On September 16, 2025, a meeting of the EPOY consortium was held in Moscow as part of the VIII International Forum on Oncology and Radiotherapy «ForLife». Experts from Russia, United States, India, and Egypt gathered for the session «Early-onset Cancer: Biological and Clinical Features» to discuss recent advances in understanding tumors affecting young adults.
Prof. Lyudmil B. Alexandrov (University of California, San Diego, USA) presented groundbreaking research on geographic and age-related differences in mutational processes in colorectal cancer. Prof. Shuji Ogino (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School, USA) discussed long-term risk factor exposures and tumor biomarkers, offering new insights into the etiology of early-onset cancers. Dr. Noha Fouad Rashad (Suez University, Egypt) highlighted early gastrointestinal cancer as a growing global health concern. Prof. Narayana Subramaniam (Aster International Institute of Oncology, Bangalore, India) shared clinical insights on diagnosing and managing oral cancer in young patients.
Dr. Evgeny Denisov (Tomsk NRMC, Russia) gave a report about the Consortium’s mission and activities, including the Molecular Atlas of Cancer in Young Adults (MACYA) project. Dr. Elena Kolegova (Tomsk NRMC, Russia) presented the key findings of the EPOY consortium about early-onset oral cancer. Dr. Maryana Mandrina and Dr. Georgy Makiev (Blokhin NMRC, Russia) presented the pilot results of the MACYA project regarding molecular features of early-onset gastric and colorectal cancers. Dr. Amina Suleymanova (Blokhin NMRC, Russia) told about сolorectal cancer in children and adolescents.
The Session emphasized that early-onset cancer is a rising global challenge requiring international collaboration, integration of multi-omics data, and coordinated research efforts to develop effective strategies for prevention, early diagnosis, and targeted treatment.
Based on the Session, a consensus statement pointing further research directions has been prepared.