The German Cancer Congress (in German: Deutscher Krebskongress or DKK) is the largest oncological congress in the German-speaking world. It takes place at the CityCube in Berlin from 19th to 22nd February 2020, under the motto "Informative. Innovative. Integrative”.
Experts from science, medicine, health care, politics, and nursing are set to discuss the latest findings for cancer patients from research and care in around 300 sessions and in formats specially tailored for young scientists.
"One of the key points at the congress will be the presentation of innovative therapies - we want to discuss how they can be integrated into existing care so that those affected can benefit optimally from them," says congress president Prof. Dr. Andreas Hochhaus from the Jena University Hospital, Germany (Universitätsklinikum Jena). The complexity of the disease requires close cooperation between a wide range of disciplines. "That is why it is important for me to integrate all professional groups involved in the care of cancer patients - such as surgery, radiotherapy, experts in drug-based tumor therapy, pathology, radiology, and nursing," Hochhaus explains.
With a dedicated “Student Day” and many sessions catering to young oncologists, the DKK also specifically targets young scientists and physicians. "Every year, 500,000 people in Germany are newly diagnosed with cancer. At the same time, there is an enormous increase in knowledge in oncology. We can only keep up with these developments if we can support young scientists for a career in this field and provide them with the best possible training," said Hochhaus.
In addition to the events tailored to young researchers, the DKK will also host plenary sessions on medical and care-related topics, such as personalized antigen-based immunotherapy, therapy concepts in geriatrics, and the early integration of palliative care. In addition, interactive tumor conferences and pro and contra debates on medical issues will be on the agenda. In health policy forums, participants will have the opportunity to discuss the political challenges of cancer medicine in healthcare systems.
You can find more information about the congress in the English language here.