Managing editor Prof Gordon McVie, from the European Institute of Oncology, speaks to Prof Jean-Yves Blay at ESSO 2010, Bordeaux, about the role of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC). Issues such as a decrease in applications for clinical trials, translational research, molecular trials, sarcoma management, radiotherapy, retroperitoneal liposarcoma, imatininb for GIST and his message for surgeons.