SPOG SSPHO Scientific Meeting - register until December 12th, 2025 and join us in Lugano!
16 – 17 January 2026 | Palazzo dei Congressi, Lugano
We are pleased to invite healthcare professionals to the annual joint SPOG SSPHO Scientific Meeting, held in 2026 at the Palazzo dei Congressi in Lugano. The event offers two days of in-depth scientific sessions focused on the latest advances in pediatric oncology and hematology. The detailed program (see here) shows all presenters as well as the keynote speakers. Do not miss it!
Register now with the form here. Please note that to participate in the SPOG SSPHO Scientific Meeting Jan 16-17th 2026, registration is needed until December 12th, 2025. Secure your spot today to participate in expert presentations and interactive discussions.
Abstract Submissions: Thanks go out to everyone who submitted their abstract. Your presentations will be a crucial part in the success of the Scientific Meeting 2026, and will provide you with the opportunity to exchange views on your work with the community. If you have submitted an abstract, please do not forget to register for the Scientific Meeting on the SPOG website. Submitting an abstract does not automatically register you for the Scientific Meeting.
SSPHO GA: Friday, January 16th 2026, 17.00, Palazzo dei Congressi. Please note that the SSPHO GA (General Assembly) will be held on Friday evening, January 16th, at 17.00, after the Scientific Sessions, at the site of the Scientific Meeting, the Palazzo dei Congressi. To sign up for the SSPHO GA, please use the form here.
Programme SPOG SSPHO Scientific Meeting 2026, 16 – 17 January 2026 | Palazzo dei Congressi, Lugano
Download the PDF of the programme here.
Programme - Friday
12:30 Registration and welcome coffee
13:00 Welcome and introduction
13:15 - 13:45 Keynote Talk I: Myelodysplastic Syndromes in Children and Adolescents: Challenges in Classification and Treatment, Brigitte Strahm; Klinik für Pädiatrische Hämatologie und Onkologie, Universitäts- Klinikum Freiburg (D). Intro: Ahmed Farrag
13:45 - 15:00: Scientific presentations: Long Talks (12’ presentation each, 3’ Q&A). Chairs: André von Bueren, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève & Tamara Diesch, Universitäts- Kinderspital beider Basel UKBB.
13:45 1: Long-Term Outcomes after Proton Therapy for Pediatric Rhabdomyosarcoma: A 20-Year PSI Cohort and Orbital Sub-Cohort Study. Dominik Leiser, Zentrum für Protonentherapie des Paul Scherrer Instituts PSI
14:00 2: Information and Support Needs of Support Network Members of Childhood, Adolescent, and Young Adult Cancer Survivors Across Europe: Results from the e-QuoL Project. Valeriia Balaeva, Universität Luzern
14:15 3: Fertility and Pregnancy rates in Swiss childhood cancer survivors. Chantal Cudré-Mauroux, Universitäts Kinderspital beider Basel UKBB
14:30 4: AcSé-ESMART (ITCC-057): European Pediatric Precision Oncology Now Granted Swiss Access. Nicolas Gerber, Universitäts- Kinderspital Zürich
14:45 5: Needs, desires and psychosocial outcomes in bereaved parents who lost their child to cancer: palliative and end-of-life care in pediatric oncology - A summary of project findings. Eva De Clercq, Universität Luzern.
15:00 - 15:30 Coffee break
15:30 - 16:00 Keynote Talk II: A journey through decades - from life threatening bleeds to shared care/shared decision. Susan Halimeh, Gerinnungszentrum Rhein-Ruhr, Duisburg (D). Intro: Jeanette Greiner
16: 00 - 17: 00: Scientific presentations: Flashtalks (7’ each, 3’ Q&A): Hematology. Chairs: Nicolas Waespe, Universitäts-Kinderklinik Inselspital Bern / Université de Genève & Nicolas von der Weid, Universitäts-Kinderspital beider Basel UKBB
16:00 6: Rivaroxaban in Paediatric Patients beyond Clinical Trial Settings – A Real-World Retrospective Cohort Study. Alessandra Bosch, Universitäts-Kinderspital Zürich
16:10 7: How far have we come in the digitalization in pediatric oncology? a survey and needs analysis of centers in Switzerland, Germany, and Austria. Sabine Kroiss, Universitäts- Kinderspital Zürich
16:20 8: Uniting Swiss Pediatric Oncology Centers: A Federated Biobank Information Management System (BIMS) for Coordinated Germline DNA Collection. Montserrat Alvarez, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève
16:30 9: Assessing completeness of the Childhood Cancer Registry of Switzerland: Preliminary results of the SwissPedCancer quality assurance initiative. Yara Shoman, Institut für Sozial- und Präventivmedizin ISPM der Universität Bern
16:40 10: Information and Support Needs of Childhood, Adolescent, and Young Adult Cancer Survivors (CAYACS) Across Europe: Results from the e-QuoL Project. Anne Maas, Universität Luzern
16:50 11: Fathers in Need of Emotional and Social Support (The FINESSE Project)– A mixed methods project to investigate fathers’ experiences and needs after cancer diagnosis of their child. Gisela Michel, Universität Luzern
17:00 GA SSPHO - Register here
18.30 Networking Dinner
Programme - Saturday
08:30 Registration & morning coffee
09:00 - 09:30 Keynote Talk III: Novel approaches for early cancer diagnosis, therapy monitoring and surveillance. Kendra Maass, Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (D). Intro: Nicolas Waespe
09:30 - 10.00 Young Investigator Awards. Chair: Katrin Scheinemann, Ostschweizer Kinderspital St. Gallen
09:30 Young Investigator Award 1: Advancing Deep Learning for Pediatric Low-Grade Glioma Segmentation. Arianna Piffer, Universitäts- Kinderspital Zürich
10:00 Young Investigator Award 2: In depth spatial characterization of the tumor microenvironment of Wilms tumor. Uli Herrmann, Universitäts- Kinderklinik Inselspital Bern
10.00 - 11.00 Scientific presentations: Long Talks (12’ each, 3’ Q&A). Chairs: Alexandra Schifferli, Universitäts Kinderspital beider Basel UKBB & Daniel Drozdov, KSA Kantonsspital Aarau
10:00 12: Early identification of thromboembolic risk in children with ALL during induction treatment using global coagulation assays. Mattia Rizzi, Hôpitaux des enfants CHUV Lausanne
10:15 13: Evaluation of a new, community-based screening program to detect hearing loss in adult childhood cancer survivors in Switzerland – Findings from the HEAR study. Philippa Joerger, Institut für Sozial- und Präventivmedizin ISPM der Universität Bern
10:30 14: SCOPE - a European survey on cancer predisposition identification and care. Nicolas Waespe, Universitäts-Kinderklinik Inselspital Bern / Université de Genève
10:45 15: Acute and long-term psychosocial consequences in grandparents when a grandchild is diagnosed with cancer (The GROKids Project) – A summary of findings. Peter Raguidin, Universität Luzern
11:00 - 11:30 Coffee break
11:30 - 12:20 Scientific presentations: Flash Talks (7’ presentation each, 3’ Q&A). Chairs: Maria Otth, Universitäts- Kinderspital Zürich /Ostschweizer Kinderspital St. Gallen & Ahmed Farrag, Universität Luzern
11:30 16: Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte Adoptive Therapy (TIL-ACT) in a Pediatric Patient with Relapsed Osteosarcoma. Renata Pereira, Universitäts Kinderspital beider Basel UKBB
11:40 17: Lung function in children after cancer treatment: a multicenter study. Masa Zarkovic, Institut für Sozial- und Präventivmedizin ISPM der Universität Bern
11:50 18: Left ventricular function and its longitudinal changes in Swiss childhood cancer survivors – Results from the CardioOnco Study. Severin Fankhauser, Institut für Sozial- und Präventivmedizin ISPM der Universität Bern / Universitäts Kinderspital beider Basel UKBB
12:00 19: Endocrine conditions among Swiss childhood cancer survivors and their association with health-related quality of life. Tiara Greber, Institut für Sozial- und Präventivmedizin ISPM der Universität Bern.
12:10 20: Sun exposure and skin cancer screening after childhood cancer – a report from the Swiss Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. Carina Nigg, Institut für Sozial- und Präventivmedizin ISPM der Universität Bern
12.20 Closing remarks and announcements. SPOG and SSPHO presidents.
12.30 End Scientific Meeting. Sandwich Lunch (for take away)
Attendees will also be granted credits for this event based on the scientific programme and the decision of the Professional Development Working Group of the SSPHO.