Advancing the science of the serosal surfaces — pleura, peritoneum & pericardium.
A non-profit international scientific society bringing clinicians, researchers, and patient advocates together to improve the understanding and treatment of pleural, peritoneal, and other serosal disease — with rigor, evidence, and shared purpose.
Relieving human suffering caused by serosal disease through rigorous research, honest answers for patients, and a shared, evidence-led standard of care.
Pleural and peritoneal diseases — including cancers of the peritoneum and mesothelioma — have long lacked a dedicated home for cross-disciplinary science. Treatment approaches built on trial and error carry real risk, and patients deserve better.
ISSPP was founded to close that gap: the first scientific organization dedicated specifically to the pleura, peritoneum, pericardium, and other serosal surfaces, in both health and disease. We support clinical and basic research alike — from embryology and physiology to biochemistry and biophysics — and welcome physicians, scientists, patient advocacy groups, and industry partners into one exchange platform.
We hold ourselves to the principles of good scientific practice, transparent governance, and ethical conduct in every study, congress, and publication we support.
Four surfaces, one field of study
ISSPP's scope spans the body's serosal membranes — in benign disease and in cancer — across gastrointestinal, gynaecological, and cardiothoracic presentations.
Pleura
Mesothelioma, pleural effusion, and the membrane surrounding the lungs — a founding focus of the society.
Peritoneum
Peritoneal carcinomatosis, HIPEC and PIPAC therapy, and gastrointestinal or gynaecological spread.
Pericardium
The serosal sac of the heart — extending our scope into cardiothoracic disease and its treatment.
Serosal Surfaces
Shared biology across the body's membranes — embryology, physiology, and biophysics as one discipline.
A dedicated venue for serosal science
Pleura and Peritoneum is the society's official journal — the first publication devoted specifically to research on serosal membranes. It carries original research, congress abstracts, and the society's new dedicated section on pleural disease.
Members receive access as part of the society's commitment to open scientific exchange across borders and disciplines.
Access the journalCongress history
ISSPP convenes its international congress to bring the field's clinicians and researchers together in person.
3rd ISSPP Congress
Hosted by City of Hope National Medical Center
2nd ISSPP Congress
Hosted by Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli
1st ISSPP Congress
Founding congress covering HIPEC, PIPAC, and quality of life research
A society built across borders
From 75 founding members representing dozens of countries, ISSPP has grown into a genuinely international community — open to physicians, scientists, non-profit patient advocacy groups, and industry partners developing therapies for serosal disease.
Membership connects you to the field's shared knowledge base: congress proceedings, journal access, and a peer network spanning every continent.
Join the international conversation on serosal disease.
Whether you are a clinician, researcher, patient advocate, or industry partner — there is a place for you in ISSPP.