Oncology

Joining the forces and expertise of clinicians, laboratory specialists and scientists is essential in providing the best care for people with hereditary and familial tumors. Erasmus MC’s ‘Academic Center for Familial and Hereditary tumors’ brings these groups together.

American bladder cancer scientists have been awarded the prestigious R01 grant, together with urologist Dr. Tahlita Zuiverloon of the Erasmus MC Cancer Institute. The team will receive $3 million for research into the biology of chemotherapy resistance in bladder cancer.

A blood test can help to predict whether immunotherapy will be effective in patients with metastatic bladder cancer. This is evident from research by internist-oncologist Debbie Robbrecht from the Erasmus MC Cancer Institute.

Metastases in cancer are often caused by a few abnormal cells. These behave more aggressively than the other cancer cells in a tumour. Miao-Ping Chien and Daan Brinks are working together, from two different universities, on a method to detect these cells.

Erasmus MC will receive over 7 million euros in research funds from the Horizon Europe initiative. The money will go to six projects, two of which are coordinated by Erasmus MC scientists. The topics range from psychiatry to oncology.

In the Erasmus MC the letters ABC represent a center of excellence for the management of patients with breast cancer.

Now that it has been shown that lung cancer screening can save lives, it is time for the next question. How should such a screening program be implemented?

Erasmus MC is the first hospital in the world to apply digital answer-driven questionnaires in the clinic to determine what oncology patients really care about. The questionnaires are fully integrated into the electronic patient record. The results help the patient and his practitioner in the consulting room to discuss the right treatment.