Jos van der Hage is a full Professor of Surgery, in particular intra-curricular education in Surgery and a member of the Division 1 board of the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC). Furthermore, he is chairman of the board of the European Society of Surgical Oncology Education and Training Committee (ESSO ETC), a European association dedicated to advancing the science and practice of surgical oncology for the benefit of cancer patients. Profile Surgery As a surgical oncologist, I am involved in the treatment of patients with breast cancer, skin tumours such as melanoma and so-called soft tissue sarcomas. The combination of these pathologies is remarkable in that sense, since breast cancer is a very common condition whereas soft tissue sarcomas fall into the category of rare tumours. To both patient groups, I strive to devote maximum effort by providing optimal clinical care, conducting scientific research into these diseases and educating the new generation of doctors about this topic. By all means, this is not something I accomplish by myself, but together with my colleagues within the LUMC and beyond.