After a short stay in Turnhout, Belgium, I worked 23 years in Tilburg, followed by 3 years head of radiation oncology in Nijmegen and of Institut Curie each, returning closer to home in 2020, at the Iridium Netwerk and the University of Antwerp. My current research focusses on breast cancer and FLASH-RT. My Ph.D. thesis was on quality assurance in clinical trials in breast cancer in 2005 at the University of Maastricht, supervised by Professors Lambin and Van den Bogaert. I favour and encourage a genuine multidisciplinary approach to cancer treatment, foster a culture of information and consent with respect to each patient and, finally, interdisciplinary teamwork with highly qualified colleagues. As president of ESTRO and ECCO, I have been heavily involved in international networking. I see the diversity in Europe and the rest of the world as a great opportunity to further broaden our knowledge and approach towards all our partners in oncology, including the patients. My involvement in teaching takes an important part of my time, as course director of the ESTRO Breast Courses and as faculty member of ESMO; ESSO and ESO. Furthermore, I am involved in multiple guidelines for breast cancer, serve on the editorial board of about 10 journals and published nearly 400 scientific articles (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Poortmans+P) and book chapters, co-editing 2 books. I was granted honorary membership of BVRO/ABRO, ESSO, SEOR, AROI, BIGOSA and JASTRO and received several awards including the Jens Overgaard and Breur Awards from ESTRO and the St.Gallen Breast Cancer Award.