surgeons. He received the University of Calgary Students’ Union Teaching Excellence Award 1992. During the period of 1994 to 1998 he was involved in the University of Calgary’s International Development Program in Nepal for the MDGP Project. From 1994 to 2000 he was Chair of the Medical Skills Program with the Faculty of Medicine. Dr. Temple received a Diploma of Visiting Professor Emeritus Medical Faculty University of Ljubljana in Slovenia, 2002. He was awarded a University of Calgary Faculty of Medicine Smith Distinguished Achievement Award for 2005. He was the Director of the Surgical Oncology Residency Training Program until September 2006.
In 2011 he received a distinguished Service Award for the Department of Surgery. He was the Principal Investigator for the CPAC Surgical Synoptic Reporting Trials Project 2007– 2012 and the PI for the Canada Health Infoway Innovation project in Alberta for integrating the patient experience in the clinical management of the cancer patient.
His bibliography includes over 150 publications including journal articles and book chapters. He was the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Surgical Oncology and Seminars in Surgical Oncology for 12 years. His research interests included sarcoma, breast cancer, multidisciplinary management of advanced GI malignancy exploring the value of HIPEC for peritoneal malignancies, knowledge transfer using Synoptic Technology, helping physicians deal with adverse events and integrating PROS into everyday practice.
He retired from clinical practice in 2018 where he continued to be active in global medicine and led a 2-year Rotary funded cervical cancer screening and treatment project for 5,000 women in rural Guatemala.
His personal pursuits included volunteering with Rotary, hiking, camping, horseback riding. Especially, and most importantly, he valued family time with his partner, 4 children and 9 grandchildren. Sadly, Dr. Temple passed away February 11, 2026 surrounded by the family he cherished so dearly.
Walley J Temple MD, FRCSC, FACS - 2015
Carol Swallow, MD, PhD, FRCSC, FACS - 2014
Kelly M. McMasters, MD, PhD - 2013
Matthew J. C. Ellis, MB, BChir, PhD - 2012
Shreyaskumar R. Patel, MD - 2011
Vic J. Verwaal, MD, PhD - 2010
Jeffrey F. Moley, MD - 2009
Fairooz Kabbinavar, MD - 2008
Vernon Sondak, MD, 2025
Ronald DeMatteo, MD, 2024
Brendan Moran, MD, 2023
Kurt Weiss, MD, 2022
Des Winter, MD, 2021
Charlotte Ariyan, MD, PhD - 2019
Chandrajit P. Raut, M.D., M.Sc. - 2018
Janice Pasieka MD, FRCSC, FACS - 2017
Han-Kwang Yang - 2016
Be sure to check out the conference program for the CSSO Annual Spring Meeting. Explore the exciting sessions, expert speakers, and engaging discussions we have planned for this year’s meeting. We’re looking forward to welcoming you for an engaging and inspiring event.
Overall program learning objectives:
By the end of this event, the learner will be able to:
Describe the breadth of academic inquiry being undertaken by surgical trainees and faculty involved in cancer care.
Describe the impact and role that immunotherapy has played in cancer over the years.
Describe how determining the sequence of treatments can affect cancer outcomes.
Identify opportunities for collaboration between Surgical Oncologists locally, nationally and internationally.
Be sure to join us for the Advances in Cancer Immunotherapy Session hosted by the Society of Immunotherapy of Cancer.
RESEARCH GRANT: Dr. Elizaveta Vasilyeva
Project Title: Application of natural language processing for individual survival prediction and personalized prognosis delivery in complex general surgical oncology
TOP LONG ABSTRACT: Dr. Nebojsa Oravec
Abstract Title: Nodal burden among patients with lobular breast cancer who meet SOUND and INESMA trial eligibility for sentinel lymph node biopsy omission
RUNNER UP: Dr. Shelly Luu
Abstract Title: Establishing patient derived gastric cancer organoids from endoscopic and surgical specimens for personalized drug testing
TOP SHORT ABSTRACT: Dr. Nicholas Jette
Abstract Title: Organoid pharmacotyping of pancreatic cancer enables functional precision oncology and drug repurposing
TOP POSTER PRESENTATIONS
Dr. Ashley Eom
Abstract Title: Immigrant Women’s Breast Cancer Treatment Experience in a Canadian Healthcare System: A Qualitative Study.
Dr. Joanna Ryan
Abstract Title: Breast Surgery Education and Curriculum Components in Canadian General Surgery Residency Training: A National Delphi Study.
Every year CSSO creates an educational Program for CSF. Please join us in Halifax for the 2026 Canadian Surgical Forum.
Visit the Canadian Surgery Forum online to learn more about our destination, keynote speakers and special events.
Watch this space for updates.
Henry Ryusuke Shibata FACS, FRCS(C) MD (Hiroshima); MSc (McGill)
Dr. Henry Shibata is the founder of the Canadian Society of Surgical Oncology. He has had a long and illustrious career. Born Vancouver April 4, 1930, Henry Shibata moved to Japan after World War II, graduated from the Hiroshima University School of Medicine in l955 and spent a year at the Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission. In 1961, he came to Montreal and completed his training at the Royal Victoria Hospital before joining McGill. He co-founded McGill's Melanoma Clinic in 1972 and founded Canada's first training program in general surgical oncology in 1978. Shibata was founding president of the Canadian Society of Surgical Oncology. In 2002, the Government of Japan awarded him with the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Rosette medal. (Source McGill Reporter) May 18, 2006 - Volume 38 Number 17. This honour is in recognition of his efforts in fostering academic relationships in medicine between Canada and Japan and for meritorious service to the Japanese community of Montreal. Henry was co-founder of the Montreal Academy Club, dedicated to aiding young Japanese students, clinicians and researchers to further their studies, mainly at McGill in medicine. He has been the permanent president of this organization for the past 15 years. (Source Alum notes-McGill news Summer 2003)
After completing his surgical residency oat the Royal Victoria Hospital under the guidance of Dr. Lloyd MacLean he joined McGill University’s Division of General Surgery. He rapidly progressed to Full Professor in 1989 and was the Director of the Division of Surgical Oncology at McGill University from 1988 to 2000. He was Associate Chairman from June 2000 to June 2001. He served a decade on the Committee on Patient Care and Research of the Commission on Cancer. He was Chairman of the Committee on Surgical Oncology of the American Association for Cancer Education from 1983 to 1986. He was President of the Canadian Oncology Society from 1989-91 and the founding President of the Canadian Society of Surgical Oncology from 1988 to 1991.
Dr. Shibata has played a pivotal role in the NSABP, serving as member of the Executive Committee from 1980 to 1983 and as a member of the Board of Directors from 1997 to 2001. He has given over 75 presentations world wide, including talks on breast cancer, melanoma, and colorectal cancer in Hungary, Japan, Venezuela and India. Dr. Shibata has had over 80 peer reviewed publications. He is Professor Emeritus of Surgery and Oncology at McGill University since Jan 2006
The Canadian Society of Surgical Oncology as well as the Canadian Surgical Oncology Community is indebted to Dr. Shibata’s foresight and tenaciousness in advancing our Specialty.
Alessandro Gronchi, 2025
Sandra Wong, 2024
Tsuyoshi Konishi 2023
Alexandre Heriot 2022
Paul Mansfield 2021
Shelley Hwang 2019
David Bartlett 2018
Vernon Sondak 2017
Geoff Dunne 2016
Karl Bilimoria 2015
H.D. Bear 2014
Ron DeMatteo 2013
David McCready 2011
Martha Zeiger 2010
Steven Curley 2009
Patrick Borgen 2008 moved to CSF
Vernon Sondak 2007
Monica Morrow 2006
Robin Macleod 2005
George P. Browman 2004
Roy Smith 2003
Yuman Fong 2002
David Krag 2001
Merrick Ross 2000
Walley Temple 1999
Judah Folkman 1998
Glenn Steele 1997
Robery Kerbel 1996
Ian Tannock 1995
Sept 16-19, 2026 - Halifax, Nova Scotia
Sept 15-18, 2027 - Calgary, Alberta
Sept 13-16, 2028 - Toronto, Ontario
Sept 26-29, 2026 - Washington, D.C.
Oct 16-19, 2027 - San Diego, California
Nov 12-15, 2025 - Boc Raton, Florida
The Boca Raton
Nov 18-21, 2026 - Seoul, South Korea
Coex Convention Center
Dec 9-12, 2025 - San Antonio, Texas
Feb 26-28, 2026 - Vancouver, British Columbia
March 5-7, 20265 - Phoenix, Arizona
March 19-22, 2026 - Miami, Florida
March 11-14, 2027 - Location TBC
Apr 29 - May 3, 2026 - Seattle, Washington
Apr 7-11, 2026 - Orlando, Florida
Apr 26-30, 2028 - Grapevine, Texas
Apr 11-15, 2029 - San Diego, California
May 29 - June 2, 2026 - Chicago, Illinois
Next iteration: 2027
