ESTRO 2025 Congress Report

It all started with the train ride from Rotterdam to Vienna. Despite the almost 12-hour journey, I was unable to make clear choices from the overwhelming number of sessions listed in the ESTRO app. It also didn’t help that my interests ranged from the use of large language models in treatment planning to the carbon footprint of the ESTRO conference itself. As a result, there were at least three sessions almost every hour that I didn’t want to miss!

The first day, Friday 2 May, started early with the physics pre-meeting course. The course began with some encouraging words—especially for non-physicists like me—assuring us that all questions were welcome. What followed was a full day of learning from truly inspiring experts, and I left feeling both motivated and better informed.

On Saturday, I realised that my overenthusiastic use of the “favourites” feature in the app wasn’t very helpful after all. It led to a lot of last-minute decisions and to me sprinting between rooms in the middle of sessions to catch a particular presentation. Luckily, I was able to watch some of the presentations afterwards!

Taking a break in the exhibition hall wasn’t restful either—I was overwhelmed (in a good way!) by the size of the event and the number of companies contributing to the field of radiotherapy. It was exciting to explore the latest developments, see where the industry is heading, and even try out some of the software during live demos.

Finally, I was proud to present my own work on a highly relevant and forward-looking topic: dynamic decision modelling to optimise the use of limited proton therapy capacity while maximising patient-population benefits in terms of treatment side effects.

Many thanks to ESTRO for organising this incredible congress and to all participants—especially my colleagues— for an unforgettable week in Vienna!

Eva Negenman

Technical physician – Erasmus MC Cancer Institute and HollandPTC