Julia Lyons went on a work visit to the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG) symposium, Ghent, Belgium, from November 20-22, 2025.
With the APH work visit grant, I was able to visit the 2025 SIOG Annual Conference in Ghent, Belgium. The conference centered around Geriatric Oncology which aligned perfectly with my PhD on Oncological Geriatric Rehabilitation. The conference provided me with an overview on current research on this topic, namely on exercise in older oncological patients and the benefit of geriatric assessment prior to oncological treatment. In addition, the conference allowed me to meet colleagues in the field. For example, I was able to liaise with hospitalists from the Dutch Cancer Center who come into contact with older oncological patients on a regular basis. We were able to discuss how elderly care physicians and hospitalists could work together more closely in order to promote adjustment of oncological treatment plans to minimize overtreatment in this frail group. This interaction was especially meaningful to me as it allowed me to translate my research to practice which is essential to me as a clinician. This taught me how important it is to not only pay attention to the scientific aspect of conferences, but to also use these events to expand my network.