International experts discussed how to improve oncological care at BMC SAS

On September 23, 2025, a round table with international participation was held at the Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (BMC SAS) with the aim of bringing together experts from various scientific fields to discuss how to improve care for cancer patients and how to effectively involve the social sciences and humanities in projects aimed at improving their quality of life.

BMC SAS is a member of the Organisation of European Cancer Institutes (OECI) and is actively involved in the creation of the first comprehensive cancer center in Slovakia.

The discussion focused on prehabilitation and rehabilitation, the importance of establishing a Slovak comprehensive cancer center for patients, doctors, and researchers, and the research potential of the Slovak Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The discussion covered prehabilitation and rehabilitation, the importance of establishing a comprehensive oncology center in Slovakia for patients, doctors, and researchers, and the research potential of biomedical and social sciences at the Slovak Academy of Sciences for the development of oncology care. In addition, cooperation between clinical and research institutions and patients’ views on the vision of comprehensive oncology care were also evaluated.

The BMC SAS was represented at the round table by its Director General Silvia Pastoreková, Barbara Ukropcová, who heads the Center for Physical Activity and the Center for Obesity Management, Miroslav Chovanec, Director of the Institute of Experimental Oncology at the BMC SAS and Soňa Čierniková from the Institute of Experimental Oncology at the BMC SAS who is also coordinator of international projects at the National Cancer Institute. The round table was also attended by Denisa Fedáková, Vice-President of the Slovak Academy of Sciences for Social and Cultural Sciences, and Ján Sedlák, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Cancer Research Foundation.

The round table was attended by foreign experts in the field of prehabilitation and rehabilitation – Richard Crevenna (Austria), Jennifer Ligibel (USA), and Petra Sládková (Czech Republic) – and Eva Jolly (Sweden), a member of the OECI accreditation commission for comprehensive cancer centers.

Slovakia was represented in the discussion by Stanislav Špánik, President of the Slovak Oncology Society, Michal Mego, chief expert of the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic for clinical oncology and Dominika Kormanová and Markéta Derdáková, chairwoman and member of the board of Europa Donna Slovakia.

The round table was followed by a conference organized by the Cancer Research Foundation, which took place on September 24 on the occasion of World Cancer Research Day at the AC Hotel by Marriott in Bratislava. In her speech at the conference, Silvia Pastoreková reminded the audience that the BMC SAS institutes have been conducting oncological research for more than 70 years.

Soňa Čierniková outlined the progress made in preparing the first comprehensive oncology center in Slovakia, which will enable the integration of care for cancer patients with high-quality oncology research and education, and thus access to more effective and innovative treatment. “We expect to submit an application for accreditation next year, and such a center should be established in Slovakia by 2030 at the latest,” said Soňa Čierniková.

She also pointed out that thanks to the European project CCI4EU (Comprehensive Cancer Infrastructure for Europe), in which BMC SAS is involved, we have gained support and know-how from nine leading oncology experts from across Europe as part of the Deep Dive interventions program.

Text and photo: E. Rybárová, BMC SAS