Publications
Genomic Microsatellite Signatures Identify Germline Mismatch Repair Deficiency and Risk of Cancer Onset Vrije Universiteit Brussel
PURPOSE: Diagnosis of Mismatch Repair Deficiency (MMRD) is crucial for tumor management and early detection in patients with the cancer predisposition syndrome constitutional mismatch repair deficiency (CMMRD). Current diagnostic tools are cumbersome and inconsistent both in childhood cancers and in determining germline MMRD.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: We developed and analyzed a functional Low-pass Genomic Instability Characterization ...
The Relationship between a New Biomarker of Vagal Neuroimmunomodulation and Survival in Two Fatal Cancers. Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Background. The vagus nerve may slow tumor progression because it inhibits inflammation. This study examined the relationship between a new vagal neuroimmunomodulation (NIM) index and survival in fatal cancers. Method. We retroactively derived markers of vagal nerve activity indexed by heart rate variability (HRV), specifically the root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD), from patients’ electrocardiograms near diagnosis. The NIM ...
The phenotype of SDHB germline mutation carriers Vrije Universiteit Brussel
OBJECTIVE: Succinate dehydrogenase B subunit (SDHB) gene germline mutations predispose to pheochromocytomas, sympathetic paragangliomas, head and neck paragangliomas and non-paraganglionic tumors (e.g. renal cell carcinoma, gastrointestinal stromal tumor and pituitary neoplasia). The aim of this study was to determine phenotypical characteristics of a large Dutch cohort of SDHB germline mutation carriers and assess differences in clinical ...
Series of extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type, with periorbital involvement Vrije Universiteit Brussel KU Leuven
PURPOSE: To describe the clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment of periorbital extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type.
METHODS: Case series of three patients with periorbital involvement of extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type, of whom clinical data, orbital imaging and immunohistochemical analysis were collected. For the purpose of this study, all histopathological and immunohistochemical slides ...
Breast cancer and melanoma cell line identification by FTIR imaging after formalin-fixation and paraffin-embedding Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Over the past few decades, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy coupled to microscopy has been recognized as an emerging and potentially powerful tool in cancer research and diagnosis. For this purpose, histological analyses performed by pathologists are mostly carried out on biopsied tissue that undergoes the formalin-fixation and paraffin-embedding (FFPE) procedure. This processing method ensures an optimal and permanent ...
Long-term health-care utilisation in older patients with cancer and the association with the Geriatric 8 screening tool Vrije Universiteit Brussel KU Leuven
BACKGROUND: Little evidence is available on the long-term health-care utilisation of older patients with cancer and whether this is associated with geriatric screening results. We aimed to evaluate long-term health-care utilisation among older patients after cancer diagnosis and the association with baseline Geriatric 8 (G8) screening results.
METHODS: For this retrospective analysis, we included data from three cohort studies for ...
Analysis of the breast cancer journey in Namibia Institute of Tropical Medicine
IMPORTANCE: Breast cancer (BC) is the leading cancer among women in Namibia. Examining the BC journey in this multiracial country where inequalities remain large is needed to inform effective interventions to reduce BC mortality.
OBJECTIVE: To describe the entire BC journey of Namibian women by race, utilizing the World Health Organization Global Breast Cancer Initiative (GBCI) framework.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: ...
Impact on follow-up strategies in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis Vrije Universiteit Brussel Ghent University
BACKGROUND & AIMS: Evidence for the benefit of scheduled imaging for early detection of hepatobiliary malignancies in primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is limited. We aimed to compare different follow-up strategies in PSC with the hypothesis that regular imaging improves survival.
METHODS: We collected retrospective data from 2975 PSC patients from 27 centres. Patients were followed from the start of scheduled imaging or in ...
Incidence of falls and fall-related injuries and their predictive factors in frail older persons with cancer Vrije Universiteit Brussel KU Leuven University of Antwerp
BACKGROUND: Falls and fall-related injuries are a major public health problem. Data on falls in older persons with cancer is limited and robust data on falls within those with a frailty profile are missing. The aim of this study is to investigate the incidence and predictive factors for falls and fall-related injuries in frail older persons with cancer.
METHODS: This study is a secondary data analysis from data previously collected in ...