Today, as we gather to commemorate the 30th anniversary of EUROGIN, our hearts brim with immense pride and gratitude. Over three decades, our vision has transformed the scientific landscape of HPV-driven cancers, evolving from humble beginnings into a global network of experts and scientists dedicated to pioneering new pathways in research. We have not only advanced knowledge and shared experiences but have also achieved milestones that once seemed insurmountable.
When we embarked on this adventure over 30 years ago, a time when HPV was virtually unknown to the scientific community and of no interest to others, the first EUROGIN congress in Paris mobilized 300 people. Harald zur Hausen and Leo Koss, who presided over it, trusted us in a highly suspicious climate. I also think of the giants of the profession who trusted us from the beginning to accompany us on this journey filled with uncertainties — Alex Ferenczy, Albert Singer, Kari Syrjänen, Santiago Dexeus, Carlos de Oliveira. Thirty years later, EUROGIN has become a leader in the field of HPV, its annual congress bringing together nearly 2000 researchers and clinicians from around the world, where the sharing of progress in basic science and applied research has become the inevitable annual global meeting. This rise to an omnipresent reality was only possible through your efforts, your motivation and your commitment.
From promoting education and training to developing new practices in screening, prevention, and management, our collaborative efforts have validated innovative methods that save lives, making a lasting impact and bringing hope to countless patients and families. Our annual international conference stands as a testament to our success, a beacon of knowledge and inspiration, drawing researchers and emerging talents from across the globe to share groundbreaking work, discuss the future of science, and forge connections that propel our field forward.
As we honor this landmark anniversary, we also pay tribute to the pioneers and senior members whose unyielding dedication and vision have shaped our journey, turning EUROGIN into a world leader in its field. Yet, this celebration is not merely about looking back but looking forward with hope and determination. Alongside a new generation of scientists, we will continue to push the boundaries of science, inspired by the same passion that has driven us to this point.
This introduction also serves as a moment to remember and honor those extraordinary individuals who, though no longer with us, continue to inspire our work with their spirits and contributions.
Our dear friends and colleagues laid the foundation of this vibrant community with their groundbreaking research and boundless enthusiasm. They believed fiercely in our mission, and their legacies thrive in every discovery and every life we save.
Today, we reflect on their memories, acknowledge their invaluable contributions, and pledge to continue their dreams through our ongoing commitment.
As we look towards the horizon of another promising decade, it is crucial to acknowledge that our greatest challenge — and indeed our greatest satisfaction is to disseminate and share knowledge and innovation with the widest possible audience. This endeavor, at the heart of our mission, is something to which everyone here has contributed significantly. The true measure of our success is not just in the breakthroughs we achieve, but in how we empower others through these advances. It is through this shared wisdom and collaborative spirit that we continue to make a profound impact on the global scientific community and beyond. Let us commit to this noble pursuit, ensuring that the fruits of our labor enrich the lives of people around the world, continuing the legacy of those who began this remarkable journey with us thirty years ago.
Thank you for being part of this extraordinary journey. Your dedication, enthusiasm, and hard work have made EUROGIN a beacon of hope, a hub of innovation, and a community that truly makes a difference.
Here's to the next 30 years of groundbreaking discoveries and unwavering commitment to a better future.
Joseph MonsonegoEUROGIN Chairman
HOW IT ALL STARTED THE BEGINNING OF A VISION
Albert Singer University College London, UK
30 years of EUROGIN
I joined Joseph Monsonego a year after he founded EUROGIN and have watched it grow until today when it is accepted as a society of global renown.
30 years ago the content of many gynaecological societies and meetings were centred around cervical cytology, new methods for treating cervical cancers and the development of programmes to facilitate the reduction of cervical cancer. It was because in the early 1990s the human papilloma virus [HPV] was recognised as having an important role in the aetiology of lower genital neoplasia, that now we have the current situation where cervical cancer has been virtually eliminated in many parts of the world, thanks to the development of the HPV vaccine, a goal unimaginable when EUROGIN was founded.
The annual meetings of EUROGIN with their emphasis on the science of HPV have contributed enormously to this situation. They have also allowed the development of a society of colleagues and friends, where many younger researchers have a forum where they can present new ideas for the future.
The last 30 years have not been easy for EUROGIN with it striving to become the pan European society it is today. It was also difficult to prove that it is possible to have a very valuable association between industry and science.
This is thanks to the inspiration and hard work of Joseph Monsonego.
The future looks very exciting especially with new technologies abounding, and with the infusion of a younger generation of researchers. More importantly the concepts and philosophy of EUROGIN have been spread worldwide through organisations such as AOGIN in Asia and the new and developing enthusiasm of our Chinese colleagues.
My involvement with EUROGIN has been one of the highlights of my scientific career and I wish it many more successful years.
EUROGIN: Three Decades Promoting Effective Science to Prevent and Control HPV-Associated Diseases
Eduardo L. Franco, McGill University, Canada
Championing worthwhile goals in medicine and public health requires individuals with a keen sense of purpose and a good appreciation of how biomedical research evolves. Objectives change not because of their merit in absolute terms but because of the constant progress in scientific evidence that drives new health technologies and the imperative to adopt them in clinical practice or public health policies. Such is the story behind EUROGIN, the acronym for the entity conceived by Joseph Monsonego that he cleverly named ‘European Research Organization on Genital Infection and Neoplasia.’ Conceptually, EUROGIN began just over 30 years ago as a forum of experts convened by Dr. Monsonego to inform the French government about the opportunity to redefine cervical cancer screening and management policies using the then-nascent molecular technologies originated from the new science on human papillomaviruses.
From a small group of invited experts, EUROGIN grew to become a triennial conference in Paris, open to the
scientific community. From a small cadre of experts, it grew into a regular event with hundreds of attendees who showcased their latest research findings in lectures and poster presentations. It also grew in the number of disciplines catering to finding solutions to prevent and manage cervical disease.
In addition to gynecologists, it began to attract epidemiologists, policymakers, pathologists, and other allied health disciplines. Predictably, the pace of science on cervical cancer control technologies became such that by 2003, triennial conferences were no longer enough; EUROGIN needed to become a more frequent gathering. Theme-specific conferences were held in Nice, as an additional attractive site. By 2004, the exciting new era of HPV vaccines became a reality, and EUROGIN became the go-to conference for immunologists, vaccinologists, behavioral scientists, virologists, and molecular biologists. As the literature on HPV infection, its diseases, and its technologies grew, so did the number of delegates coming to EUROGIN.
The European designation was in the name from the beginning, but the EUROGIN conferences were exclusively held in France.
Near Nice, Monaco came next in 2007, with encores in 2010 and 2019. Starting with Lisbon in 2011, EUROGIN finally became a pan-European celebration of science on HPV-associated cancers. Its subsequent events were held in Prague (2012), Florence (2013), Sevilla (2015), Salzburg (2016), Lisbon (2018), Monaco (2019), Dusseldorf (2022), Bilbao (2023), Stockholm (2024), and now Porto (2025). Each was under the leadership of two or three professionals recognized for their contributions as congress presidents. Other dimensions of HPV diseases were incorporated into the scientific program. The ‘genital’ designation in the name expanded beyond cervical disease to include anal, vulvar, and vaginal cancers. The original stylish logo conceived by Dr Monsonego to brand EUROGIN was a female body, an attractive icon that immediately evoked the EUROGIN brand. However, the conferences evolved gradually to include themes that cover male diseases caused by HPV. In consequence, EUROGIN is now an International Multidisciplinary HPV Congress, which is, in fact, the slogan associated with all the recent congresses. A new logo was appropriately adopted.
EUROGIN also evolved beyond its original format of a recurring congress, which now brings more than 1000 delegates annually to its large gatherings. Many of its events included specific consensus workshops culminating in the so-called ‘roadmaps’ on specific themes, such as cervical cancer prevention, management of HPV diseases, head-and-neck cancers, HPV transmission, and other useful practice and policy areas. EUROGIN took on the difficult task of promoting debates on controversial topics, a delegates’ favorite. EUROGIN produced books edited by Dr. Monsonego and other experts targeting professional and public audiences. Running in tandem now with the International Papillomavirus Conferences, which are geared toward academics and scientists, EUROGIN has a practice and policy-oriented approach to its scientific content. The two conferences complement each other very nicely. Together, they provide the scientific evidence that advances knowledge on HPVs, the diseases that they cause, and the means to prevent them.
As I stated at the outset, goals must evolve with the foundation of knowledge that makes them achievable. Happy 30th anniversary EUROGIN, and congratulations for providing us an effective platform for pursuing our goals!
EUROGIN 30 years, A great reason to celebrate!
From
a modest beginning, with relatively narrow goals and aims, EUROGIN started expanding its scope during its early years, by inventing innovative new measures and tools to promote its mission and to gradually extend its potential targets from gynecologists to appeal other disciplines as well. For some years, a policy was followed where the main congress was organized in Paris (at UNESCO premises) at 3-year intervals, and a smaller conference (expert meeting) in between, including some events in the Latin American continent and elsewhere in
Kari Syrjänen, Barretos Cancer Hospital, Finland
As a member of the Founding Board of EUROGIN, it has been exciting to follow-up the development of this organization during the past three decades. The creation of EUROGIN in the early years of 1990’s parallels the rapidly expanding interest in HPV research in Europe and elsewhere, having its emergence some 10 years earlier. In parallel with the founding of EUROGIN, several other organizations were established at the same time, with great enthusiasm to coordinate HPV research and to promote awareness on HPV-infections. Many of those organizations remained short-lived, however, and vanished within a few years, due to different reasons. EUROGIN, however, remained alive, and today, we can witness the 30-year anniversary of this organization, grown to a size that makes possible to seriously cope with the complex global challenges.
Europe. Since 2000 (the 4th EUROGIN Congress in Paris), there was a period when EUROGIN events were arranged intermittently in Paris and in Nice or Monte Carlo. Starting from 2011, however, the current practice of arranging EUROGIN Congresses annually in major European cities was adopted and continued until today, to a great satisfaction of the delegates having attended these events during the past 15 years.
During the years, EUROGIN Congresses have contributed in building a global network of clinical experts and basic scientists meeting at EUROGIN, which has generated innovative ideas to promote education, training, and research. Through this concerted approach, EUROGIN has contributed to increased awareness and implementation of new practices in screening, prevention, and management, but also validated novel diagnostic methods that potentially save lives. EUROGIN congresses have been and continue to be of great importance also as venues bringing together the forerunners of HPV research (those who have paved the way since the 1970’s) with the new generation of scientists who have entered the field several decades later and not necessarily familiar with the pioneering works
published 40-50 years ago. Encouragement of young scientists has always been among the core priorities in the mission of EUROGIN.
Apart from the congresses, EUROGIN has used also other means to reach its goals. Two approaches deserve special mention here: 1) the comprehensive books covering the congress contents published by EUROGIN or international publishers, and 2) EUROGIN roadmaps co-authored by teams of experts and published in international journals. As an example of the former, one can select two books published at different stages of EUROGIN life-span (in 1995 and 2006) 1,2. Of the 10 published EUROGIN roadmaps, the most recent one from 2017 is cited here as a representative example 3
An important role in EUROGIN activities has also been played by the multi-center international clinical trials, validating the novel innovative tools in HPV testing. The important results of several of those studies have been published in international journals, just one listed here 4 . Given that the coverage and scope of the organization currently is considerably more widespread as the name EUROGIN (“European…. genital infections and neoplasia”) refers to, one might wonder, whether the name of this organization should be updated in the future to better reflect its coverage (GLO=global) and scope (HCAN=HPV-induced cancers).
I would like to conclude by extending my very personal congratulations to Dr. Jospeh Monsonego, who was the mastermind behind founding EUROGIN, and ever since, has been the driving force throughout these three decades. Together with his long-term teammate Mr. Peter Mattonet, they have tirelessly guided EUROGIN through difficult times to where it exists today: a widely recognized international organization targeting to all HPV-associated cancers. These two people truly deserve the full respect from all of us!
My warmhearted congratulations to the 30-year-old hero of the day!
1. Monsonego J. (ed) Challenges of Modern Medicine. Papillomavirus in Human Pathology. EUROGIN, Paris, 1995.
2. Monsonego J. (ed). Emerging Issues of HPV Infections: From Science to Practice. Karger, Basel 2006.
3. Cuschieri K, Ronco G, Lorincz A, Smith L, Ogilvie G, Mirabello L, et al. Eurogin roadmap 2017: Triage strategies for the management of HPV-positive women in cervical screening programs. Int J Cancer 2018; 143(4):735-745.
4. Monsonego J, Hudgens MG, Zerat L, Zerat J-C, Syrjänen K, Halfon P, et al. Evaluation of oncogenic human papillomavirus RNA and DNA tests with liquid-based cytology in primary cervical cancer screening: the FASE study. Int J Cancer 2011;129:691-701.
EUROGIN: 30 years of continuous education in prevention, diagnosis and treatment of HPV associated diseases.
Chris JLM. Meijer
Amsterdam UMC, Netherlands
EUROGIN (European Research Organisation on Genital Infection and Neoplasia) was founded in 1993 by the French gynaecologist Jo Monsonego and introduced as a multidisciplinary forum for experts to exchange knowledge and translate research in clinical practice. My first thought at this 30 years jubileum of EUROGIN was that its existence has run parallel to the large developments in the field of cervical cancer. At the start of EUROGIN cytology and colposcopy were the main instruments used in cervical screening. The discovery of HPV 16 and HPV 18 as the major causative agents in cervical cancer by Nobel Prize winner Harald zur Hausen, with his team Lutz Gissman and Matthias Dürst has boosted research in cervico-carcinogenesis and impacted enormously the ways of prevention, diagnosis and management of cervical (pre)cancer.
In the first years of its existence the speakers at the conference were asked to publish their presentations in a conference book, edited by Jo. The papers were extensive resulting in thick books, appreciated by the participants and interested clinicians. When the number of participants increased Peter Mattonet joined the organisation. Well attended workshops and clinical sessions were organised not only in English but also in the local language of the country where the conference took place. At the start of EUROGIN, the field of cervical cancer screening was dominated by gynaecologists and cytopathologists. With the availability of HPV testing many, sometimes hectic, discussions about the best screening tool - cytology or HPV testing - followed. EUROGIN provided the ideal platform for these discussions. Leopold Koss, Alexander Meisels, Volker Schneider, Christine Bergeron, Mathilde Boon, Albert Singer, Jan Walboomers, Ralph Ritchart, Mark Schiffman, Kari and Stina Syrjänen, Eduardo Franco, Attila Lorincz, Xavier Bosch, Nubia Munoz, Chris Meijer, Jack Cuzick, Mark Stoler, Heather Cubie, Suzanne Kjaer, Adriaan van den Brule, Wim Quint and Peter Snijders were among the earliest participants in this debate. Based on the early data of Jian Zhou, later extended by John Schiller and Doug Lowy, that the L1 protein of HPV in expression systems folded itself as a virus like particle, GSK and Merck rapidly started to develop prophylactic HPV vaccines. EUROGIN followed these developments closely by organising clinical sessions and educational workshops with topics as “HPV immune responses, HPV vaccination trials, who should be vaccinated? etc” with experts like John Schiller, Ian Frazer, Margaret Stanley, David Jenkins, Jorma Paavonen, Elmar Joura, Diana Harper and Suzanne Garland.
EUROGIN always had a sharp eye for new developments in the field of cervical diseases with special interest in original clinical findings and real world data.
Developments in HPV testing, HPV Vaccines, CIN management and biomarkers were followed quickly by the organizers. With the increasing recognition of the clinical importance of HPV for the cervical cancer field, the scope of the conference was also extended: from cervical cancer to other HPV associated anogenital diseases, to Head and Neck tumors . This extension and deepening of the scope of Eurogin would not have been possible without the close personal contacts of Jo Monsonego and Peter Mattonet with the leading experts in the field. Experts obtained more influence on the topics of the workshops and clinical sessions and could indicate potential speakers. Scientists liked to present their data on Eurogin probably also stimulated by the good atmosphere, the nice conference sites and the pleasant faculty dinners sometimes accompanied by excellent dinner shows. I remember cities like Paris, Monte Carlo, Bilbao, Salzburg, Lisbon, Porto, Sevilla, Malmö, Amsterdam and Stockholm.
For manufacturers and companies EUROGIN provided an ideal platform to show their tests devices, vaccines and other products. The resulting good and longstanding contacts between employees and the organizers provided an important financial basis for the conference. Without this support EUROGIN would probably not have been so successful and would not have survived so long. During these 30 years the attendance to EUROGIN meetings increased from 500 to 2500 participants. Jo and Peter have to be complimented with this 30 years success of EUROGIN.
If the organizers continue with this policy, I expect that EUROGIN will also survive and prosper in the next 30 years. I wish the organizers much success in the near future.
FORMER CONGRESS PRESIDENTS
Maurice Tubiana † France FIRST EUROGIN
1994
Harald Zur Hausen † Germany
Leo Koss † USA
Gérard Orth † France
John Schiller USA
Albert Singer UK
JeanCharles Boulanger France
Ralph Richart † USA
Santiago Dexeus † Spain 2003
Alexander Meisels † Canada
Daniel Dargent † France
Ian Frazer Australia
Alex Ferenczy Canada 2008
Margaret Stanley UK Herschel Lawson USA
Chris Meijer Netherlands
Eduardo Franco Canada
Guglielmo Ronco Italy
Michel Roy † Canada
Joakim Dillner Sweden
Peter Snijders † Netherlands
Anna Giuliano USA
Peter Hillemanns Germany
J. Thomas Cox USA
Jack Cuzick UK
Carlos De Oliveira Portugal
Javier Cortes Spain
Jorma Paavonen Finland
Marc Arbyn Belgium
Anna Barbara Moscicki USA
Jesper Bonde Denmark
Jennifer S. Smith USA
Kate Cuschieri UK
Xavier Bosch Spain
Silvia Franceschi Italy
Stina Syrjänenr Finland
Thomas Iftner Germany
Elmar Joura Austria
Walter Kinney USA
Matti Lehtinen Finland
Nicolas Wentzensen USA
Hans Berkhof Netherlands
Miriam Elfström Sweden
IN OUR MEMORY...
Jan Walboomers 1941-2000
Alexandre Meisels 1926-2014
Karl-Ulrich Petry 1957-2020
Harald Zur Hausen 1936-2023
Daniel Dargent 1937-2005
Mario Sideri 1953-2014
Michel Roy 1942-2021
Lynette Denny 1958-2024
Leo Koss 1920-2012
Maurice Tubiana 1920-2013
Xavier Castellsagué 1959-2016
Ralph Richart 2022
Santiago Dexeus 1935-2024
Peter Snijders 1961-2018
Gérard Orth 1936-2023
We acknowledge their invaluable contributions and pledge to keep their dreams alive.
MILESTONES & BREAKTHROUGHS
30 YEARS OF ADVANCEMENT
Silvia Franceschi
Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO), IRCCS, Italy
Along with its unmissable meetings, EUROGIN has a long record of building consensus on gynaecological cancer since 1997.
However, in the warmth of Monte Carlo’s autumn in 2007, Joe Monsonego, Cosette Wheeler and I conceived the EUROGIN Roadmap series whose name came from the hopes in the Israelian-Palestinian negotiations that were then ongoing and, unfortunately, would have tragically collapsed in the following year. Eight EUROGIN Roadmap papers were issued between then and 2017 and are a reminder of what a privilege it had been to work on HPV and cervical cancer in the last 30 years. More than 60 experts from five continents agreed to promptly compile their knowledge and opinions in writing after discussing them at EUROGIN meetings. HPV vaccination, trends of HPV-associated cancers, and the evolution of screening from cytology to next-generation sequencing were among the Roadmaps’ topics. All issues were discussed also in respect to different age groups, genders, sexual orientations, and countries’ socioeconomic status. It is impossible to summarize Roadmap papers here but let us say that they tackled increasingly complicated topics: from the straightforwardness of HPV vaccine efficacy to the puzzle of predicting the evolution of the infection in HPV-positive women.
Jack Cuzick
Centre for Cancer Screening, Prevention & Early Diagnosis (CCSPED), Queen Mary University of London, UK
A lot has happened in the last 30 years in the field of HPV and cervical cancer. HPV testing has taken over from cytology as the primary screening test, and improvements in the method are still ongoing.
Before HPV, screening was cytology based, and as we now know very insensitive. Using HPV as the screening test was a revolution which is still ongoing. Key factors like HPV genotype, viral load, self-sampling, alone or in combination, have greatly improved its value. Methodology to more routinely test for these factors, notably the large difference in risk between different genotypes, with HPV 16 being most serious, followed by 18, 31 and 33, and then 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, and 59, down to the lowest risk types 6,11, 40, 42, 43, 44, 54, 61, 70, 72, 81, 89, which need to be managed less aggressively is still developing. Vaccination is another important development, and Sasieni et al have shown that it has almost eliminated cervix cancer in women under the age of 30 years old in England.
Joakim Dillner
Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
30 years with EUROGIN,
An amazing journey with huge patient impact
Thirty years ago, the world looked very different. It was still debated which genital infections that caused neoplasia. Major issues studied in cervical cancer control were things like when to use cytology screening. Still, since many years the cervical cancer-causing HPV types were already discovered, prospective epidemiological studies linking HPV to genital neoplasia had been performed, HPV vaccines had been discovered, commercial HPV tests were formally approved.
A bottleneck was interdisciplinary fora where everyone could meet and discuss what all the new data meant for better screening, better prevention and better clinical management. Key elements behind the success of EUROGIN have been a clear vision of where the field needs to go and a continuous, productive dialogue with the scientific community. Furthermore, the systematic reporting of the results of the conference has meant a lot for furthering the advances globally. This started already in 1997 and was formalized during 2007-2017 as the annual “EUROGIN Roadmap” papers (1,2) written with broad input of the scientific community clearly outlining what will be needed to achieve progress towards impact on patient health. The EUROGIN meeting was one of the things I missed most during the intermission caused by the Covid pandemic. The
References
1: EUROGIN 2007 roadmap on cervical cancer prevention. Monsonego J. Vaccine. 2008 Mar 14;26 Suppl 1:A1-3.
2: EUROGIN 2008 roadmap on cervical cancer prevention.
conference is today so large that it would be difficult to summarize a whole conference, but we have tried to at least continue with the policy of publishing results of the conference with annual papers reporting from one of the workshops at EUROGIN – on how the declining HPV prevalences caused by vaccination will affect screening programs (3), on how to use science to speed up the global elimination of cervical cancer (4) and how to define an immune correlate of protection against HPV (5). I think there are few conferences that can boast about having as high an impact in terms of furthering science, particularly by inducing new international collaborations and for promoting an impact on patient health by providing a clear presentation of both the recent scientific advances and the context of what the knowledge actually means for the patients.
Franceschi S, Cuzick J, Herrero R, Dillner J, Wheeler CM. Int J Cancer. 2009 Nov 15;125(10):2246-55. doi: 10.1002/ijc.24634
3: Assessing the risk of cervical neoplasia in the post-HPV vaccination era.
Lehtinen M, Pimenoff VN, Nedjai B, Louvanto K, Verhoef L, Heideman DAM, El-Zein M, Widschwendter M, Dillner J.Int J Cancer. 2023 Mar 15;152(6):1060-1068. doi: 10.1002/ijc.34286
4: Scientific approaches toward improving cervical cancer elimination strategies.
Lehtinen M, Bruni L, Elfström M, Gray P, Logel M, Mariz FC, Baussano I, Vänskä S, Franco EL, Dillner J.Int J Cancer. 2024 May 1;154(9):1537-1548. doi: 10.1002/ijc.34839.
5: Scientific approaches to defining HPV vaccine-induced protective immunity.
Lehtinen M, van Damme P, Beddows S, Pinto L, Mariz F, Gray P, Dillner J. Int J Cancer, in press.
Jorma Paavonen
University of Helsinki, Finland
The past 30 years have seen the rapid evolution of HPV-driven science and research, and clinical practice previously dominated largely by historical clinical observations and even anecdotes.
The EUROGIN roadmap has added global epidemiology and behavioural and social sciences to the biomedical domains across many medical specialties. Dr. Joseph Monsonego is a true visionary and influential driver of this historic transition. He and his team saw early on the need for this path. They became the key proponents of this transition from bedside clinical practice to multidisciplinary global science and leadership. The greatest source of professional pride is the EUROGIN commitment to training and mentoring the next generations of scientists, clinicians and other experts. Dr. Monsonego’s unwavering advocacy and legacy in bridging research and clinical work has been based on strong commitment, capacity building and stimulation of research collaboration. This has had great impact and has demanded extraordinary insights and indeed has changed the world. I have been honoured to write this short tribute to EUROGIN and Dr. Monsonego and his team. After following the EUROGIN roadmaps for 30 years I owe EUROGIN a profound debt of gratitude. This celebration is not just looking back but also looking forward with shining commitment and determination.
Marc
Arbyn
Cancer Epidemiology, Belgian Cancer Centre, Sciensano, Belgium
I still remember my first international steps in the HPV world - after my Médecins Sans Frontières adventures in Africa - at my first EUROGIN participation in Paris in 1997 when I shared the Flemish cervical cancer screening initiatives.
I think we prepared at that time slides written with black and red markers on plastic sheets. Since then, I did not miss any of the EUROGIN conferences. EUROGIN was my first window to the world where I met colleagues and friends from all continents. It offered me the possibility to grow, to share our meta-analyses and systematic reviews first on liquid cytology, then on HPV testing to triage mild cytological abnormalities, on primary HPV screening, HPV vaccination, guidelines on how to validate HPV tests and international lists of validated tests, etc. Together with EUROGIN, we got older. It is time now to give the flag to the younger generation. I sincerely hope that EUROGIN will continue to offer a forum and opportunity to the younger colleagues for sharing their skills and their experiences for another 30 years. I am very happy that EUROGIN honours us, the oldies, at its 30th anniversary and that I can belong to the club. Thank you very much Joe Monsonego, Peter Mattonnet, Clairia Hoarau for the marvellous EUROGIN forum where we could present our findings in full transparency and independence.
Joel Palefsky
University of California, San Francisco, USA
Much has changed as the HPV world has gone from initial linkage of HPV to cervical cancer through to implementation of the WHO pillars.
The epidemiology of HPV infection, molecular mechanisms of HPVassociated malignant transformation, primary and secondary prevention of HPV-associated cancers, diagnostics, therapeutics and implantation science have all seen dramatic progress, and EUROGIN has been there through all of it. A key annual meeting on the HPV calendar, EUROGIN has offered HPV researchers and clinicians a unique venue to meet, exchange ideas and plan the next steps forward. Among the many contributions made by EUROGIN is the opportunity to meet in a lovely, relatively informal setting, in an approachable meeting venue. While the focus is on sharing and receiving information on the latest developments, EUROGIN provides a wonderful opportunity to synthesize and reflect, and to spend face-to-face time with friends and colleagues. This is invaluable and brings the community back year after year. EUROGIN has been there since the beginning and will continue to be a major part of the fabric of our HPV community.
Anna Giuliano
Center for Immunization and Infection Research in Cancer (CIIRC)
American Cancer Society
International Papillomavirus Society (IPVS)
Moffitt Cancer Center, USA
In the past 30 years the development of vaccines to prevent HPVrelated cancers evolved from basic science research (late 1980searly 1990s) to a multitude of different vaccines all showing robust efficacy in clinical trials, and effectiveness in population studies.
I have had the pleasure to participate in many EUEOGIN sessions and presentations about these HPV vaccine trial results. I fondly remember my first attendance at EUROGIN in 2007. It was that year that Joseph Monsonego organized a phenomenal celebration of the 1-year anniversary of the licensure of GARDASIL at the EUROGIN meeting in Monte Carlo. Every year after that I actively participated as a speaker and session organizer, bringing the latest vaccine results to the broader community. This year marks my 18th year of attending and contributing to EUROGIN. Each year EUROGIN was convened in the most beautiful of European cities making participation in the conference that much more enjoyable; happily, that tradition continues today with our meeting in Porto this year.
Looking back 30 years
, significant advances in the basic science of HPV vaccine development started many years before my involvement in EUROGIN. Starting in the late-1990s the first HPV vaccine was tested in young adult women in a trial to assess proof of principle that immunization with a VLP based monovalent HPV 16 vaccine can prevent HPV infection. The overwhelming success of this trial sparked the rapid development of multi-valent HPV vaccines both at Merck and GSK, and more recently among different manufacturers in India and China. Over time this has included bivalent, quadrivalent, and nanovalent vaccines, all of which have shown efficacy in large population studies of both women and men, across multiple age groups. Research continues today with
the development of new generation vaccines targeting more HPV types, modifications to the vaccine dosing schedules, and assessment of vaccine efficacy in different populations such as those that are immunecompromised and younger pediatric populations. In the past decade we have seen a rapid expansion of HPV vaccine dissemination globally, one of three pillars in the strategy to eliminate cervical and other HPV-related cancers. As the research develops, and the availability of lower cost vaccine strategies emerges, the goal of achieving global cervical cancer elimination may be realized in the next 30 years. At the annual EUROGIN conferences, these advances are presented, stimulating active discussion and debate to propel the science and research impact.
Anna Barbara Moscicki
University of California, Los Angeles, USA
Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine
One can only look at the HPV vaccine efficacy in real world scenerios with great “awe”!
There is already visible evidence that cervical cancer can be conquered with some countries getting close to ‘zero’. The goal of elimination may also go faster with evidence piling up that one dose works as well as two doses! (or close to it). In addition, HPV vaccine effectiveness has reached other HPV associated diseases including recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, a devastating disease in infants. The world is also getting closer to offering cervical cancer screening in a more cost efficient manner with selfsampling. Foregoing personnel and equipment, self-sampling broadens the reach for cervical cancer screening. Steadily, science is making great strides in control of HPV-associated diseases!
A FAMILY OF RESEARCHERS
COLLABORATION, FRIENDSHIP, AND UNITY
During the past 30 years EUROGIN has grown from a European platform for presenting new scientific findings and consolidating best clinical practices to the most comprehensive venue for exchanging data and ideas and sharing strategic visions on what needs to be done to tackle HPV-disease burden worldwide. All in all, EUROGIN has contributed more than any other establishment to the unequivocal elimination of all HPV-associated cancers, and the work continues! Congratulations to Dr. Joseph Monsonego and his staff for the true spreading of excellence!
Matti Lehtinen
Tampere University, Finland
Porto is not only the city of port wine, but also the starting point of the popular Camina Portugues, a pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. My HPV route started about 15 years ago when Chris Meijer convinced me to get involved in HPV screening trials. The field attracted me because it is a meeting place of several disciplines: virology, oncology and epidemiology. Our HPV screening trials contributed to the acceptance of the HPV test, but they did not answer all the questions.
Questions like “at what age should we start HPV screening”, “how should we screen after vaccination”, and “who should be vaccinated” also required HPV modelling. I continued my research path by working intensively on these questions at a national level and also through international collaborations.
The EUROGIN conference was very helpful in establishing a network. Our first EU-funded network, PREHDICT, was set up at EUROGIN 2009 and led to Guglielmo Ronco’s Lancet paper showing that HPV screening leads to better prevention of cervical cancer than cytology screening (2014). HPV research has changed over the years as new technologies have emerged.
I have now moved into studying HPV testing on self-collected samples and molecular triage testing to increase the objectivity of screening. I hope that in the future HPVrelated disease will be a thing of the past, although only young researchers will have a chance to see this in their own working lives. The path to elimination is still challenging and requires an open mind. As Machado (translation Sevillano) said in his famous Camino poem: “Traveler, your footprints are the only road, nothing else. Traveler, there is no road; you make your own path as you walk”.
Hans Berkhof
Amsterdam UMC, Netherlands
What a wonderful occasion – the thirtieth anniversary of the first EUROGIN congress. I was not at the first congress, but I do remember some of the early meetings in Paris and Monte Carlo. I have been to many congresses, not just because they have been scientifically stimulating but because of the great atmosphere, opportunities for networking and the dear friends who I now have around the world. None of this would have been possible without Joe Monsonego, who has led the congress with warmth and enthusiasm.
The progress in cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination over the past 30 years as documented in the EUROGIN Roadmaps has been phenomenal. At the first congresses, it was not completely established that HPV was the cause of cervical cancer. There was no serious consideration of replacing Pap smears by HPV testing, and there were certainly no HPV vaccines. Today we are on the verge of eliminating cervical cancer as a major public health concern in many countries and are talking about global elimination. Congratulations EUROGIN. May you go from strength to strength.
Peter Sasieni
Queen Mary University of London, UK
It’s an honor to be here with you to celebrate 30 years of EUROGIN. Hats off to Dr. Monsonego and his team: 30 years. Chapeau! First and foremost, we are grateful for the SCIENCE and strength of the EUROGIN community which has enhanced our collaborations and fostered lively communication and debates over the years. The collegial friendships built here have been like family.
Such amazing strides have been made. Indeed, so much has changed with ground-breaking technological HPV vaccination, HPV-based screening and treatment advances - innovations which have positively changed our paradigm for prevention. Over these past 3 decades, EUROGIN has also increased engagement with our colleagues from across the globe as we envision global elimination.
Still, we should take pause, as there is much more to do as we are far behind 90-70-90 targets globally. DHS data has shown that still, only one in ten women eligible for screening are being screened in many low- and middle-income countries, the same scenario goes for HPV vaccination coverage — areas with the highest mortality rates have the lowest vaccination coverage. To impact the global mortality rates of cervical and other HPV-associated cancers, we all have to personally think about how we can do more to reduce the disease burden to help those around the world who need it most. That will be one of our biggest challenges for the EUROGIN community in the future.
Jennifer Smith
Department
of Epidemiology
University of North Carolina, USA
EUROGIN has grown to be more than the European HPV meeting. Year after year we find in EUROGIN the space to update and get updated. A meeting that we do not want to miss. High participation, good environment and constructive energy. A great place for newcomers and senior folks to go over in depth on hot topics. Great meeting in great cities!
Silvia de Sanjosé
ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
I have been attending EUROGIN for 20 years and it was always a great opportunity for scientific exchange, update and meeting friends. Starting from Paris, EUROGIN made a wonderful journey through the most beautiful European cities. For me personally, there are three outstanding meetings: EUROGIN 2010 in Monaco, presenting for the first time vaccination data in women with HPV related disease, EUROGIN 2013 in Florence, Italy, where I was able to present the data of the ninevalent HPV vaccine, which set the standards for many (also upcoming) years and my presidency together with Thomas Iftner at EUROGIN 2016 in Salzburg, Austria. This was a wonderful meeting in my home country - scientifically exciting and everyone loved the city of Salzburg.
Congratulations to Joseph Monsonego and the whole EUROGIN team for this most successful endeavor – elimination of cervical cancer and five other cancers became a realistic opportunity and EUROGIN made significant contributions to make these achievements possible.
Elmar Joura
Medical University of Vienna, Austria
In 1997 in Paris for the first time, I had the opportunity to participate in a European scientific group: it was the EUROGIN International Congress March 24-27, 1997. I remember well, then, the common desire of all to share our goals in that splendid city, to which we would return for several years, and to return home enriched by the news and experience of colleagues whose fundamental scientific contributions we were used to read, in Italy then with some delay. Names that became faces and relationships which were not always easy for a young researcher who had her own (still present) problems with the English language. My Institute (Centro per lo Studio e la Prevenzione Oncologica it was then called) was already an important center for oncological screening and epidemiology and collaborated and partly competed with the Piedmont CPO in Turin.
So, in this adventure, I found myself together with Mimmo Ronco who would later be for me not only a primary technical and scientific reference but also a colleague who together with our working groups would live a history that was exemplary in the history of oncology and public health in Italy. In 2013, with Mimmo, we were also involved in the organisation of EUROGIN in Florence, Italy. When in Italy we published the first HTA report (2012) on the use of HPV as a primary test and an anticipation of the European guidelines and then, in 2015, we decided in Florence to start with a consensus conference to personalize HPV screening according to HPV vaccination status (which began on 2008). We saw, in all its concreteness, realized a story that had been dreamed of, but back in Paris had seemed unimaginable.
EUROGIN has been all these years an indispensable resource, not only for the richness of technical scientific debate but for the multidisciplinary, the plurality of high-level and worldwide expertise and above all because at EUROGIN we found experts discussing and comparing, year after year, their results, building a road that, today, we begin to measure was effective, is leading to something amazing. From laboratory science we are coming with the public health practice of vaccination and screening to achieve a goal that has become possible: to eliminate cervical cancer in most countries. Through this group, I have been even more a part of this story, which is made up of men and women from all over the world, and many of them attended EUROGIN.
So, if one message can come from this story, it is that young people should not put limits on their hope, there is room, with competence, work, and collaboration to achieve success not only individually. EUROGIN for all of us has been this opportunity, allowing us to combine science and daily work practice with human relationships, that allowed us to truly be part of the history of the world. I wish all those who continue this beautiful adventure the best of successes.
Francesca Carozzi
Regional Laboratory for Cancer Prevention in ISPRO (Florence, Italy), Italian Group of Cervical Cancer Prevention GISCi, Cytopathology, University of Florence, Italy
I met Joseph Monsonego for the first time around 20 years ago, when we were all excited and waiting for a landmark in medical science: the first preventive vaccine against HPV infection and cervical cancer.
As an expert in vaccinology, those times were very interesting for me, approaching a world that I had never known before, and having the opportunity to go into depth in this fascinating area of medicine.
The EUROGIN Congresses, where Joseph immediately invited me firstly as a speaker and moderator, and soon after proposing me as a member of scientific committees, were crucial to learn and to exchange experiences with top level colleagues from Europe and all over the World.
EUROGIN has become one of the Congresses I always put in my agenda one year before its occurrence, to be sure I will be free to participate and to propose sessions on the latest updates on HPV immunization. It is an opportunity to learn also the best science on other topics related to HPV. Joseph and Peter Mattonet (the organizational ‘pillar’ of EUROGIN) have become really familiar to me. I want to congratulate them for the fantastic achievement of 30 years, wishing a bright future to come!
Paolo Bonanni
Universita' degli Studi di Firenze, Italia
I have been attending EUROGIN for more than 15 years. It has always been a great conference for scientific exchanges that have provided me with many research ideas and have helped me get a more complete picture of the different aspects related to HPV research and prevention of HPV-related cancers. Starting my career, the conference gave visibility to my modeling work and access to the most prominent researchers in the field. By bringing together the research community to discuss and exchange their work in a collegial environment, EUROGIN has undoubtedly contributed to the advancement of our field, and prevention of HPV-related cancers. For these reasons and all the great memories, I will always be grateful to the EUROGIN team and Joseph Monsonego.
Marc Brisson
Université Laval, Canada
Groupe de recherche en modélisation mathématique et en économie de la santé liée aux maladies infectieuses
As we celebrate EUROGIN’s 30th anniversary, I am filled with both pride and gratitude for being part of this extraordinary journey. I still vividly recall presenting in the “UNESCO” building with a carousel of carefully prepared slides — actual slides — ensuring none would slip out. The room was sparsely filled but brimming with hope, ambition, and a shared determination to advance scientific understanding.
Over three decades, EUROGIN has grown into a global hub of innovation, collaboration, and education, serving as a cornerstone in the fight against HPV-related diseases. I am particularly proud of its commitment to addressing global health challenges and fostering the next generation of leaders. My involvement in directing the annual cervical colposcopy course and vulvar disease sessions has been a rewarding experience, enriched by the pioneering vision of Dr. Joseph Monsonego. His dedication to integrating educational workshops and training programs has set the stage for the advancement of future generations.
Above all, the personal connections forged through EUROGIN have profoundly enriched my professional and personal journey. These relationships exemplify the strength of a shared mission.
As we look ahead, I am confident EUROGIN will continue to lead scientific progress and inspire collaboration for decades to come. Congratulations on this remarkable milestone!
Jacob Bornstein
Azrieli Faculty of Medicine of Bar-Ilan University, Israel
Journal of Lower Genital Tract Disease
IFCPC Nomenclature Committee
Many participants, brought together by the EUROGIN conference, helped to ignite ideas for my research and collaboration. Without the EUROGIN “platform,” some of these ideas would not have developed quite the way they did, or maybe not at all. For example, very early on, EUROGIN supported research around cervicovaginal self-sampling, research that was instrumental for me as I began to consider anal self-sampling for HPV-associated anal disease. Methylation scoring for anal disease is another example where EUROGIN scholarship helped me think about its potential for anal cancer screening. It’s my sincere hope that Joe’s leadership of EUROGIN continues, kindling more ideas that will reduce HPV-associated disease.
Alan Nyitray
Clinical Cancer Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, USA
After 30 years, we can reflect on the history of HPV research and implementation as a remarkable knowledge and technological revolution. While no single individual can be considered indispensable to the HPV revolution, its profound positive impact on the health of millions of women has been made possible through the efforts of the EUROGIN community.
From a public health perspective, this community has made the HPV revolution truly innovative by prioritizing three key aspects: sustainability, equity, and the deintensification of interventions. These priorities were achieved through a thoughtful synergy between primary and secondary prevention.
Looking back on my career, I feel proud to have been part of this community. This sense of belonging is the greatest reward for me. It inspires me to encourage young researchers to join the EUROGIN community, with the hope that they too will experience this sense of fulfillment and take on new challenges in the future.
Paolo Giorgi Rossi
Epidemiology Unit, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
We have powerful tools in the fight against HPV-related disease. Evidence has accumulated quickly in recent years confirming their effectiveness. The task ahead is to apply these systematically with an eye for ensuring that we adapt where needed across settings and populations to achieve maximal equity and effect. I believe that our success in eliminating cervical cancer as a public health problem will be dependent on maintaining a sense of urgency, facilitating collaboration across disciplines, and ensuring speedy transfer of knowledge into practice. On this 30th anniversary of EUROGIN, let us acknowledge the journey so far and gain strength in each other and our collaborative community for the continued fight ahead.
Miriam Elfström
National Working Group for Cervical Cancer Prevention (NACx) Department of Clinical Science, Intervention, and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden Center for Cervical Cancer Elimination, Karolinska University Hospital
I´m glad to contribute with my testimony to the EUROGIN 30th Anniversary booklet. I participated with a poster, for the first time in the EUROGIN 1997 meeting in Paris. It was very important for the development of my research and career in the area of HPV-associated diseases. After this congress, the opportunity arose to participate in 1998, 1999 Omnia International HPV Conferences (Montreal, Chicago), supported by EUROGIN. There, I met several personalities in the field of HPV, namely Alex Ferenczy, Joseph Monsonego, Eduardo Franco, Ian Frazer, Jack Cuzick, Joel Palefsky, Albert Singer, Mark Steben, Thomas Wright, Anna-Barbara Moscicki, Stephen Tyring and others.
Several of these personalities participated in 1999, 2001 and 2004 and 2009 in the International Symposia organized by the Portuguese Society of Papillomavirus, in Lisbon with support from the Cancer Hospitals and the Faculty of Medicine of Lisbon. Harald Zur Hausen, Cristopher Crum, Stina and Kari Syrjänen, Xavier Bosch, Luisa Villa and others also participated in these symposia. Many researchers from lusophone countries participated in these symposia, which, in a similar way to the EUROGIN congresses, allowed the creation of lusophone Workshops at the IPVS Congresses 2015-Lisbon and the EUROGIN Congress 2017-Amsterdam and at EUROGIN in Lisbon 2018.
Maria Clara Bicho
Institute of Preventive Medicine and Public Health of FMUL
Institute of Environmental Health (ISAMB) of FMUL Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM) of FMUL
Portugal
EUROGIN, HPV and me: 30 years of commitment with science in Portugal
We have made significant progress since I began my research on HPV and cervical cancer, which culminated in my master’s thesis titled “Papillomavirus and Cervical Cancer: Study of HPV Genotype Prevalence, Cell Proliferation, and P53 Protein Expression in Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions” (1995, Faculty of Medicine of Porto). The research project commenced in 1993, examining samples from IPO Porto. It soon became apparent that by utilizing the then-new HPV genotyping PCR methodology, we could detect the presence of HPV DNA in almost all tissue samples with squamous intraepithelial lesions and cervical cancer.
Since 1965, the Portuguese National Vaccination Programme (PNV)—the jewel of Portugal’s public health system — has been universal, free, and accessible to everyone. In October 2008, the HPV vaccination was introduced in the PNV for girls aged 13, particularly those born from 1995 onwards. After 2017, HPV DNA testing began to be implemented as the primary screening test. In 2020, we proposed “A Four-Step Plan for Eliminating HPV Cancers in Europe”. Many countries are now prioritizing screening and vaccination to eradicate cervical cancer in the short term. Throughout these years, EUROGIN has been a vital source of information and a forum for discussion on all relevant data. We are very grateful to EUROGIN for consistently inviting us to conduct a Portuguese-language workshop, which has allowed us to share our experiences and results with our colleagues in Africa and South America. Let us join forces to promote this goal in as many countries as possible.
Rui Medeiros
Research Center of IPO Porto (CI-IPOP)
Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto)
Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center (Porto.CCC)
Portugal
I first attended EUROGIN as a resident, right at the peak of the revolution brought by HPV vaccines. From the early days of my training, I was certain that my main focus would be lower genital tract disease. Naturally, EUROGIN quickly became a must-attend conference for me. Just as it did back then, this event continues to provide access to the latest research and cutting-edge technology, delivered directly by the world’s leading experts in the field.
Our understanding of HPV has expanded significantly - covering extragenital disease, new biomarkers, interactions with the microbiome, novel vaccination and screening strategies, and even artificial intelligence. EUROGIN has continuously reflected these advancements, keeping us at the forefront of innovation.
The unique formula of combining high-level science with a welcoming, familiar atmosphere has undoubtedly contributed to growing interest in this field. And these first 30 years are just the beginning!
Pedro Vieira Baptista
International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Disease (ISSVD) Portugal
INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION
THE FUTURE OF SCIENCE AND INNOVATION
At the 30th Anniversary, EUROGIN stands stronger than ever as the foremost clinical and scientific conference on HPV related disease.
EUROGIN covers a broad range of aspects from public health, cancer prevention, basic science, clinical science and more. The program is driven by experts in the field creating a broad and always interesting conference. The strong professional focus in session planning also makes EUROGIN less prone to shifting political winds, which favors EUROGIN to me.
As a frequent guest at EUROGIN since 2010, faculty member and the co-president of the 2023 conference in Bilbao, EUROGIN is a fixture on my annual conference attendance schedule. I have never returned from a EUROGIN conference without new understandings to help shape our work with cervical cancer prevention. And because the program covers many aspects of HPV related disease, I always make it a priority to visit sessions on other topics than my own to get inspired on new technologies and progress. EUROGIN brings together clinicians and researchers from
Jesper Bonde
all continents creating a unique environment for scientific exchange. The conference excels in creating an informal atmosphere making it a perfect educational setting for young researchers and clinicians to sharpen their teeth in scientific debate, train presentation skills and be inspired by others. For the same reason, EUROGIN is my first choice for PhD students and clinicians-in-training to experience the atmosphere of an international conference - and to dip their toes in the water of scientific discussion.
I have participated in almost all EUROGIN editions.
EUROGIN started as a relatively small European meeting, but with an innovative concept that offered a pleasant mix of cutting-edge science, thorough up-todate reviews of current practice and lively polemical sessions.
It soon developed into a premier congress for clinically oriented researchers and professionals in the field of prevention and control of HPVrelated neoplasms. EUROGIN was launched long before the approval and subsequent worldwide implementation of the HPV vaccination as well as adoption of HPV-based cervical screening, but visionarily predicted the power of both prevention measures, which will hopefully soon eliminate the first human cancer. Every year for the past three
Mario Poljak
decades, EUROGIN has provided a stimulating platform for the world's best researchers to share the latest 'hot' data with their peers and convince those who still have doubts. It was a truly exciting journey, and it was my great honor and pleasure to contribute as a member of the program committee, speaker and moderator. Dear EUROGIN, Happy 30th Birthday!
University of Ljubljana, Slovenia | Faculty of Medicine Institute of Microbiology and Immunology
Congratulations on 30 incredibly successful years!
It has been such an amazing honor to participate in EUROGIN and to co-lead the HPV & Head and Neck Forum. EUROGIN has become the premiere conference for showcasing HPV and head and neck cancer research, and I look forward to many more successful conferences to come.
Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, College of Public Health Cancer Prevention and Control Research Program, Markey Cancer Center University of Kentucky, USA
From my perspective, the future of our field depends on practical innovation, robust collaborations, and a clear focus on health equity.
By integrating advanced genomic tools with precision medicine, we can directly address global health challenges. My work emphasizes connecting molecular insights with epidemiological data — especially from underrepresented populations — to develop targeted interventions that make a measurable difference in patient care.
Over the past five years, my participation in EUROGIN has been pivotal. The networks I have built here have led to several strong, innovative collaborations that have enhanced my research and contributed to better clinical outcomes. These partnerships have expanded the scope of my work, enabling a deeper understanding of cancer genomics and its real-world applications. By combining rigorous scientific methods with practical solutions, we can continue advancing cancer research and improving patient outcomes.
Shama Virani
Genomic Epidemiology Branch (GEM) Oral Cancer Team
International Agency for Research on Cancer / World Health Organization, France
The EUROGIN meetings evoke a range of memories: nice locations in beautiful cities that make extending your stay tempting, the opportunity to meet new colleagues and reconnect with research friends, and the challenge of choosing between overlapping yet equally interesting sessions.
I am grateful for the excellent support from the EUROGIN team (Clairia, Peter, Joseph and many others) in organizing sessions, as well as the collaborative experience of chairing sessions alongside co-chairs, followed by great coffee at the booths. Most importantly, EUROGIN offers inspiring ideas for future research and potential collaborations. It’s interesting to witness how the sessions evolve with the research field. For example, my interest in methylation research, which began 20 years ago, has grown from just a few posters and individual presentations into several sessions specifically focused on methylation markers.
Krystle Lang Kuhs Renske Steenbergen
Dept. of Pathology | HPV research group Cancer Center Amsterdam, Netherlands
Congratulations to EUROGIN on its 30th Anniversary. I am proud to be part of EUROGIN since its outset.
EUROGIN brings experts, researchers and clinicians together to translate HPV research into clinical practice. For over 30 years, EUROGIN has fostered progress and collaborations in HPV research science and innovation to reduce the global cervical cancer burden and work towards achieving its elimination.
To reduce the HPV and associated cervical cancer burden, we first need the data. When we do not have the data, or when data quality is suboptimal, we cannot plan preventive actions. At IARC, we use predictive mathematical models combining high-quality empirical data to fill the missing knowledge gaps to provide decisionmakers with the information they need to and implement effective cancer prevention policies and measure its impact. The next step is to share
Iacopo
Baussano
our expertise. My vision is to see future generations trained on how to collect relevant data and how to use public health decision modelling tools to control HPV-related cancers worldwide. For that reason, at IARC, we are developing platforms to transfer knowledge and skills across institutions and collaborative networks to further accelerate progress towards cervical cancer elimination. To achieve this goal, collaborations such as those made through EUROGIN are essential.
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC/ WHO), Public Health Decision Science Team, France
It is time to celebrate the enduring role EUROGIN has played as a cornerstone of scientific progress in HPV research and prevention.
For three decades, this conference has been a hub for innovation, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange among experts dedicated to combating HPV-related diseases.
In recent years, the integration of artificial intelligence has opened transformative possibilities for the scientific community. From enhancing diagnostic precision to optimizing prevention strategies, AI-driven advancements are reshaping the future of public health. EUROGIN has been instrumental in providing a platform to bring these breakthroughs to the forefront, inspiring interdisciplinary dialogue and partnerships that turn cutting-edge technologies into impactful solutions. Equally important is the conference’s commitment
Sreenath Madathil
to nurturing the next generation of researchers. By championing mentorship and supporting earlycareer scientists, EUROGIN ensures that innovation thrives, and the legacy of scientific excellence continues.
As we look ahead, let this milestone reaffirm EUROGIN’s vital role in advancing innovation, empowering researchers, and driving a future where HPV-related diseases are no longer a global health challenge.
Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, McGill University, Canada
30 years of the EUROGIN Congress!
That is a remarkable achievement and continuity. From 1995 to 2025, the world has changed dramatically, not only in terms of gynecological diseases, but also in terms of HPV-induced neoplasia in men.
The EUROGIN congress was one of the key drivers of the double paradigm shift in reducing cervical and other cancers: the introduction of HPV vaccination and the transformation to HPV-based cancer screening. And these 30 years would not have been possible without the charismatic personality of Joe Monsonego. Congratulations and all the best for the future.
Peter Hillemanns
Klinik für Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Deutschland
EUROGIN has been a cornerstone in my journey as an HPV researcher and epidemiologist. Since attending my first congress in 2017 as a PhD student, I have had the privilege of growing alongside this vibrant community.
Over the years, I have watched my role evolve — from an attendee to a presenter, an invited speaker, and now a proud member of the program committee.
These experiences have been instrumental in my growth, not just as a researcher but as part of a global community. One of the most profound shifts in my work has been focusing on regions where the burden of HPV and cervical cancers remains the highest. The opportunity to bridge research with implementation in these settings is immense, and I believe our efforts must prioritize addressing
Federica Inturrisi
disparities while fostering equitable partnerships. As EUROGIN celebrates its 30th anniversary, I feel honored to be part of this journey. The congress has always been more than an event — it is a platform for mentorship, collaboration, and scientific innovation. I look to the future with determination and hope, confident in the progress we can achieve in reducing the burden of HPV-related cancers worldwide.
Epidemiologist
National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
THE PRESIDENTS OF EUROGIN 2025 CLOSING NOTES from
Kate Cuschieri
Scottish HPV Reference Lab HPV Research Group NHS Lothian University of Edinburgh
I have been fortunate enough to attend EUROGIN since 2004 which gives me an opportunity to reflect on the evolution of the HPV field through the lens of this meeting over a 20 year period.
In truth, I had to remind myself of the first presentation I ever delivered at EUROGIN & I was interested to see that it was a talk on HPV genotyping. I'm afraid one of my conclusions was that it (typing) was unlikely to play a role in high throughput screening programmes! In fairness, this may have been influenced by the fact that I had to perform hundreds of first generation manual line blots, solo - for a particular study I was engaged in ... Fast forward and we all know that genotyping has played an increasing role for the triage of primary HPV infection and for global molecular epidemiological exercises to inform vaccination impact. However, we also know that this has been thanks in no small part to the increasing sophistication and automation of technology. EUROGIN has always showcased technological developments and championed applied science, and I believe this is vitally important; while exploratory research is fundamental to the development of any field - ensuring that such developments make it to a place where they can be operationalised and serve people and improve lives is key. We are seeing this with the greater awareness and execution of implementation science, a welcome development for sure 1
As a clinical scientist in virology, I have always been particularly interested in laboratory assays and diagnostics and how they can be deployed effectively to improve the detection and management of HPV associated disease. The first time I heard about the guidance criteria for the acceptance of HPV primary screening tests was at a EUROGIN meeting and the first assembly of the VALGENT group was also at EUROGIN2,3. Related outputs have served as vital benchmarks for the community, providing essential “checks” to mitigate against suboptimal use of new technologies. I am sure EUROGIN will continue to facilitate the creation of such guidance particularly given the developments in artificial intelligence (as showcased at the AI forum); while AI represents seismic possibilities for good, the power of this technology obligates judicious consideration and regulation4. This challenge I am sure will be met by early career researchers who will continue to form a core part of the EUROGIN community and who are fundamental for its continued improvement and evolution.
1: Broutet N, Jeronimo J, Kumar S, Almonte M, Murillo R, Huy NVQ, Denny L, Kapambwe S, Bhatla N, Sebitloane M, Zhao F, Gravitt P, Adsul P, Rangaraj A, Dalal S, Newman M, Chowdhury R, Church K, Nakisige C, Diop M, Parham G, Thomson KA, Basu P, Steyn P. Implementation research to accelerate scale-up of national screen and treat strategies towards the elimination of cervical cancer. Prev Med. 2022 Feb;155:106906. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106906. Epub 2021 Dec 8. PMID: 34896155.
3: Arbyn M, Depuydt C, Benoy I, Bogers J, Cuschieri K, Schmitt M, Pawlita M, Geraets D, Heard I, Gheit T, Tommasino M, Poljak M, Bonde J, Quint W. VALGENT: A protocol for clinical validation of human papillomavirus assays. J Clin Virol. 2016 Mar;76 Suppl 1:S14-S21. doi: 10.1016/j.jcv.2015.09.014. Epub 2015 Oct 8.PMID: 26522865.
4: Ahmed SR, Befano B, Lemay A, Egemen D, Rodriguez AC, Angara S, Desai K, Jeronimo J, Antani S, Campos N, Inturrisi F, Perkins R, Kreimer A, Wentzensen N,Herrero R, Del Pino M, Quint W, de Sanjose S, Schiffman M, Kalpathy-Cramer J.Reproducible and clinically translatable deep neural networks for cervical screening. Sci Rep. 2023 Dec 8;13(1):21772. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-48721-1.PMID: 38066031; PMCID: PMC10709439.
EUROGIN is turning 30, and it has been an exciting 3 decades
EUROGIN was conceived by Dr. Joseph Monsonego with a strong vision to accelerate translation of the enormous progress in HPV biology and natural history into successful applications to prevent cervical and other HPV-related cancers. This unique translational emphasis has attracted a growing number of basic researchers, public health experts, and clinicians over the years and most who attended Eurogin have come back. It certainly helps that EUROGIN meetings usually happen in the most beautiful European locations.
Nicolas Wentzensen
National Cancer Institute, USA
I attended my first EUROGIN meeting over 20 years ago, when EUROGIN was still in its preadolescence, and I have been at every meeting since then. During this time, we have seen incredible progress in the field of cervical cancer and other HPV-related diseases: HPV testing for management of abnormal cytology was introduced in the late 1990s and soon after, primary HPV screening trials were initiated in many countries, ultimately leading to the development of HPV-based screening programs around the world. The introduction of the HPV vaccine in 2006 was another major milestone that has changed our field profoundly. Over the last 10 years, EUROGIN has expanded its focus to include other HPVrelated cancers.
EUROGIN always had a strong focus on education, highlighted by many excellent summary presentations in the program, typically interspersed with hot-off-thepress research updates. At the same time, EUROGIN has strongly supported junior researchers in our field, both by integrating them in the scientific program early in their career and by providing travel grants for high quality contributions. EUROGIN now features many researchers who gave their first scientific talks at EUROGIN years ago and have since become faculty, educating the next generation of scientists. I happen to be one of them.
The successful EUROGIN Roadmap publication series, referenced below, includes summaries of the science presented at EUROGIN meetings, as well as challenges that remain and future directions of our work. The fact that many of the future goals stated in the roadmaps have been achieved is remarkable and a testimony to the success of our field and the role that EUROGIN played in it over the last three decades.
So, what will the future bring?
Despite the success, there is still a lot to do on world-wide prevention of cervical cancer, and there is a particular need to implement new prevention approaches in low-resource settings. The EUROGIN community should team up more with stakeholders from regions around the world that suffer from the greatest burden of cervical cancer to understand the challenges of preventing cervical cancer in these settings. With regard to other HPV-related cancers, we still need a lot of basic and translational research to improve prevention, particularly of anal and oropharyngeal cancers. Recent EUROGIN meetings have dedicated more time to non-cervical sites to accelerate this process. I am looking forward to the next decades in our research field and I am convinced that EUROGIN will keep playing a strong role in it, since it was always more than “Euro”, and it was always more than “Gyn”.
In fact, EUROGIN is a successful model for how to foster a cross-disciplinary, translational research community that works to improve health outcomes which could be adapted to many other research areas.
EUROGIN Roadmap publications
1. EUROGIN roadmap 2017: Triage strategies for the management of HPV-positive women in cervical screening programs. Cuschieri K, Ronco G, Lorincz A, Smith L, Ogilvie G, Mirabello L, Carozzi F, Cubie H, Wentzensen N, Snijders P, Arbyn M, Monsonego J, Franceschi S. Int J Cancer. 2018 Aug 15;143(4):735-745. doi: 10.1002/ijc.31261. Epub 2018 Feb 8.PMID: 29341110 Review.
2. EUROGIN 2016 Roadmap: how HPV knowledge is changing screening practice. Wentzensen N, Arbyn M, Berkhof J, Bower M, Canfell K, Einstein M, Farley C, Monsonego J, Franceschi S. Int J Cancer. 2017 May 15;140(10):2192-2200. doi: 10.1002/ijc.30579. Epub 2017 Jan 11.PMID: 28006858 Free article. Review.
3. EUROGIN Roadmap 2015: How has HPV knowledge changed our practice: Vaccines. Brotherton JM, Jit M, Gravitt PE, Brisson M, Kreimer AR, Pai SI, Fakhry C, Monsonego J, Franceschi S. Int J Cancer. 2016 Aug 1;139(3):5107. doi: 10.1002/ijc.30063. Epub 2016 Mar 22.PMID: 26916230 Free PMC article. Review.
4. EUROGIN 2014 roadmap: differences in human papillomavirus infection natural history, transmission and human papillomavirusrelated cancer incidence by gender and anatomic site of infection.
Giuliano AR, Nyitray AG, Kreimer AR, Pierce Campbell CM, Goodman MT, Sudenga SL, Monsonego J, Franceschi S. Int J Cancer. 2015 Jun 15;136(12):2752-60. doi: 10.1002/ijc.29082. Epub 2014 Jul 26.PMID: 25043222 Free PMC article. Review.
5. EUROGIN Roadmap: comparative epidemiology of HPV infection and associated cancers of the head and neck and cervix. Gillison ML, Castellsagué X, Chaturvedi A, Goodman MT, Snijders P, Tommasino M, Arbyn M, Franceschi S. Int J Cancer. 2014 Feb 1;134(3):497-507. doi: 10.1002/ijc.28201. Epub 2013 Aug 5.PMID: 23568556
6. EUROGIN 2011 roadmap on prevention and treatment of HPV-related disease. Arbyn M, de Sanjosé S, Saraiya M, Sideri M, Palefsky J, Lacey C, Gillison M, Bruni L, Ronco G, Wentzensen N, Brotherton J, Qiao YL, Denny L, Bornstein J, Abramowitz L, Giuliano A, Tommasino M, Monsonego J. Int J Cancer. 2012 Nov 1;131(9):1969-82. doi: 10.1002/ijc.27650. Epub 2012 Jul 2.PMID: 22623137 Free PMC article. Review.
7. EUROGIN 2010 roadmap on cervical cancer prevention. Franceschi S, Denny L, Irwin KL, Jeronimo J, Lopalco PL, Monsonego J, Peto J, Ronco G, Sasieni P, Wheeler CM. Int J Cancer. 2011 Jun 15;128(12):2765-74. doi: 10.1002/ijc.25915. Epub 2011 Mar 25.PMID: 21207409 Review.
8. EUROGIN 2008 roadmap on cervical cancer prevention. Franceschi S, Cuzick J, Herrero R, Dillner J, Wheeler CM. Int J Cancer. 2009 Nov 15;125(10):2246-55. doi: 10.1002/ijc.24634. PMID: 19521965 Review.
9. EUROGIN 2007 roadmap on cervical cancer prevention. Monsonego J. Vaccine. 2008 Mar 14;26 Suppl 1:A1-3. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2007.11.076.PMID: 18642466 No abstract available.
30 YEARS THE EVOLUTION OF THE CONFERENCE over
Attendance Geographical Breakdown
2024
Europe (West)
Europe (East)
North America (Canada + USA only)
Asia / Oceania
Latin America (incl. Mexico and Carribean)
Africa
Congress Locations
1994-2003: Paris, France
2004: Nice, France
2006: Paris, France
2007: Monte Carlo, Monaco
2008: Nice, France
2010: Monte Carlo, Monaco
2011: Lisbon, Portugal
2012: Prague, Czech Republic
2013: Florence, Italy
2015: Sevilla, Spain
2016: Salzburg, Austria
2017: Amsterdam, Netherlands
2018: Lisbon, Portugal
2019: Monte Carlo, Monaco
2022: Düsseldorf, Germany
2023: Bilbao, Spain
2024: Stockholm, Sweden
2025: Porto, Portugal
The EUROGIN Roadmaps
The EUROGIN roadmaps represented a continuing effort to provide updated information on screening, prevention and management of HPV related cancers.
The roadmaps provided direction to current and future best practices related to HPV vaccines and screening and summarized the body of current evidence and future challenges related to primary and secondary cervical cancer prevention.
MINI REVIEW – Cervical cancer control, priorities and new directions
Joseph Monsonego, F. Xavier Bosch, Pierre Coursaget, John Thomas Cox, Eduardo Franco, Ian Frazer, Rengaswamy Sankaranarayanan, John Schiller, Albert Singer, Tom Wright, Walter Kinney, Chris Meijer and James Linder
Published in The International Union Against Cancer
HPV infections and cervical cancer prevention. Priorities and new directions. Highlights of EUROGIN 2004 International Expert Meeting, Nice, France, October 21–23, 2004
J. Monsonego
Published in Gynecologic Oncology
EUROGIN 2006 expert consensus report
Joseph Monsonego
Published in Gynecologic Oncology
EUROGIN 2007 roadmap on cervical cancer prevention
Diane Harper and Jorma Paavonen, Tom Wright and Xavier Bosch, Eduardo Franco and Jack Cuzick, Margaret Stanley and Luisa Villa
Published in The Official Journal of the International Society for Vaccines
EUROGIN 2008 roadmap on cervical cancer prevention
Silvia Franceschi, Jack Cuzick, Rolando Herrero, Joakim Dillner and Cosette M. Wheeler
Published in The International Journal of Cancer
EUROGIN 2010 roadmap on cervical cancer prevention
Silvia Franceschi, Lynette Denny, Kathleen L. Irwin, José Jeronimo, Pier Luigi Lopalco, Joseph Monsonego, Julian Peto, Guglielmo Ronco, Peter Sasieni and Cosette M. Wheeler
Published in The International Journal of Cancer
EUROGIN 2011 roadmap on prevention and treatment of HPV-related disease
Marc Arbyn, Silvia de Sanjosé, Mona Saraiya, Mario Sideri, Joel Palefsky, Charles Lacey, Maura Gillison, Laia Bruni, Guglielmo Ronco, Nicolas Wentzensen, Julia Brotherton, You-Lin Qiao, Lynnette Denny, Jacob Bornstein, Laurent Abramowitz, Anna Giuliano, Massimo Tommasino, Joseph Monsonego
Published in The International Journal of Cancer
EUROGIN Roadmap: Comparative epidemiology of HPV infection and associated cancers of the head and neck and cervix
Maura L. Gillison, Xavier Castellsague, Anil Chaturvedi, Marc T. Goodman, Peter Snijders, Massimo Tommasino, Marc Arbyn, Silvia Franceschi
Published in The International Journal of Cancer
EUROGIN 2014 roadmap: Differences in human papillomavirus infection natural history, transmission and human papillomavirus-related cancer incidence by gender and anatomic site of infection
Anna R. Giuliano, Alan G. Nyitray, Aimee R. Kreimer, Christine M. Pierce Campbell, Marc T. Goodman, Staci L. Sudenga, Joseph Monsonego and Silvia Franceschi
Published in The International Journal of Cancer
Eurogin Roadmap 2015: How has HPV knowledge changed our practice: Vaccines
Julia M.L. Brotherton, Mark Jit, Patti E. Gravitt, Marc Brisson, Aimee R. Kreimer, Sara I. Pai, Carole Fakhry, Joseph Monsonego and Silvia Franceschi
Published in The International Journal of Cancer
Eurogin 2016 Roadmap: how HPV knowledge is changing screening practice
Nicolas Wentzensen, Marc Arbyn, Johannes Berkhof, Mark Bower, Karen Canfell, Mark Einstein, Christopher Farley, Joseph Monsonego and Silvia Franceschi
Published in The International Journal of Cancer
EUROGIN roadmap 2017: Triage strategies for the management of HPV-positive women in cervical screening programs
Kate Cuschieri, Guglielmo Ronco, Attila Lorincz, Laurie Smith, Gina Ogilvie, Lisa Mirabello, Francesca Carozzi, Heather Cubie, Nicolas Wentzensen, Peter Snijders, Marc Arbyn, Joe Monsonego and Silvia Franceschi
Published in The International Journal of Cancer
Thank you
I would like to express my gratitude to the key contributors, partners and collaborators who have supported EUROGIN over the years.
A big thank you to Peter Mattonet for his loyal commitment, to Clairia Hoarau for the seriousness and attention to her work, to the entire Euromedicom staff for their professionalism and availability and to Catherine Decuyper and Christophe Luino for their support and trust.
