Are you interested in the latest insights into (breast) cancer care? On Friday, October 17, 2025 — during Breast Cancer Awareness Month — the University of Twente (UT) warmly welcomes you to an interactive afternoon full of inspiration and knowledge sharing. Thanks to improved treatments, more and more people are recovering from cancer. At the same time, many continue to experience long-term effects such as fatigue. This fatigue is not the same for everyone: its experience, impact, and preferred treatment options differ from person to person. The Personalized cAnceR TreatmeNt and caRe (PARTNR) project was launched in 2020 to gain insight into these differences in fatigue, to develop personalised recommendations for fatigue treatment, using a holistic approach that considers the person as a whole. Over the past five years, Lian and Kim have worked on their PhD research within the PARTNR project. They will defend their dissertations on October 16 (Lian – 12:30 PM) and October 17 (Kim – 2:30 PM).
During the symposium, Professor Marije van de Lee will provide a clinical perspective on holistic monitoring, and Professor Mark van Gils will highlight the technological angle. At the interactive networking fair, various initiatives and organisations from Twente and beyond will showcase their work in digital technology. The afternoon will conclude with a broad panel session, reflecting together on the role of holistic monitoring in healthcare.
General information
The programme
The overview below presents the various program components in chronological order. You are welcome to attend the full day or join for a specific part of the program.
- 12:30 – 14:00: PhD Defense – Lian Beenhakker (Thursday, October 16)
- 10:00 – 13:00: Symposium | Morning Program
- 12:00 – 14:30: Symposium | Afternoon Program
- 14:30 – 16:00: PhD Defense – Kim Wijlens
16 october | Defence Lian Beenhakker
12.30 - 14.00 | Defence Lian Beenhakker |
17 october | Morning programme
10.00 - 10.30 | Welcome, coffee & tea |
10.30 - 10.35 | OpeningModerator dr. Annemieke Witteveen, University of Twente & Kim Wijlens, University of Twente |
10.35 - 10.45 | Introduction of the Personalized cAnceR TreatmeNt and caRe (PARTNR)dr. Annemieke Witteveen, University of Twente |
10.45 - 11.45 | Holistic Monitoring from Clinical and Technological Perspectives
|
11.45 - 12.00 | Pitches |
17 october | Afternoon programme
12.00 - 13.00 | Network market & Lunch |
13.00 - 13.30 | Panel Session: Holistic Monitoring from Different Perspectives
|
13.30 - 13.45 | Closing |
13.45 - 14.20 | Coffee breakAfterwards, you can continue to Kim Wijlens’ defence in the Waaier. |
17 October | Defence Kim Wijlens
14.30 - 16.00 | Defence Kim WijlensHolistic assessment of cancer-related fatigue after breast cancerWorking towards monitoring and personalized treatment advice |
Registration
- Costs: Free of charts
- Available spots: 60
Although this is a free event, registration is mandatory. If you are unable to attend after registering, we kindly ask you to inform us no later than October 10. - Contact: partnr-studie@utwente.nl
Organisation
About the PARTNR consortium
Many women with breast cancer continue to struggle with fatigue years after diagnosis and treatment. Although treatments to alleviate these symptoms do exist, their effectiveness varies from person to person. In 2020, the PARTNR project for personalised cancer treatment and care was launched; by combining medical data with data on day-to-day living it aims to provide a deeper understanding of fatigue to come to optimal treatment recommendations.
PARTNR is already yielding promising results. To continue the project (PARTNR proof-of-concept), KWF Dutch Cancer Society has awarded follow-up funding to explore the route towards implementation for the personalized treatment advice.
PARTNR is a collaboration between the University of Twente, ZiekenhuisGroep Twente (ZGT), Helen Dowling Institute (HDI), Roessingh rehabilitation centre, Roessingh Research and Development (RRD), Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation (IKNL), Evidencio, and the University Medical Centre of Groningen (UMCG).
