A Danish research center for cancer surgery
Our vision is to cure more patients from solid cancer and to improve quality of life beyond surgical cancer treatment.
Latest news
ACROBATIC Two-Day Research Symposium 2026
ACROBATIC is pleased to invite researchers, clinicians, and healthcare professionals to a two-day research symposium focusing on cancer surgery. The symposium will take place on June 8-9, 2026 , at the scenic Hotel Vejlefjord , bringing together national and international participants for two days of scientific presentations, knowledge exchange, and networking. The program is currently under development and will be published on this page once finalized. Registration will open soon . Participation is free of charge. Practical Information Date: June 8–9, 2026 Location: Hotel Vejlefjord, 7140 Stouby, Denmark Who can attend: Anyone interested in cancer surgery research Please check back for updates regarding the program and registration.
Changes in the Executive Committee
We regret to announce that we have had to say goodbye to our Deputy Chair, Pernille Tine Jensen, following a long period of illness. We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Pernille for her tremendous dedication, her many valuable ideas, and her wonderful, infectious approach to life. She has made a lasting impact on ACROBATIC and will be greatly missed. As CFA2 Lead Thomas Baad-Hansen (Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Tumor Section, Aarhus University Hospital) has taken on the role of Deputy Chair, we have appointed a Co-Lead for CFA2, as the group has grown considerably. The new CFA2 Co-Lead is Tine Engberg Damsgaard (Department of Plastic Surgery, Hospital Lillebælt – Vejle and Odense University Hospital). Both Tine and Thomas are well-known members of the Executive Committee and have been part of ACROBATIC since its beginning. We are also pleased to welcome a new member to the Executive Committee: Michael Achiam from Rigshospitalet, who represents upper gastrointestinal cancer (Department of Transplantation and Diseases of the Digestive System, Department of Abdominal Surgery and Transplantation, and the Center for Cancer and Organ Diseases).
Four New Grants Awarded in ACROBATIC’s January 2026 Call
In the most recent funding round with a deadline on 16 January 2026, ACROBATIC received a total of eight applications. Following a competitive evaluation process, four new grants have been awarded to high-quality research projects spanning all three of ACROBATIC’s clinical focus areas: prehabilitation and preoperative risk assessment (CFA1), surgical innovation and technique (CFA2), and survivorship (CFA3).
ACROBATIC Welcomes Five New Affiliated Research Projects
ACROBATIC is pleased to welcome five new affiliated research projects that address key challenges in modern cancer surgery. Together, the projects focus on improving patient outcomes through better risk assessment, optimised perioperative care, innovative surgical strategies, and high quality clinical data with direct relevance to everyday practice. WP 1.9 WP leader: Michael Achiam , Professor, DMSc., Ph.d., MD, Department of Digestive Diseases, Transplantation and General Surgery, Rigshospitalet, Denmark. Title: Preoperative evaluation and prehabilitation in esophagogastric cancer surgery. Abstract: Background: Esophagogastric cancer predominantly affects older adults, and despite advances in surgical care, >50% of patients undergoing curative surgery develop postoperative complications. Complications worsen survival and quality of life and substantially increase healthcare costs (up to 241% after complicated esophagectomy). The preoperative period provides a window for optimisation, yet evidence for prehabilitation remains inconsistent, partly due to heterogeneous, single-modality interventions and inclusion of relatively fit patients. A decentralised, multimodal approach targeting high-risk patients may improve outcomes and reduce social inequality in line with Kræftplan V.
ACROBATIC
ACROBATIC is a Danish research center and collaborative network consisting of surgeons, clinicians, experts, and researchers within the field of surgical oncology.
Clinical Focus Areas
Through national studies, ACROBATIC works to create evidence to support surgical treatment of cancer, which has the potential to be tailored the individual patient. The work is executed within the three prioritized Clinical Focus Areas (CFAs), prehabilitation, surgical innovation, and survivorship, which are relevant across the 11 participating Danish Multidisciplinary Cancer Groups (DMCGs).
Work Packages
ACROBATIC has more than 43 research projects called Work Packages (WPs), which are covered by one or more of the Clinical Focus Areas (CFAs) and supported by the National Infrastructures (NIs). The research projects address and reduce known barriers within surgical research and support a broader patient, health, and community perspective.
National Infrastructures
ACROBATIC has eight defined National Infrastructures (NIs) that address and reduce known barriers in surgical research, support a broader patient, health care and societal perspective, and contribute to the consolidation of a strong national cross- and inter-disciplinary research collaboration.
Fund your research in surgical oncology
Two times a year ACROBATIC grant new and current projects within surgical oncology.