Embracing the first day of spring, on March 20, 2025, the RadExIORSBoost team organized an educational seminar for patients with cancer titled “Personalized Approach in Radiotherapy: From Science to Clinic” at the Palace of Science in Belgrade. The seminar was organized in collaboration with the Serbian Society for the Fight Against Cancer and the Working Group for Patient Support of the Institute for Oncology and Radiology of Serbia. The seminar provided a welcoming and pleasant environment where patients had the opportunity to learn about the basic principles and the importance of radiotherapy, as well as recommendations that should be followed during radiotherapy. The opening speech was held by dr sc. Ivana Matić, the RadExIORSBoost project leader and Doc. dr sc. med. Milan Žegarac, the director of the Institute for Oncology and Radiology of Serbia. The sessions were chaired by Prof. dr sc. med. Marina Nikitović, and principal research fellow dr sc. Tatjana Stanojković. Dr sc. med. Aleksandar Stepanović presented modern radiotherapy approaches in the treatment of cancer patients, Dr Jelena Stanić talked about the adverse effects of radiotherapy, while Dr Katarina Kopčalić answered the most common questions related to cancer radiotherapy. Dr sc. Ivana Matić held a lecture about biological factors for the prediction of individual radiosensitivity and presented the main research concepts and goals of the RadExIORSBoost project. Dr sc. med. Marija Andrijić emphasized the importance of psychological support for cancer patients. The activities of the IORS Working Group for Patient Support were presented by Dr sc. med. Ana Jovićević, while Dr sc. Jelena Bokun, the president of the Serbian Society for the Fight Against Cancer, provided an overview of the society’s work.
The cancer patients actively participated in discussions and asked questions about their doubts to radiation oncologists, epidemiologist, psychologist, and scientists. They also had the opportunity to talk to each other and share their valuable personal experiences. The success of the first RadExIORSBoost educational seminar for cancer patients highlighted the importance of gathering and fostering direct communication between patients, clinicians, and researchers for the fight against cancer.
