International Cancer Survivor Symposium 2022 welcomed almost 200 participants

16.02.2022 – International Cancer Survivor Symposium 2022 welcomed almost 200 participants worldwide to discuss latest developments and future directions of care for cancer survivors.

Fast-evolving treatment options and technologies continue to advance survival in children, adolescents, and young adults diagnosed with cancer. This year, the first International Cancer Survivors Symposium was successfully held online and welcomed almost 200 participants worldwide on the February 3rd, 2022, in Bern. The symposium was organized jointly by the University Cancer Center Inselspital (UCI), the Department of General Internal Medicine, the Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology (all at the Inselspital, Bern), the Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, and the Department of Health Sciences and Medicine, University of Lucerne. Prof. Dr. med. Claudia Kuehni from the Childhood Cancer Registry at the ISPM Bern was part of the organizing committee that made this event possible.

In a constructive, innovative and open atmosphere, cancer survivors, researchers, and health-care providers from various disciplines discussed together the latest developments and challenges of care for cancer survivors. The discussions were accompanied by exciting keynote lectures from Prof. Melissa Hudson (St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, USA), Dr. Jacqueline Loonen (Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands) and Prof. Michael von Wolff (Inselspital Bern, University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland). All keynote lectures are freely accessible and can be viewed here.

Congratulations to Sven Strebel, PhD candidate of the ISPM, for winning the Scientific Research Award at the 2022 International Cancer Survivor Symposium, which was given for the best short presentation. The prize was awarded through a two-stage process that included evaluation of the abstract by independent reviewers and evaluation of the presentation by a scientific committee.