prostaatcarcinoom - “Implementation of functional imaging and molecular diagnostics for patienttailored treatment of prostate cancer”
From 15-09-2009 to 31-12-2010
Description
translationeel onderzoeksproject over prostaatcarcinoom in kader van het kankerplanWith more than 9000 new cases annually, prostate cancer (PCa) accounts for
approximately 30% of all cancer cases in Belgium and is the second leading cause of
cancer-related death in men. Treatment options of PCa and the success rate of
intervention largely depend on the stage of the disease at the time of diagnosis. Since the
implementation of routine PSA testing for detection of PCa, 70-80% of PCa patients
present with early stage tumours. Many of the diagnosed tumours however, are latent and
clinically irrelevant thus presenting a risk of overtreatment and therefore a tremendous
clinical dilemma as no effective predictive tests for disease progression are available. On
the other hand, the rate of biochemical failure is significant notwithstanding locally
aggressive therapy and a substantial number of patients will develop clinical metastatic
disease or already present with occult (distant) metastases at the time of staging. Both
situations emphasize the need for reliable criteria for treatment decision.
Nowadays, treatment decision of PCa is largely based on the histopathological TNM
(tumour, node, metastasis) system. The histological differentiation of the primary tumour
(Gleason scoring system) is the dominant prognostic factor for prediction of the disease
outcome, independently of stage and applied therapy. However, both systems provide at
best an ad hoc picture of the tumour. Progress in methodologies with the potential to
provide a better knowledge of the tumour characteristics, to improve the preoperative
TNM staging or to predict therapy response will undoubtedly aid in the
selection of more appropriate primary and/or adjuvant treatment options. Recent
advances in molecular cancer research and more specifically in cancer imaging and the
molecular understanding of cancer progression hold significant promise in this respect
and have the power to revolutionize the ways that prostate cancer is diagnosed and
treated.
Aim:
The aim of this project is to translate novel molecular findings on PCa biology into
clinical practice by implementing functional imaging techniques (non-invasive) and
evaluating novel molecular diagnostic tools (invasive) with the ultimate goal to better
predict prognosis and therapeutic responses for PCa patients. Ultimately, this will
improve the selection of the optimal treatment for specific patient groups, enabling a
more patient-tailored treatment. Moreover, this will lead to reduced overtreatment
and thereby avoidance of high costs and possible treatment-related side-effects.
Team
- Raymond Oyen, Co-promoter (External)
- Bart De Moor, Co-promoter
- Aleyde Van Eynde, Co-promoter (External)
- Hendrik Van Poppel, Co-promoter (External)
- Mathieu Bollen, Co-promoter (External)
- Christophe Deroose, Co-promoter (External)
- Karin Haustermans, Co-promoter (External)
- Steven Joniau, Co-promoter (External)
- Evelyne Lerut, Co-promoter (External)
- Johannes Swinnen, Promoter (External)
Financing
Funding: OTHER - Other Funding Agencies
Program/Grant Type: LKI - Leuven Kanker Instituut
Events
2/09/2024:
PhD defense - Martijn Oldenhof
Machine Learning for Advanced Chemical Analysis and Structure Recognition in Drug Discovery
3/09/2024:
Meet the Jury Igor Tetko on Advanced Machine Learning in Drug Discovery
12/09/2024:
Multimodal analysis of cell-free DNA for sensitive cancer detection in low-coverage and low-sample settings
Seminar by Antoine Passemiers
News
STADIUS Alumni Herman Verrelst – new CEO of Biocartis
08 June 2017
Herman Verrelst, the founder of KU Leuven spin-off Cartagenia, who has been working in Silicon Valley, US for the last few years will be returning to Belgium to follow the steps of Rudi Pauwels as CEO of the Belgian diagnostic company, Biocartis.
Supporting healthcare policymaking via machine learning – batteries included!
29 May 2017
STADIUS takes the lead in the data analytics efforts in an ambitious European Project MIDAS.
Marc Claesen gives an interview about his PhD for the magazine of the Faculty of Engineering Sciences "Geniaal"
10 February 2017
Did you know that in Belgium approximately one third of type 2 diabetes patients are unaware of their condition?
Joos Vandewalle is nieuwe voorzitter KVAB
09 October 2016
Op 5 oktober 2016 heeft de Algemene Vergadering van de Academie KVAB Joos Vandewalle verkozen tot voorzitter van de KVAB.