Despite taking place online, ECIO 2021 offered a number of advantages. It reached a larger audience than ever and attracted a record number of physicians from neighbouring specialities who, through the Collaborating Cancer Initiative, were able to learn more about what their IR tumour board colleagues bring to the table.

The Scientific Programme Committee is already busy putting together a fantastic programme for ECIO 2022 which will cover everything there is to know about the fourth pillar of cancer care, ranging from established therapies to new applications, the latest in research and the newest tools and materials.

One of the key topics of ECIO 2022 will be immuno-oncology and how it can be further combined with minimally invasive procedures. Two clinical focus sessions will scrutinise where we currently are, review the available data and discuss where the field is headed. In addition, the possibilities offered by immuno-oncology will be featured in various sessions focussing on particular malignancies.

The importance of continuously revising the evidence base for what we do is further increasing. This is why a newly created Meet the PI session will provide an additional platform for some of the driving forces in current IO research who will present their studies’ design, methodology and preliminary results. We will hear about the Embocept study, ProActif, and the ABC study, among others. In addition, a clinical focus session will give young researchers a look at how to best conceptualise, set up and evaluate research and study projects.