CRT Meeting - Cardiovascular Safety at the Heart of Cancer Care
with contribution from the European Medicines Agency (EMA)
Read the participants' biographies
Objectives of the CRT meeting
As the landscape of cancer therapy continues to evolve rapidly — driven by advances in early diagnosis and personalised treatment that are significantly improving prognosis — cardiovascular safety is no longer a secondary concern. It has become a shared responsibility at the heart of effective and sustainable cancer care. The ESC Cardiovascular Round Table (CRT) on Cardio-Oncology will bring together key stakeholders from academia, regulatory bodies, industry and patient organisations to address this urgent need through structured dialogue, scientific insight and collaborative problem-solving.
This high-level strategic meeting will focus on three overarching goals:
- Advancing a unified approach to cardiovascular safety assessment for modern and emerging cancer therapies, through improved risk stratification, better representation of diverse patient profiles — including sex, age and underlying cardiovascular disease — and alignment of safety endpoints across trials and clinical practice.
- Exploring innovative strategies for acute and long-term cardiovascular surveillance, integrating imaging, laboratory and genetic biomarkers with digital health solutions to promote equitable, continuous and high-quality care for patients with cancer and survivors.
- Promoting coordinated action across research, regulation and advocacy, laying the groundwork for harmonised data collection and continuity of cardiovascular care across the cancer trajectory.
The programme includes plenary discussions, expert-led workshops and patient contributions, creating a unique space for multi-stakeholder dialogue and forward-looking solutions in cardio-oncology. This initiative reflects the ESC’s commitment to improving outcomes not only by addressing evidence gaps but by anticipating the future of care.
Reference documents:
- EMA paper on the assessment of cardiovascular safety of oncology medicinal products
- 2022 ESC Guidelines on Cardio-Oncology
Co-Chairs
Academic Chairpersons
- Dr. Teresa Lopez Fernandez
- Dr. Alexander Lyon
- Prof. Cecilia Linde (ESC President-elect and ESC Chair of the CRT)
Industry Chairpersons
- Dr. Andre Ziegler (Roche Diagnostics)
- Prof. Eigil Samset (GE Healthcare)
- Dr. Bettina Kraus (Boehringer-Ingelheim)/ Industry Chair of the CRT
Read the participants' biographies
Programme
Day 1 | 20 January 2025 |
Welcome Session Cancer therapy in transformation
13:00 – 14:00 CEST | Meeting Room: WARPEN
Moderated by: Teresa Lopez Ferandez and Eigil Samset (GE Healthcare)
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13:00-13:05 |
Welcome from the CRT Chairpersons |
Cecilia Linde Bettina Kraus (BI) |
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13:05-13:15
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Cardiovascular Safety During Active Cancer Treatment: What It Means in 2025
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Evandro de Azambuja |
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13:15-13:25
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Cancer Survivorship: Cardiovascular Risks, Challenges and Opportunities
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Alexander R Lyon
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13:25-13:35
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Patient Perspective: Living Between Two Specialties: A Survivor’s Story |
Richard Stephens (ESC Patient Forum)
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13:35-13:55 |
PANEL DISCUSSION |
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14:00 -17:30 SESSION 1.1 – Advanced Cancer therapies and Evolving risks Moderated by: Thorsten Fuereder and Alexander R Lyon |
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14:00-14:10
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Evolving Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products: CAR-T Cells, TILs and Beyond
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Attila Sebe
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14:10-14:20
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Next-Generation Targeted Therapies: Opportunities and Emerging Risks |
Valentina Guarneri by zoom |
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14:20-14:30
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The Onco-hematologist’s View: Integrating Novel Therapies and Cardiovascular Safety
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Annamaria Brioli
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14:30-14:40
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Regulatory Perspective: How the EMA Addresses Cardiovascular Safety in Innovation |
Antonio Gómez Outes (EMA)
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14:40-15:00 |
PANEL DISCUSSION |
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15:00-15:30 |
Coffee break |
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15:30-16:30 |
BREAKOUT SESSIONS: Identifying the Key Problems CHAIRS: Peter van der meer and Eigil Samset (GE Healthcare) |
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Group 1: meeting room: Warpen Defining Cardiovascular Safety Endpoints: Regulatory and Clinical Alignment |
Lead: Carlo Gabriele Tocchetti Rapporteur: Alar Irs (EMA) |
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Group 2: meeting room: Hollandia A Personalised Risk Scores in Clinical Trials: Opportunities and Challenges |
Lead : Patrick Vrijlandt (EMA) Rapporteur: Geeta Gulati
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Group 3: meeting room: Hollandia B From Guidelines to Practice: Challenges in Reporting and Surveillance
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Lead: Dinesh Thavendiranathan Rapporteur: Bettina Kraus (BI) |
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Group 4: meeting room: Oranje Minimum Dataset for Cardio-Oncology: Towards a Common Language
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Lead: Dimitrios Farmakis Rapporteur: Mirko De Melis (Medtronic) |
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16:30-16:40 |
Report from breakout session 1 – 10 mins |
Rapporteur : Alar Irs (EMA) |
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16:40-16:50 |
Report from breakout session 2 – 10 mins |
Rapporteur : Geeta Gulati |
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16:50-17:00 |
Report from breakout session 3 – 10 mins |
Rapporteur: Bettina Kraus (BI) |
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17:00-17:10 |
Report from breakout session 4 – 10 mins |
Rapporteur : Mirko De Melis (Medtronic) |
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17:10-17:30 |
PANEL DISCUSSION |
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17:30-18:10 SESSION 1.2 – Getting Risk Stratification Right Moderated by: Bettina Kraus (BI) and Marianne Aznar |
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17:30-17:40
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Research perspective |
Pietro Ameri |
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17:40-17:50
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Clinical perspective |
Teresa López Fernandez |
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17:50-18:10 |
Wrap-up and summary Day 1 – Outlook to Day 2 |
Alexander R Lyon & Bettina Kraus (BI) |
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END OF DAY 1 |
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19:30 |
APERITIF+DINNER |
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Academic Chairpersons
Professor Cecilia Marianne Linde
ESC President-elect and ESC Chair of the CRT
Industry Chairpersons
Doctor Andre Ziegler
Roche Diagnostics
Doctor Eigil Samset
GE Healthcare
Doctor Bettina Kraus
Boehringer-Ingelheim / Industry Chair of the CRT
Also of interest
ESC Council of Cardio-Oncology
Improving the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and management of cancer therapy-related cardiovascular diseases.
Cardio-Oncology
Essential resources for professionals specialising in cardio-oncology.