History
The Dutch International Veterinary Oncology Conference, whether it is the former ONCOlogisch Treffen or the new Topics in Veterinary Oncology, has been and still is the result of a lot of hard work by many people. All are or were members of the Collaborative Veterinary Cancer Centers ('Samenwerkende Diergeneeskundige Kankercentra' in Dutch, logo on the left side), founded in 2002 as regional veterinary cancer centers to provide small animal cancer care to many patients.
It was also one of the main objectives of the Collaborative Veterinary Cancer Centers to spread the knowledge of veterinary oncology in The Netherlands and Belgium, as envisioned in the first place.
It started off with a smaller CPD evening in Animal Clinic DC De Overlaet in Oss on mast cell tumors. But soon after, we found our spot in Congress Center 'Kontakt der Kontinenten' in Soesterberg, where we have been since 2006.
The congress rapidly grew organically to an international congress on small animal oncology, and became an annual stop for many colleagues from all over Europe in the search for knowledge on diagnostics and therapies for different cancers in cats and dogs. The congress proved to be home to practitioners (first line, advanced), specialists (internal meds, surgery, radiotherapy), pathologists and researchers. The unique combination of medical oncology, surgery, radiotherapy, pathology, medical imaging in the deepening of a congress subject has made up the success of it.
19 years of Dutch International Vet Oncology Congress
#19 2024 Urogenital tumors in cats & dogs, what if it doesn't go with the flow?
speakers: dr. Jarno Schmidt, dr. Jonathan Bray, dr. Susanne Boroffka, dr. Gerard McLauchlan, prof. dr. Joost Boormans (MD)
#18 2023 Sarcomas in cats & dogs, is there a cutting edge? New insights in a multimodal approach.
speakers: dr. Ruth Fortrie, dr. Elke Schreurs, dr. Owen Davies, dr. Jérôme Benoit, dr. Sam Beck & prof. Alex Vahrmeijer
technician's program: dr. Owen Davies, dr. Sam Beck, dr. Stella Minnoye, Marit van Beelen, Emy Funk, dr. Federica Conti, dr. Ruth Fortrie
#17 2022 Gastro-intestinal tumors, let's look at the treatment menu!
speakers: prof. Frédérique Ponce, dr. Joachim Proot, dr. Imke Schöpper, dr. Lucinda van Stee & dr. Remco de Bree
#16 2021 Metastatic disease in Veterinary Oncology (online congress due to COVID), spreading current knowledge.
speakers: dr. Arjan Griffioen, dr. Henrik Rönnberg & dr. Gerry Polton
#15 2020 Tumors of the skin, don't let them get under your skin!
speakers: dr. Laurent Findji, dr. Phil Bergman & dr. Francesco Cian
#14 2019 Oral Oncology in Dogs and Cats, something to chew on!
speakers: dr. Frank Verstraete, dr. Randi Drees, dr. Jérôme Benoit, dr. Laura Marconato & dr. Nadine Meertens
#13 2018 Tumors of the Respiratory Tract, they will take your breath away!
speakers: dr. Gert Ter Haar, dr. Chiara Leo, dr. Edoardo Auriemma & dr. Jérôme Benoit
#12 2017 Dilemmas in Veterinary Oncology
speakers: dr. Sarah Boston, dr. Steve Mehler & dr. Craig Clifford
#11 2016 The Big Five: Lymphoma, Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Mastocytoma, Melanoma & Mammary Tumours
speakers: dr. Evert Van Garderen, dr. Carolyn Henry, dr. Maurice Zantvliet, dr. Henrik Rönnberg, dr. Stefanie Veraa, dr. Gerry Polton, dr. Tim Scase, dr. Nadine Meertens & dr. Nick Bacon
#10 2015 Surgical Oncology, the cutting edge!
speakers: dr. Tim Scase, dr. Martin Kessler, dr. Miriam Kleiter, dr. Nicole Ehrhart & dr. Gerrit-Jan Liefers
#9 2014 Neurologic, Endocrine and Neuroendocrine Tumors in dogs and cats
speakers: dr. Pete Dickinson dr. Sofie Van Meervenne dr. Ann Hohenhaus dr. Hans Kooistra dr. Olivier Taeymans dr. Phil Mayhew
#8 2013 Feline Oncology, because a cat is not a small dog!
speakers: dr. Julius Liptak dr. Livia Benigni dr. Craig Clifford & dr. Erik Teske
#7 2012 Lymphoma, Melanoma, Mastocytoma and other Round Cell Tumours: What's known and what's new?
speakers: dr. Ted Valli, dr. Doug Thamm, dr. Jolle Kirpensteijn & dr. JH Veelken
#6 2011 Emergencies in Oncology: Disaster medicine or your chance to become a hero!?
speakers: dr. Rebecca Kirby, dr. Susanne Boroffka, dr. Laurent Findji, dr. David Argyle & dr. Joris Robben
#5 2010 Skin Tumours: There's more beyond the surface!
speakers: dr. Chiara Noli, dr. Michael Pavletic, dr. Barbara Kaser-Hotz, dr. Barbara Kitchell, dr. Wilma Bergman & dr. Hanneke Kluin-Nelemans
#4 2009 Urogenital tumours in dogs and cats: It takes balls to treat them!
speakers: dr. Erik Teske, dr. Edoardo Auriemma, dr. Deborah Knapp, dr. Raphael Nickel & dr. Susanne Osanto
#3 2008 Gastro-intestinal Tumours in Cats and Dogs: Inside Out!
speakers: dr. David Argyle, dr. Dominique Penninck, dr. Evert Van Garderen, dr. Paolo Buracco, dr. Malcolm Brearley, dr. Hans Nortier & dr. Anton Beijnen
#2 2007 Tumours of the extremities: Need for extreme measures!
speakers: dr. Gregory Ogilvie, dr. Piet Van Bree, dr. Martin Kessler, dr. Ingrid Gielen, dr. Henrik Von Euler, Bart Menten, dr. Jimmy Saunders, dr. Kathelijne Peremans & dr. Antonie Taminiau
#1 2006 Head and Neck Tumours in dogs and cats: All there is to know!
speakers: dr. Malcolm Brearley, dr. Bettina Kandel, dr. Martin Kessler & dr. René Leemans
technician's program: dr. Leen Verhaert, dr. Geert Verhoeven & dr. Johan de Vos
This congress is organized by:
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Lotte van Kuijk, Ruth Fortrie, Joachim Proot, Rob Gerritsen, Arno Roos & Tom Hendrickx (program, inspiration, ideas & speakers),
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Lobke van Bergen (treasury and registration),
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Benjamin van Rijswoud & Evert van Dijk (sponsors),
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Anouk Schipper (congress center, lunches & dinner, practicalities),
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Paula Hendriks, Sharon Danielse & Bert Pijls (proceedings),
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Martje Pilgram (former treasury & experience)
We would also like to pay tribute to all the people in the past and current who have somehow, sometime, somewhere contributed to the success of this congress:
Johan de Vos (✝︎), Lucie Achten, Marc Imholz & Marloes, Helmy Wulms, Jurgen Tan, Ada Krupa, Inez van den Brande, Ruud van Roemburg, Jacob Deinum, Annette Burm, Yolanda Klaare (✝︎), Herman Boschloo, Mirjam Karsijns, Henk Verheul and their partners who have had to miss them while they were working on this congress.
Team
Every effort, big or small, has made a difference to somebody.
Picture Gallery
A congress in remembrance of
dr. Johan de Vos
This congress will always be a congress in loving remembrance of dr. Johan de Vos.
Johan graduated from Utrecht University Vet School in 1978. He started his own animal hospital in Terneuzen, in the southern part of The Netherlands. At some time - it must have been the late '80s or early '90s - he got intrigued by the question of an owner of a dog with lymphoma, asking why this cancer was treatable in humans, but "why not in dogs?" Johan started his search, went to the local hospital and asked if they had some spare chemotherapy drugs. He was told to go and look for it in the drug bins designated for the Third World. The rest is history.
Johan found his passion in small animal oncology. He went to the Veterinary Cancer Society (VCS) congress in the USA for many years to gain the knowledge he needed, in a time where there was hardly any CPD available in veterinary oncology.
But he envisioned so much more. His objectives were ultimately on a higher level. The care for animal cancer patients needed more than the work in his own clinic. He had a vision that a group of regional cancer centers was desirable to provide regional and local cancer treatments. In 2002 he founded, together with a group of enthousiasts, the Collaborative Veterinary Cancer Centers (SDK), a group of 10 clinics with an interest in treating animals with cancer on a better and higher level. Key feature in that was 'Compassionate Care'.
This group started the veterinary oncology congress 'ONCOlogisch Treffen' in 2006, in line with their goal to broaden the level of small animal cancer knowledge in the veterinary field. This congress grew to an international level year after year.
He also founded the Dutch Animal Cancer Fund (NKFD) to gather funds for small animal cancer research.
Furthermore, he revived together with a group of international friends the European Society of Veterinary Oncology (ESVONC), where he was treasurer for more than 6 years.
Johan passed away in April 2016 leaving behind an enormous legacy in the veterinary oncology world in The Netherlands, Belgium, the EU and even outside of the EU. He awakened a flame for oncology in many people and became a mentor for a lot of people. The structures and organizations he instituted are still active and continued by his pupils.