From Genomic Profiling to Patient Perspectives – ProTarget at Danish Cancer Research Days 2026
Personalized medicine was the central theme when researchers, healthcare professionals and other stakeholders in the field of cancer research met at Danish Cancer Research Days the 27-28th of August 2026 in Odense. The conference explored personalized medicine from a range of perspectives – from personalized diagnostics and targeted treatment to the management of long-term side effects and patient perspectives. To fully realize the potential of personalized cancer treatment, cancer pathways must increasingly be adapted to the individual patient’s disease, needs and life situation.
Targeted treatment must generate new knowledge
Ulrik Lassen, Professor, Chief Physician and sponsor of ProTarget, gave a talk on the promising potential of targeted treatment guided by genomic profiling. As the use of genomic profiling continues to expand, such treatments may increasingly be considered for patients outside the approved indications of the respective drugs, where the evidence supporting their use is often limited. In these cases, treatment efficacy remains exploratory, yet treatment is not always accompanied by systematic data collection to generate evidence on clinical outcomes.
“Off-label targeted treatment should always be given according to protocols while collecting data, otherwise we will not gain knowledge on the effect and potential safety issues of the individualized treatment. We therefore suggest that the off-label treatments approved in the new national task force are given under the auspices of the existing investigator-initiated protocols – such as our national platform trial ProTarget.”
– Ulrik Lassen, Professor and Chief Physician, Rigshospitalet, and sponsor of ProTarget.
The collection of systematic and GCP-monitored data is a central element in ProTarget. Through the national platform trial, the effect and toxicity of molecularly matched, targeted treatments are investigated across cancer diagnoses and genetic alterations, thereby building new evidence for treatments where existing knowledge is limited.
Innovative approaches to precision diagnostics
Another highlight of the conference was a flash talk by our close collaborator Luca Mariani, Molecular Biologist and Lab Manager, from MDxCore at Rigshospitalet. He presented compelling data demonstrating how Homologous Recombination Deficiency (HRD) status can be determined directly from circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in ascites using low-coverage duplex sequencing (CODEC) in combination with DirectHRD.
The approach represents a minimally invasive alternative to traditional tissue biopsies and opens promising clinical opportunities for patients with ovarian cancer. HRD is an important biomarker in cancer treatment, and more sensitive approaches capable of analyzing samples with low tumor content may help expand the possibilities for molecular characterization and treatment selection.
The work presented by Luca Mariani is an excellent example of how advances in sequencing technologies and molecular diagnostics may create new opportunities for more accessible and individualised cancer care.
New ProTarget data on T-DM1 beyond its current indication
Isa N. Thomasen, M.Sc. from University College Copenhagen, who is affiliated with ProTarget, presented new results from our trial on the efficacy of trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) in patients with advanced cancer harboring activating ERBB2 mutation or amplification. The pan-cancer cohort illustrates the ProTarget approach of investigating targeted therapies across tumour types when a potentially actionable genomic alteration provides the rationale for treatment. The results contribute to the growing body of evidence needed to refine treatment selection and identify patients most likely to benefit, while helping to avoid ineffective treatments that may expose patients to unnecessary toxicity without providing clinical benefit.
The patient’s perspective is an important part of personalized medicine
In ProTarget, adult patients of all ages are treated, and therefore it was also highly relevant to gain greater insight into the patients’ different perspectives and needs.
The session on young adults with cancer was introduced by Frederikke, a young adult who recently went through cancer treatment. Her personal story provided a strong perspective on the special challenges that young adults may face when balancing treatment with education, work and friends.
Her story was an important reminder that precision medicine is not only about identifying the right molecular target or selecting the right treatment. It is also about understanding the individual person behind the diagnosis and developing cancer pathways that better accommodate patients’ different needs, priorities and life situations.
It was a pleasure to participate
It was also a great pleasure to see so many colleagues from ProTarget actively contributing to this year’s Danish Cancer Research Days. Kristoffer S. Rohrberg contributed as a member of the abstract committee and as a poster moderator. Tina Kringelbach and Malene Støchkel Frank also participated as poster moderators while Lise Søndergaard was part of the organizing committee and moderated the Flash Talks.
Thanks to DCCC – Danish Comprehensive Cancer Center, DMCG.dk – Danish Multidisciplinary Cancer Groups and the organizing committee for an inspiring and well-organized conference. Thanks to all presenters, moderators and participants for good discussions, new perspectives and inspiration for the continued work to develop more individualized cancer treatment – with both the disease and the person in focus.
