The Early Detection of Cancer Conference

6-8 October 2026, Edinburgh, UK
Hosted by Cancer Research UK, the German Cancer Research Center and OHSU Knight Cancer Institute

Join us from 6-8 October 2026 in Edinburgh, UK, for the latest scientific developments, engaging discussions, posters and lightning talks, and opportunities to network with experts from across the globe. We’ll also see the return of our Great Debates as our speakers go head-to-head to debate early detection challenges.

SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMME COMMITTEE

We are pleased to have Nitzan Rosenfeld (Barts Cancer Institute, QMUL), Alexander Davies (Oregon Health & Science University) and Sigrid Carlsson (German Cancer Research Center, DKFZ), on our scientific programme committee for 2026.

Nitzan Rosenfeld

Barts Cancer Institute, QMUL

Alexander Davies

Oregon Health & Science University

Sigrid Carlsson

German Cancer Research Center, DKFZ

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE

Cancer Research UK, the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) and OHSU Knight Cancer Institute present the Early Detection of Cancer Conference series. The annual conference brings together experts in early detection from multiple disciplines to share ground-breaking research and progress in the field.

The conference is part of a long-term commitment to invest in early detection research, to understand the biology behind early-stage cancers, find new detection and screening methods, and enhance uptake and accuracy of screening.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Shape the discussion: Explore and debate cutting-edge research and emerging approaches in the early detection of cancer.
Stay informed: Gain insights into the latest mechanistic, epidemiological, and translational studies shaping the future of early detection, leading to patient/public benefit.
Make connections: Foster interdisciplinary networks to support collaboration, idea generation, and the development of future research directions to promote equitable cancer strategies.

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"The development of novel early detection approaches for cancer is inherently difficult with many barriers to overcome. Cancer Research UK has recognized that in order to build and catalyze this nascent field, we must work collaboratively to create new insights in early detection biology from which new detection methods will come. We're proud to be partnering with the Knight Cancer Institute to raise the profile of early detection research and, together, develop a critical mass of talent for this long-term endeavour."
Iain Foulkes, Ph.D.Executive Director of Research and Innovation at Cancer Research UK

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"Advancing early detection research is one of our central missions at the German Cancer Research Center. Early detection is a cornerstone of effective cancer prevention. We need robust research to develop better methods and to rigorously evaluate the impact of individual screening approaches. And we must design intelligent, risk-adapted screening programs that specifically reach those at highest risk, while making participation as accessible and straightforward as possible. Only then can we fully realize the life-saving potential of early detection."
Michael BaumannChairman and Scientific Director of DKFZ

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"The full potential of precision cancer medicine will only be realized when it is coupled with a sophisticated early-detection effort. We need to develop tests that distinguish slow and non-lethal cancers from more dangerous malignancies. We are committed to uniting researchers worldwide and ensuring the next generation of cancer detection becomes a reality."
Brian Druker, M.D.Director of the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute

ABOUT CANCER RESEARCH UK

Cancer Research UK is the world’s leading cancer charity dedicated to saving lives through research.
Cancer Research UK’s pioneering work into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer has helped save millions of lives.
Cancer Research UK receives no government funding for its life-saving research. Every step it makes towards beating cancer relies on every pound donated.
Cancer Research UK has been at the heart of the progress that has already seen survival rates in the UK double in the last forty years.
Today, 2 in 4 people in the UK survive cancer for at least 10 years. Cancer Research UK’s ambition is to accelerate progress so that 3 in 4 people will survive cancer within the next 20 years.
Cancer Research UK supports research into all aspects of cancer through the work of over 4,000 scientists, doctors and nurses, based in Cancer Research UK Centres and Institutes across the UK.
Together with its partners and supporters, Cancer Research UK’s vision is to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured.

For more information, browse Cancer Research UK’s early detection research strategy and funding opportunities. To stay up-to-date with Cancer Research UK’s work, subscribe to our bimonthly Early Detection and Diagnosis Research newsletter, or follow us on LinkedIn.

ABOUT THE GERMAN CANCER RESEARCH CENTER

With more than 3,400 employees, the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) is Germany’s largest biomedical research institute.
DKFZ scientists identify cancer risk factors, investigate how cancer progresses and develop new cancer prevention strategies. They are also developing new methods to diagnose tumors more precisely and treat cancer patients more successfully.
The DKFZ’s Cancer Information Service (KID) provides patients, interested citizens and experts with individual answers to questions relating to cancer.
To transfer promising approaches from cancer research to the clinic and thus improve the prognosis of cancer patients, the DKFZ cooperates with excellent research institutions and university hospitals throughout Germany:
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT, 6 sites)
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK, 8 sites)
- Hopp Children’s Cancer Center (KiTZ) Heidelberg
- Helmholtz Institute for Translational Oncology (HI-TRON Mainz) – A Helmholtz Institute of the DKFZ
- DKFZ-Hector Cancer Institute at the University Medical Center Mannheim
- National Cancer Prevention Center (jointly with German Cancer Aid)
The DKFZ is 90 percent financed by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space and 10 percent by the state of Baden-Württemberg. The DKFZ is a member of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers.

For additional information on DKFZ, follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube and X.

ABOUT THE KNIGHT CANCER INSTITUTE

The Knight Cancer Institute at Oregon Health & Science University is a pioneer in the field of precision cancer medicine.
The institute’s director, Brian Druker, M.D., helped prove it was possible to shut down just the cells that enable cancer to grow. This breakthrough has made once-fatal forms of the disease manageable and transformed how cancer is treated.
The OHSU Knight Cancer Institute is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center between Sacramento and Seattle — an honor earned only by the nation’s top cancer centers.
It is headquarters for one of the National Cancer Institute’s largest research collaboratives, SWOG, in addition to offering the latest treatments and technologies as well as hundreds of research studies and clinical trials.

For additional information on the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, follow us on Facebook and X.