INTRODUCTION

Oncology is rapidly gaining acceptance as a medical discipline throughout Asia.
However, there is a need to increase awareness that the epidemiology, clinical spectrum and, of necessity, management strategies for cancer in this region are different from those in Western countries. It was therefore necessary that we, as doctors dedicated to the treatment of cancer patients and the study of oncology, should join together to establish the Asian Clinical Oncology Society (ACOS).
The Society was therefore formed as a common platform for clinical oncologists throughout the Asian region. It is recognized that many countries in the Asian region have established clinical oncology facilities and active professional bodies.
However, much remains to be done before early diagnosis and treatment is available to all peoples in the region.
The Asian Clinical Oncology Society will be devoted to the care of cancer patients and to the development of scientific knowledge through research in oncology and promoting the recruitment of facilities for oncology services.

ARTICLE 1

Name and Establishment

The Society shall be known as the Asian Clinical Oncology Society (hereinafter known as ACOS). The Society was established in Osaka, Japan.
The inaugural meeting was held in Osaka on October 16,1991 and was chaired by Dr. Tetsuo Taguchi, emeritus professor of Osaka University, for an unlimited period by representative doctors from several Asian countries.

ARTICLE 2

Objectives of the Society

The objectives of the Society shall be:

• To bring together, on a common platform, clinical oncologists from Asian countries for a free exchange of ideas on the problems, challenges and methods of cancer management in the region.
• To mutually encourage, strengthen and improve facilities for cancer diagnosis and management in countries in the region where such help is needed. ・To seek the support of Government, non-Government and private agencies in achieving the improvement of cancer care throughout the Asian region.
• To encourage transfer of technology between countries in the region with the objective of improving overall standards of cancer diagnosis and management.
• To encourage membership of the Society throughout the region in order to promote and support the activities of members where such assistance is needed.
• To foster improvement of academic and scientific standards in oncology in the Asian region by encouraging clinical research in the fields of epidemiology, preventive oncology and therapeutic techniques.

ARTICLE 3

Member countries and Membership

ACOS shall be constituted with Asian regional country, they are Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Viet Nam.
Membership of the Society shall be open to all doctors in the Asian region, in any medical discipline that are interested in oncology and/or dedicated to cancer patient care. Extra-ordinary membership of the Society shall be open to doctors from other parts of the world who otherwise meet the criteria for full membership. Membership shall be on an individual basis. But each country shall have a coordinator and/or councilor.

ARTICLE 4

Meetings of the Society

Meetings of the full membership of the Society shall be held every two years for a business meeting and/or a scientific meeting. Meetings of the Executive Committee shall be held when deemed appropriate by the President of Secretary General. 　

Conference Meeting

The Society shall hold its biennial meeting to coincide with the society biennial international conference. Time and place will be designated by the host country
in coordination with the Executive Council. The succeeding two international meetings will be decided in advance. The executive council may call special meetings such as ACOS-GI, educational meeting for cancer specialist from Asian regions..

ARTICLE 5

Membership Fees

Council members and association members of the ACOS shall pay some amount of membership fee, having due regard for the financial status of the Society and the ability of Members to pay such fees. Attendance at the two-yearly scientific and/or business meetings shall require payment of the separate fee to the local organization committee.
Supporting members of the ACOS also shall pay appropriate amounts of membership fee.

ARTICLE 6

Other Societies

The society shall work as a complimentary partner to other societies in the field of oncology with similar aims and objectives.

ARTICLE 7

Organization

A new president shall be elected every two years. The Executive Committee shall propose a candidate and approval shall be by agreement of the general assembly.
The general assembly shall consist of the Executive Committee, Councilors and ordinary members of the Society.

ARTICLE 8

Meeting of the Executive Committee

The members of Executive Committee are the official representative councilor from each participating country.
Meeting of the Executive Committee may be held by letter (formal meeting by letter or e-mail) or by attendance at a meeting. The Executive Committee shall make decisions by sincere agreement or by approval of more than half of the members of the said Committee.

ARTICLE 9

The Councilors

Councilors are the official representatives of each participating country and there may be no more than ten councilors. In case, a Councilor voluntarily retires or becomes incapacitated, he shall nominate his successor preferably from the same country, duly approved by the president of the Society or Executive Council. There after, he shall be recognized as Honorary President, Honorary
member and/or Meritorious Member.

ARTICLE 10

Executive Committee

Executive committee shall be nominated from the chief Councilor from the participate countries.
Executive Committee members are as follows:

The first generation (since 1992)

President:	Tetsuo Taguchi (Japan),
Secretary General:	J.P. Kim (Korea)
Members:	W. Shiu (Hong Kong),　 Y. Sun (China)
	S. Puribhat (Thailand), 　J. Bosco (Malaysia)
	P.B. Desai (India), 　Daldiyono (Indonesia)
	H. Shu-Wen (Taipei, China)

The second generation (since 2012)

President:	Shigetoyo SAJI (Japan)
Vice president:	Yuan-Kai Shi (China), Yeul Hong Kim (Korea) Tsang-Wu Liu (Taiwan)
Auditors:	Rainy Umbas (Indonesia), Anjani Kumar Sharma (Nepal), Alex Y Chang (Singapore),
Adviser:	Tetsuo Taguchi (Japan), Yan Sun (Japan)
Members:	AMM Shariful Alam (Bangladesh) ,	(China)
	Tony SK Mok (Hong Kong),	Sanjeev Misra (India)
	(Indonesia),	Hideo Baba (Japan)
	Han-Kwang Yang (Korea)	(Malaysia)
	Yongendra Singh (Nepal)	Zeba Aziz (Pakistan)
	(Philippines)	(Shingapore)
	(Taiwan)	Sumitra Thongprasent (Thailand)
	(Viet Nam)
Secretary General:	Kazuhiro Yoshida (Japan)
Office ;	c/o Department of Surgical Oncology, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1194, Japan
Office secretariat :	Aki Iwata, Kumi Mori
	E-mail: このメールアドレスはスパムボットから保護されています。閲覧するにはJavaScriptを有効にする必要があります。 Home page: http://www.asia-acos.org/
	Tel: +81-58-230-6231　Fax: +81-58-230-6236

ARTICLE 11

Communication

The Executive Committee shall maintain communication with members the Society through a published newsletters, journal or other methods deemed appropriate by the said Committee. Official Journal of ACOS shall be considered as a near future projects.

ARTICLE 12

Amendments to the Constitution

Amendments to the constitution shall be acceptable only for the betterment of the Society. Amendments shall be reviewed by the Executive Committee and shall be approved by more than half of the ordinary members of the Society present at a General Meeting of the Society.
Said General Meeting may be conducted by correspondence (non-response will be indicated as acceptant of the Notice of Motion), or during the biannual scientific or business meeting.
These amendments must be submitted to the Society at least 4 months before the Business Meeting

Revised

1. Second revised on June 14, 2012