Klaus Pantel

Biography
Klaus Pantel is a global pioneer in liquid biopsy whose groundbreaking research established circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and micrometastases as clinically meaningful biomarkers. His work revealed how tumor cells disseminate early in cancer progression and provided the first evidence that these rare cells could guide prognosis and therapy monitoring. Pantels leadership extended beyond the lab with the founding of the European Liquid Biopsy Society, creating the infrastructure and collaborations needed to advance blood-based cancer detection worldwide. His contributions have transformed liquid biopsy from a research concept into a cornerstone of precision oncology, enabling earlier detection, real-time treatment monitoring, and more effective cancer care.

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Talk
Early detection of cancer by multimodal liquid biopsy analysis
Early detection of cancer is one of the most challenging application of liquid biopsy with overarching goal to reduce cancer mortality. Here, I will discuss the concept of a multimodal liquid biopsy encompassing the broad range of blood biomarkers including cell-free DNA, proteins, RNAs, extracellular vesicles, metabolites as well as circulating tumor and host cells as exemplified in my EU-funded project PANCAID aimed to detect pancreatic cancer at its earliest stages.