The first introductory lecture dealt with the fundamental milestones of the long lasting and successful research on viruses and cancer, such as the discovery of transforming non-filterable agents that cause cancer, the identification of the first human tumor virus (EBV), the discoveries of proto-oncogenes (SRC) and tumor suppressor genes (p53, Rb), and the first vaccination achievements (HBV, HPV) (Umberto Veronesi, Istituto Europeo di Oncologia, Milan, Italy). Here, RB1 is linked to cancer.