Publicaties
Recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in older patients Universiteit Antwerpen
Head and neck cancer is a broad family of diseases, most of which are of squamous cell origin, affecting the epithelial mucosa lining the upper aerodigestive tract. They often recur or are progressive despite multimodality treatment approaches, resulting in a poor prognosis. Given the progressive aging of the global population, the probability to plan an active and eventually toxic treatment for an older patient, with either curative or ...
Supporting patients with cancer after Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization Universiteit Antwerpen
In the context of cancer, whether or not to choose pregnancy termination represents a difficult and multifaceted decision. In this editorial, members of The Oncologist editorial team attempt to contextualize the potential implications of the recent Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organizationfor patients with cancer.
Targeting angiogenesis in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck Universiteit Antwerpen
Simple Summary Therapies for squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (SCCHN) have been rapidly evolving, initially with the inclusion of immunotherapy, but more recently with the consideration of anti-angiogenic therapies. Recent preclinical and clinical data reveal a strong correlation between vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and the progression of SCCHN, with nearly 90% of these malignancies expressing VEGF. Our review article ...
Steering decision making by terminology Universiteit Antwerpen
Allowing selected patients with few distant metastases to undergo potentially curative local ablation, the designation "oligometastatic" has become a widely popular concept in oncology. However, accumulating evidence suggests that many of these patients harbour an unrecognised microscopic disease, leading either to the continuous development of new metastases or to an overt polymetastatic state and questioning thus an indiscriminate use of ...
Limiting systemic endocrine overtreatment in postmenopausal breast cancer patients with an ultralow classification of the 70-gene signature Universiteit Antwerpen
Purpose Guidelines recommend endocrine treatment for estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancers for up to 10 years. Earlier data suggest that the 70-gene signature (MammaPrint) has potential to select patients that have an excellent survival without chemotherapy and limited or no tamoxifen treatment. The aim was to validate the 70-gene signature ultralow-risk classification for endocrine therapy decision making. Methods In the IKA trial, ...
ESO-ESSO-ESTRO multidisciplinary course in oncology for medical students Universiteit Antwerpen
The ESO-ESSO-ESTRO Multidisciplinary Course in Oncology is intended to fill the gap of the undergraduate fragmented oncology education, to provide insight into all theoretical and practical aspects of oncology, and to encourage future professional choices towards an oncology discipline. Students are exposed to (a) preclinical cancer topics; (b) natural history of the disease; (c) laboratory diagnostic tests; (d) medical, radiation, surgical, and ...
Recent insights in the PI3K/Akt pathway as a promising therapeutic target in combination with EGFR-targeting agents to treat head and neck squamous cell carcinoma Universiteit Antwerpen
Resistance to therapies targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), such as cetuximab, remains a major roadblock in the search for effective therapeutic strategies in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Due to its close interaction with the EGFR pathway, redundant or compensatory activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway has been proposed as a major driver of resistance to EGFR inhibitors. ...
Co-targeting the EGFR and PI3K/Akt pathway to overcome therapeutic resistance in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma Universiteit Antwerpen
Rmmunity by ensuring the release of antigens, potentially leading to recognition and elimination of the tumor, we believe that it is worth investigating autophagy as an anti-tumor mechanism in HNSCC.Resistance to EGFR-targeted therapy is a major obstacle on the road to effective treatment options for head and neck cancers. During the search for underlying mechanisms and regulators of this resistance, there were several indications that ...
The prognostic impact of the immune signature in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma Universiteit Antwerpen
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a heterogeneous group of tumors that retain their poor prognosis despite recent advances in their standard of care. As the involvement of the immune system against HNSCC development is well-recognized, characterization of the immune signature and the complex interplay between HNSCC and the immune system could lead to the identification of novel therapeutic targets that are required now more than ...