Publicaties

Background: Soft tissue myoepithelial carcinomas (STMC) are a rare, malignant subgroup of myoepithelial tumors that arise typically in glandular or ductal tissues, but also in the bone and soft and cutaneous tissues. Due to its rarity, there is no consensus regarding the treatment of STMC, including chemotherapy or other systemic agents for metastatic STMC. Case Report: A chemotherapy- and regorafenibrefractory STMC, harboring an AGK-BRAF ...

Purpose: As noninvasive biomarkers are an important unmet need for neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN), biomarker potential of genome-wide molecular profiling of plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) was prospectively studied in patients with NEN. Experimental Design: Longitudinal plasma samples were collected from patients with well-differentiated, metastatic gastroenteropancreatic and lung NEN. cfDNA was subjected to shallow whole-genome sequencing to ...

Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has the worst 5-year survival of all cancer types. Treatment options for these patients are limited and consist mainly of chemotherapy. However, the unique tumour microenvironment with its dense, fibrotic shield causes resistance to current and novel therapies. Tackling this stromal shield is therefore deemed crucial for making progress in PDAC treatment. We investigated in this thesis the potential of ...

Predictive factors for adverse events in metastatic colorectal cancer patients treated with regorafenib are currently lacking. In this safety analysis of a prospective phase II clinical trial, we assess the association between several clinical, laboratory, and imaging parameters and the occurrence of adverse events. Our results show that female sex is an independent risk factor for increased toxicity. Background: Regorafenib is a standard ...

Background: Cancer patients are at a higher risk of developing severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccination in cancer patients undergoing treatment remain unclear. Patients and methods: In this interventional prospective multicohort study, priming and booster doses of the BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine were administered 21 days apart to solid tumor patients receiving chemotherapy, immunotherapy, ...

Introduction Currently cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) is mainly assessed by means of questionnaires, which is very laborious for the patients and the supervising physician. We evaluated a new online cognitive assessment tool, the MyCognition Quotient (MyCQ, Cambridge) in breast cancer survivors with CRCI, and compared the results with a psychometric test measuring cognitive complaints, depression, and anxiety. Materials and methods ...

Inleiding. De responsgraad met betrekking tot het Bevolkingsonderzoek Dikkedarmkanker (BVO DDK) is relatief laag in Vlaanderen (~ 50%). We bestudeerden gemeentelijke kenmerken om factoren te onderzoeken die in verband gebracht kunnen worden met deelname aan het bevolkingsonderzoek. Methode. De responsgraad van 308 gemeenten in 5 Vlaamse provincies werd vergeleken. De gemeentelijke kenmerken in de provincies met de hoogste (Limburg) en de laagste ...

Cancer arises from mutations accruing within cancer cells, but the tumor microenvironment (TME) is believed to be a major, often neglected, factor involved in therapy resistance and disease progression. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are prominent and key components of the TME in most types of solid tumors. Extensive research over the past decade revealed their ability to modulate cancer metastasis, angiogenesis, tumor mechanics, ...

Immunotherapy is currently under intensive investigation as a potential breakthrough treatment option for glioblastoma. Given the anatomical and immunological complexities surrounding glioblastoma, lymphocytes that infiltrate the brain to develop durable immunity with memory will be key. Polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid, or poly(I:C), and its derivative poly-ICLC could serve as a priming or boosting therapy to unleash lymphocytes and other ...

In metastatic colorectal cancer, there are few data on associations between early tumor shrinkage (ETS), depth of response (DpR), and patient characteristics. We assessed ETS and DpR by baseline Kohne category and tumor load. High-risk patients or those with BRAF mutations have lower chances of achieving an ETS of 30% or greater or a high DpR. An ETS of 30% or greater and a high DpR were associated with prolonged survival. Baseline tumor load ...