WHY WE'RE DOING THIS
Oncology guidelines still lean almost entirely on RCTs.
That leaves a lot unanswered.
Do the patients we actually see look like the ones who were studied?
Are they getting the recommended treatments?
Do those treatments work for them? Right now, guidelines can't say.
Through FALCON, a federated oncology research network with 37 data partners and counting, we are pioneering a new way to generate guideline-relevant real-world evidence. The 2024 European Association of Urology (EAU) guideline on metastatic bladder cancer is our proof of concept.
Built on the OMOP common data model, FALCON delivers evidence that is rigorous, transparent, reproducible, and built to scale to every cancer.
The symposium is where the vision gets shared.
The studyathon is where it gets built. Come for either, or both.
Sep, 28 2026 - Oct 01, 2026
DATES
LOCATION
SYMPOSIUM
Capped at 100
SYMPOSIUM + STUDYATHON · ANTWERP 2026
Four days in Antwerp
to make real-world evidence count in oncology.
An afternoon of talks with the people redefining oncology RWE: researchers, clinicians, data partners, regulators. Then three working days turning the vision into actual evidence, together.
EVENT SCHEDULE
AGENDA
13:00
Oncology today
Annelies Verbiest
13:20
How are we using cancer data today and where do they fall short?
Peter De Jaeger
Nick Marly
Elad Sharon
Henar Hevia
Leana Bellanca
UZA Data Innovation Lab15:00
Coffee break
15:30
Why real-world evidence does not work in cancer and what must change
Christian Reich
15:45
FALCON: a global high-quality cancer evidence network
Asieh Golozar
16:00
FALCON-Lung: lessons from the largest mNSCLC real-world study to date
Kimmo Porkka
16:15
Bladder cancer: revolution, hope and blind spots
Christof Vulsteke
16:30
FALCON-Bladder: pioneering a new way to generate guideline-relevant RWE
Asieh Golozar
16:50
Meet the FALCON data partners
17:00
Closing remarks & network drink
SYMPOSIUM
ASIEH
GOLOZARMD, PhD, MHS, MPH
OHDSI & Nemesis Health, USA
CHRISTIAN
REICHMD, PhD
OHDSI & Nemesis Health, Germany/USA
KIMMO
PORKAMD, PhD
University of Helsinki & HUS, Finland
ANNELIES
VERBIESMD, PhD
UZA, OHDSI Belgium & BSMO, Belgium
PETER
DEJAEGERPhD
AZ Delta & FHIN, Belgium
NICK
MARLEYPhD
Cabinet of Frank Vandenbroucke, Belgium
ELAD
SHARONMD, MPH
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, USA
HENAR
HEVIAPhD
Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, Spain
LEANA
BALLANCAAstraZeneca, United Kingdom
CHRISTOF
VOLSTEKEAZ Maria Middelares & University of Antwerp, Belgium
Better outcomes start with
high-quality research.
ABOUT US
FALCON is built and coordinated by Nemesis Health. This event is hosted together with UZA / Antwerp University Hospital, a FALCON data partner.
FALCON is part of the broader OHDSI
open-science community.
VENUE & TRAVEL
DUNDEN
29 Lange Gasthuisstraat, 2000 Antwerpen, Belgium.
In the historic center, a short walk from Antwerpen-Centraal.BY TRAIN (EASIEST)
TRAIN
From Amsterdam (about 1h 10min direct), Brussels (about 40min), Paris via Thalys/Eurostar (about 2h), or London via Eurostar to Brussels then onward (about 3h 30m total).
All trains arrive at Antwerpen-Centraal, in the city center.
BY AIR
FLY
Brussels Airport (BRU), direct train to Antwerpen-Centraal in about 35 minutes. Or Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS), direct train in about 1h 15m.
Antwerp has its own small airport (ANR) with limited connections.
BY CAR (DISCOURAGED)
DRIVE
Antwerp's center is a low-emission zone. Non-compliant vehicles are fined automatically. If you must drive, register online first and park at a P+R on the edge of the city, then tram in.
Honestly, just take the train.
FROM CENTRAAL TO DUNDEN
About 15 minutes on foot, 5 by tram.
Out the main exit, down the Keyserlei and Meir, left at Huidevettersstraat, onto Lange Gasthuisstraat.
Or tram 3, 5, 9, or 15 from Astrid to Meir,
then walk 3 minutes.