Learning, changing, cooperating – the key themes of the Patient Expert Conference "Patients as Partners in Cancer Research" were once again brought to life from September 20 to 22. Patient representatives, doctors, and scientists from across Germany gathered in Dresden this year. Organized by the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), hosted by the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), and supported by the National Decade against Cancer, the third conference of this kind offered 170 participants a diverse program of lectures, panel discussions, a science slam, and workshops – an ideal platform for exchange and collaborative learning.
New quality of research
"We want the voice of patients to become a guiding principle for research," explained Gereon Mänzel from the NCT Dresden Patient Research Council at the start of the conference. Many partners have already internalized patient involvement as an essential part of research.
For scientists and doctors as well, the conference and close collaboration with patients are of great importance, emphasized Hanno Glimm, Executive Director at NCT/UCC Dresden: "Our research reaches a new level of quality through patient involvement."
Cultural change towards natural patient participation
Alexia Parsons, head of the "National Decade against Cancer" project group at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), also highlighted in her opening remarks how much she enjoys attending this outstanding conference: "After five years of engagement in the National Decade against Cancer, it’s clear that things are happening. The cultural shift towards natural patient involvement in research is underway. Researchers are also realizing that their work benefits from patient involvement, making it better and more patient-centered."
In a video message, Michael Baumann, Chairman and Scientific Director of the DKFZ and Spokesperson for the NCT Steering Committee, addressed concrete successes of patient involvement. For example, the Patient Expert Academy for Tumor Diseases (PEAK), established in 2021, will be further expanded by the NCT in the future.
Insight into innovative practical and research projects
Niklas Wiegand from the German Cancer Aid summed it up: "There’s no getting around patient involvement." After this motivating start, the conference participants delved deep into the possibilities of shaping cancer research. Whether it was proton therapy as an innovative radiation method, new surgical techniques, or integrating the patient perspective into a research proposal, scientists, doctors, and patient representatives provided comprehensive insights into their current work. For example, Johanna Kirchberg, senior consultant at NCT/UCC Dresden, gave a very impressive description of how a robot can pull up a piece of the stomach and use it to form a new esophagus. The numerous personal questions and comments from the audience, as well as the lively discussions during the breaks, showed that the shared discussions continue to carry forward the spirit of "learning, changing, and cooperating."
AI in cancer research
A special highlight of the second day of the conference was the science slam by Marco Gustav (TU Dresden). With humor and expertise, the scientist demonstrated that cancer research and artificial intelligence can not only go hand in hand in a promising and innovative way but can also be entertaining. In histopathology, for instance ("histopatho-what?"), AI or "Transformer" can already recognize from images whether a tumor is present: "If the cells are full and round, I’ll tell you, that’s healthy. If the cells are long and flat... – then it's bad and probably really cancer." The topic of AI was a common thread throughout the entire event – whether in lectures, discussions, or workshops.
Interdisciplinary panel discussion
The patient representatives also learned how significant AI already is for standardization, data collection, and analysis, and thus for the entire digital future of cancer research. This development also played a central role in the interdisciplinary panel discussion. The workshops then started with a great deal of prior knowledge and many questions to discuss.
New connections, fresh knowledge
On the third and final day of the conference, the focus became even more practical. In the presentation of workshop results and in marketplace sessions on topics like the future of self-help, the development from study idea to NCT study, and survivorship, practical approaches were developed. The conference concluded with the goal of "giving cancer patients in Germany a more visible collective voice." The inspiring contribution from the self-help group "Melanoma Info Germany" and the "House of Cancer Self-Help" rounded off the event. With many new connections, fresh knowledge, and full of motivation, the participants left the conference satisfied and ready to head home.