02: Cancer research and cancer care – Construction and reality

Overall, cancer is one of the most frequent causes of death, and the impact of this disease on society is enormous. Fortunately, cancer research is one of the most dynamic fields in medical research, and significant resources, both public and industrial, are invested into the field. Tremendous progress has been made in the diagnosis and treatment of many cancers, and there is rarely another field in medical research where breakthrough technology – mostly from molecular biology – has been translated to actual benefit as rapidly as in cancer medicine.

Despite significant recent improvements in treatment modalities and outcome several problem fields in cancer research persist or unfold: How can we further improve the results of early detection and treatment? Is there cure for cancer? And if so – what are the implications of this vision for society? How are we measuring patient benefit in a holistic sense? Since cost of cancer research is increasing exponentially, what is the actual value of further progress for society?

In addition, research progress is not the only issue in the field of modern cancer medicine: Improving cancer care in a multidimensional sense of the word is considered an equally important subject, with several unresolved questions: What are the psychological and social consequences of this disease even if hope can be offered by medicine? How to cope with the socioeconomic fall-out for patients affected and their families? How to provide equal access to modern medical achievements in the existing diversity of health care systems throughout Europe? What are the implications of an integrated view of cancer care on society?

In this seminar, these main questions and related aspects of the subject will be discussed, and potential answers developed together with participants and internationally renowned guest speakers from several fields in order to provide a multi-dimensional perspective on one of the most exciting fields in modern medicine.