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The third Issue of this Year’s, (2012) Journal, is presented to you by dedicating to our past president of IASO “Prof. Raja S. Rao, Director, Tata Memorial Hospital, (Retired) Mumbai whom we lost him on 30th November 2011.

“A tribute has been well written. This issue is dedicated to him during the Annual Congress of IASO i e going to be “NATOCON IASO - 2012 “to be held at Goa. Dr. Raja S. Rao was responsible for establishing the speciality of Surgical Oncology in this country and he was one of the founder members of Indian Association of Surgical Oncology when it was established in 1977 as a section of Association of Surgeon’s of India. Now IASO is completing three and half decade’s existence. Prof. Raja S. Rao was president of Indian Association of Surgical Oncology during the year 1986, member of the Governing council of the Association of Surgeon’s of India. He held various position in professional bodies for his academic contribution to development of Surgical oncology; he was elected as the president of the Indian Society of Oncology & Vice President of International college of Surgeon’s Indian section.

He was always ahead in thinking and when the concept of super speciality in oncology was thought of he became the chief of Head and neck services at Tata Memorial hospital in 1975, which he was holding till his retirement. During this time he made a very valuable contribution for bringing in the newer concept in Thyroid surgery and published many articles on thyroid surgery like completion thyrodectomy which were well acclaimed as a good publication. He was the author of monograms on Oral cancer and Thyroid cancer. His work on management of Neck nodes for Oral tongue published in American Journal of Surgery in 1989 remain land mark article in Management of metastatic Neck nodes.

He not only belongs to Mumbai but also beyond Mumbai he belongs to the Indian Sub continent, and I was proud to be associated with him. He was always there in all the forms.

Related to cancer in any part of the country. He used to travel to various cancer meetings in the country by spending his own money and not accepting the sponsorship from local organizations, this indicates the concern for the development of speciality of surgical Oncology.

For people like me three decades ago he was the leader, and remained friend, philosopher and guide and promoted us in the association of Surgical Oncology and Association of Surgeons of India. I started my carrier under Dr.R.S. Rao in 1976 as a S.H.O in surgery later grown with him as a fellow and registrar and senior resident in surgery at Tata Memorial Hospital. He guided me during this tenure like a real Guru. Because of his training I was able to grow and develop surgical oncology in my part of the country. He always advised his surgical residents after obtaining the training they should go and establish the department and institution for cancer care in various part of the country, and like me many of his surgical residents were able to establish cancer centres in various part of the country, like Bangalore, Belgaum, Hubli, Gulbarga, Delhi, Nasik and many other departments in various Medical colleges.

This issue we are dedicating to Dr. Raja S. Rao who was known for his thyroid surgery & many articles from various authors from different part of the world and complained and published majority off the articles related to thyroid cancer.

I really thank all those concerned and contributed to this issue of IJSO.

We thank the Managing committee of Indian Association of Surgical oncology to institute Dr. Raja S. Rao Memorial best paper award in free paper sessions during the annual congress of IASO.

Committee of Dr. R. S. Rao Memorial Educational fund.