On Thursday 15 January 2026, Prof. Dr. Idris Bahce delivered his inaugural lecture at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, marking his appointment as Professor of Pulmonology, with a special focus on Thoracic Oncology.
In his lecture, “Together, moving forward – Multidisciplinary research and molecular imaging in thoracic oncology”, Bahce addressed a central challenge in modern oncology: while knowledge, technologies and treatment options are expanding rapidly, clinical decision-making is becoming increasingly complex. He argued that progress does not lie solely in the development of new drugs, but equally in the more thoughtful and proportional use of existing therapies.
The core of his research focuses on the development and optimization of multimodal treatment strategies for lung cancer, in which surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and immunotherapy are better aligned. Molecular imaging with PET is positioned as a supportive tool, providing insight into the biological effects of treatment at the individual patient level and helping to guide more personalized and less burdensome care.
A key theme of the lecture was the need to address so-called unmet needs: common clinical situations in which standard treatment strategies fall short, particularly in smaller patient groups or subgroups that do not respond adequately to existing therapies. Bahce emphasized that meaningful progress in these areas requires multidisciplinary research, collaboration across centers, and careful integration of clinical and imaging data.