It was an unforgettable first edition, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive:
“What an inspiring two days! I’ve met so many brilliant minds.”
“The perfect setting to spark new collaborations.”
“You have something really special here. I truly hope this becomes a regular event.”
With contributions from in-house experts including Jelle Wesseling, Joep IJspeert, Gerrit Meijer and Pim van Leeuwen, and (inter)national leaders like David Crosby, and Monique Roobol, the conference fostered critical discussion and fresh perspectives.
One such discussion: How do we define effective and responsible screening in complex diseases like early prostate cancer? It’s clear there is no one-size-fits-all, and that makes international dialogue like this so essential.
Technology took a front seat throughout the program, showcasing how innovation is already reshaping the future of early cancer detection.
One thing remains clear: we need more investment in early detection. Prevention and screening receive only a fraction of the funding that later-stage treatments do. That must change, and this conference helped strengthen that collective message.
As Theo Ruers said in his opening remarks: "We were told ‘no’ so many times. People didn’t think early detection was possible. But it’s already happening."
A special congratulations to Sophie van Grinsven, who received the poster prize for her work on the DENSE study, a fantastic example of impactful research in breast cancer screening.
Theme leader Marjanka Schmidt concluded: "During this conference we built a community for early cancer detection. From now on, it is: YES!"
A heartfelt thank you to our hosts: Marjanka Schmidt, Theo Ruers, Doreth Bhairosing, and Lisanne Verhoef, and to all participants for helping make this such a success.
Want to learn more? nkicecd.nl/conference