Solving problems is smart, preventing them is wise: Lessons learned from the 2nd International DKFZ Conference on Cancer Prevention

• Published in: International journal of cancer 2021-06, Vol.148 (12), p.3086-3096
• Main Authors: Gillmann, Clarissa, Pajor, Gabor, Ramadori, Pierluigi, Albers, Peter, Mons, Ute, Steindorf, Karen, Kentner, Susan, Baumann, Michael
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 2nd International DKFZ Conference on Cancer Prevention; Cancer; Cancer research; Disease prevention; early detection; Epigenetics; improving life after cancer; Medical research; personalized prevention; Precision medicine; Risk factors
• ISSN: 0020-7136; 1097-0215
• DOI: 10.1002/ijc.33502

The 2nd International DKFZ Conference on Cancer Prevention (CCP2020) organized by the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) was held as a virtual event on 17‐18 September 2020. The event gathered experts on cancer prevention from around the world with the aim of generating a stimulating interchange of opinions between clinicians and basic researchers working in the field. The talks and posters of the conference fueled exciting discussions and debates about the state of the art of cancer prevention and provided a comprehensive outlook on the many aspects of the field. The program was divided into three main sessions, illustrating the most recent methodological approaches and interventions in primary, secondary and tertiary prevention, enriched by introductory lectures depicting the most relevant aspects of each session. The key concepts covered in this meeting were risk factors, early detection, improving life after cancer, cancer prevention in Europe and personalized prevention. The importance of the latter was expressly highlighted, many presentations emphasizing that in the era of personalized medicine, prevention also needs to be based on the unique genetic, epigenetic, social and behavioral characteristics of the individual to achieve maximal efficacy. In this article, we summarize the key messages emerging from each section, with particular attention on the most important challenges yet to be met in the field of cancer prevention. What's new Cancer is expected to reach a global incidence of 30 million cases per year by 2040, and the number of people living with and surviving cancer has been steadily rising. The 2nd International Conference on Cancer Prevention organized by the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) covered risk factors, early detection, improving life after cancer, cancer prevention in Europe, and personalized prevention. One key take‐home message was that precision prevention and early detection interventions could be developed in the context of genetically‐susceptible populations and preneoplasia settings, but windows of opportunity with the highest benefit and smallest collateral damage must be identified.