Cancer is one of the major challenges facing global healthcare systems. The incidence has risen in recent decades, not least due to demographic change and increasing risk factors. At the same time, diagnostic methods are constantly improving so that cancers are detected more frequently and earlier. Keeping pace with these developments, the COMPAMED Innovation Forum 2025, organized as a webinar on June 5 by the IVAM Microtechnology Network in cooperation with Messe Düsseldorf, was dedicated to the latest advances in cancer diagnostics. The participants took a look into the future - not only at the opportunities and trends in medical technology, but also to COMPAMED, the leading international trade fair for suppliers to the medical technology industry, taking place at the fairgrounds in Düsseldorf, Germany, from November 17 - 20, 2025. MEDICA, the world’s leading trade fair for medical technology & healthcare, will be held concurrently.

With some 750 exhibiting companies, COMPAMED 2025 will offer the full spectrum of materials, microtechnology, components and services for use by the medical technology industry.

In 2020, there were 19.3 million new cases of cancer and 10 million deaths worldwide - most commonly from lung, breast, colorectal and prostate cancer. The most common tumor entities are lung, breast, colorectal and prostate cancer. A significant increase can still be observed in lung and liver cancer in particular. The most important risk factors for cancer are tobacco consumption, obesity, lack of exercise, chronic infections (such as hepatitis B and C or HPV), an unhealthy diet and alcohol consumption. Other causes include environmental toxins and occupational exposure to carcinogenic substances. In addition, genetic factors and ageing processes promote the development and progression of tumors.
In order to counter these developments, preventive measures are just as crucial as advancements in diagnostics and treatment. Tobacco and alcohol prevention, the promotion of an active lifestyle, vaccination programs and health-promoting nutrition form the basis of the measures that are effective at the individual level. Parallel to those, research is aimed at early detection by means of biomarkers and high-resolution imaging as well as at personalized treatment strategies that combine immunotherapy treatments with targeted active substances. Together, these aspects form a strategy to relieve the burden on healthcare systems and for the individual reduction of disease burden and suffering due to cancer.

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