The first international conference for the World CUP Alliance was held this year, with one of our team members attending.
A cancer of the unknown primary is where the initial source is not known, these cancers are often diagnosed late and present as an emergency. Many patients experience anxiety when they are diagnosed due to uncertainty over the cancer's origin and treatment.
The World CUP conference allowed health professionals to meet-up, discuss and learn more about advances being made in the diagnosis and treatment of these cancer types.
Gini Melesi, Head of Clinical Programmes at the East of England Cancer Alliance, said: "attending the World CUP Meeting in Berlin left me with a deep sense of optimism. For years, Cancer of Unknown Primary has represented one of the greatest uncertainties in oncology, a diagnosis defined more by what we don’t know than what we do. Yet this meeting felt different.
"What stood out most was how precision medicine is no longer a distant concept but something being woven into real-world care. Whole genome sequencing, genomic profiling and liquid biopsies to guide diagnosis and treatment decisions and importantly extend survival.
"Equally powerful was the spirit of collaboration. Across every talk and poster, there was a sense that no 'one country', clinic, or discipline can solve CUP alone. Data sharing, AI learning, and multidisciplinary teamwork are connecting us in ways that feel genuinely transformative.
"Perhaps the biggest shift of all is philosophical: CUP is starting to move from being a permanent label to a temporary stage on the path to diagnosis. We hope that fewer patients will ever have to hear the words “unknown primary.”