Scientific Annual Report 2014 Scientific Annual Report 2014

261 Pages·2015·4.85 MB·English

S
c
i
e
n
t
i
f
i
c

A
n
n
u
a
l

R
e
p
o
r
t

2
0
1
4
Scientific Annual Report 2014
Netherlands Cancer Institute
Plesmanlaan 121
1066 CX Amsterdam
The Netherlands
www.nki.nl
Contents
2 Introduction 10 Board members
Director of Research
14 Group leaders
14 Neil Aaronson 50 Kees Jalink 88 Hein te Riele
16 Reuven Agami 52 Jos Jonkers 90 Uulke van der Heide
18 Roderick Beijersbergen 54 Sabine Linn 92 Michiel van der Heijden
20 André Bergman 56 Rene Medema 94 Wim van Harten
22 René Bernards 58 Wouter Moolenaar 96 Marcel van Herk
24 Anton Berns 60 Jacques Neefjes 98 Flora van Leeuwen
26 Christian Blank 62 Huib Ovaa en Matti Rookus
28 Eveline Bleiker 64 Daniel Peeper 102 Fred van Leeuwen
30 Jannie Borst 66 Anastassis Perrakis 104 Maarten van Lohuizen
32 Piet Borst 68 Sven Rottenberg 106 Bas van Steensel
34 Thijn Brummelkamp 70 Sanne Schagen 108 Marcel Verheij
36 Karin de Visser 72 Jan Schellens 110 Emile Voest
38 John Haanen 76 Alfred Schinkel 112 Jelle Wesseling
40 Michael Hauptmann 78 Marjanka Schmidt 114 Lodewyk Wessels
42 John Hilkens 80 Ton Schumacher 116 Rob Wolthuis
44 Metello Innocenti 82 Titia Sixma 118 Lotje Zuur
46 Heinz Jacobs 84 Jan-Jakob Sonke 120 Wilbert Zwart
48 Jacqueline Jacobs 86 Arnoud Sonnenberg
124 Division of 140 Division of 154 Division of
Diagnostic Oncology Medical Oncology Surgical Oncology
170 Division of 190 Biometrics 198 Research
Radiotherapy Department facilities
200 Education in 204 Clinical 224 Invited
oncology trials speakers
226 Research 250 Personnel
projects index
Scientific Annual Report 2014
Introduction
I am pleased to present our Scientific Annual Report that contains an overview of the
Director of Research
scientific achievements of the Netherlands Cancer Institute in 2014. More background
René Medema
information on our research programs and principle investigators can be found on our
website (www.nki.nl) or in our Scientific Brochure that is available for download on our
website.
The Netherlands Cancer Institute is a Comprehensive Cancer Center, combining a
dedicated cancer hospital and cancer research institute in a single organization.
Our hospital currently has 180 beds, an outpatient clinic and a large radiotherapy
department and an extensive infrastructure for clinical research that includes clinical
data management and a large array of diagnostic facilities. Over the years the hospital
has built a large repository of patient data and a large collection of tumor and normal
tissues. Clinical research spans across medical, surgical and diagnostic oncology,
radiotherapy, pharmacology, epidemiology and psychosocial oncology and research
into cost effectiveness of health care and efficiency of planning and organization. Our
hospital has seen steady growth in patient numbers over the last years, with an average
annual growth of 5%. To accommodate this growth, we are currently expanding the
capacity of our outpatient clinic and intensive care, as well as the number of operation
rooms. Construction is nearing its completion and the new facilities are expected to
become operational in 2015, which will provide us with 4 additional operating rooms and
the necessary expansion of our intensive care unit.
The first change that took place in 2014 was that Sjoerd Rodenhuis retired from the
Board of Directors after 15 years of service. During his time in the board, the Institute
has undergone rapid expansion. Also, integration of research and clinic was optimized,
allowing us to take a leading position in the translational research in oncology. On behalf
of all of the present and former employees of the Netherlands Cancer Institute that had
the pleasure to work with Sjoerd in his capacity of Medical Director, I would like to thank
Sjoerd for his devotion and support to the mission of our Institute. Sjoerd will continue
his clinical work at our Institute and we are very pleased that as of January 1st, 2014,
Emile Voest joined our board as the new Medical Director.
Following the acquisition of the hospital pharmacy of the neighboring Slotervaart
hospital at the end of 2013, all of the pharmacy personnel transferred to the
Netherlands Cancer Institute in 2014. As a consequence, the Netherlands Cancer
Institute now has its own production unit for experimental drugs and clinical grade
biologicals preparations. For the time being, the pharmacy will perform its activity in
the currently allocated space, but plans are underway for the construction of a fully
integrated new Pharmacological Unit, linked with hospital and research units. With
the Slotervaart hospital we will also join efforts in neuro-oncology and colon cancer
screening. Together with the Amsterdam Medical Center and the Free University Medical
Center we plan to construct a facility for proton therapy adjacent to our current
radiotherapy units. In the first half of 2015 we will finalize the plans for construction and
initiate contract negotiations with the health care insurance companies.
The technical challenges we have encountered in our plans to establish a cancer hospital
in Utrecht in a joint venture with the University Medical Center (UMC) Utrecht have
forced us to adapt the pace and approach in which we shape our alliance. Nonetheless,
we both remain fully committed to our joint efforts to improve the quality of cancer care,
and to bring together a large critical mass in areas such as radiology, radiotherapy
and personalized cancer treatment. In 2014 we have initiated joint programs in lung,
prostate and bladder cancer and we aim to expand the alliance to encompass pathology,
neuro-oncology and neuro-endocrine tumors by the end of 2015.
Despite the fact that we managed to end 2014 with a profit for the hospital, the
2
growth in numbers of patients, combined with tighter budgets from health insurance
companies, are putting an increasing strain on all of our activities. Workload per
employee and per square meter continue to be a concern and the amount of time our
clinicians can dedicate to research has come under severe pressure. Also, the financial
challenges that we face to be able to achieve the desired innovations that will improve
the outlook for our patients are daunting. An important challenge for our institute is to
accommodate sufficient growth to be able to provide the required clinical care for the
growing numbers of cancer patients and at the same time be able to continue to develop
better treatments. We strive to improve treatment options for all types of cancer, and in
order to do so we need to be able to treat sufficient numbers of patients to provide the
evidence that is necessary to make these new treatment options available to patients
throughout the Netherlands.
Our research budget has seen consistent growth over the last years, including 2014
(table 1). Unfortunately, this growth does not parallel the rate of growth of the financial
demands that our research program brings forward. The complexity of the disease
requires large investments in new high-end research platforms, such as next generation
sequencing, proteomics and mouse intervention units. Also, we run many projects that
produce very large datasets, but the long-term maintenance of these valuable resources
requires extensive management and storage costs. These challenges are not unique
to the Netherlands Cancer Institute, but they are more difficult for us to overcome
due to the fact that our research program is in the largest part financed from project
(short-term) funding. That ratio has steadily shifted towards external grants, donations
~
and short-term research agreements with third parties. Currently 65% of our total
research budget comes from such sources, making it challenging to maintain sufficient
manpower in the underlying infrastructure. On top of that, the complexity of current day
cancer research also requires that we adopt a team-science approach. This requires
continuation of a high-level expertise that is very difficult to maintain on external grants.
TABLE 1
CORE RESEARCH FUNDING THE NETHERLANDS CANCER INSTITUTE - ANTONI VAN LEEUWENHOEK HOSPITAL
BY THE DUTCH CANCER SOCIETY AND THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH, WELFARE AND SPORT IN THE PERIOD
2003 – 2014 IN MILLION EUROS.
30 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
25
20
15
10
5
0
DUTCH CANCER SOCIETY
MINISTRY OF HEALTH, WELFARE & SPORT*
TOTAL
* EXCLUDED ARE THE REIMBURSEMENT FOR INTEREST
AND DEPRECIATION OF BUILDINGS
Fortunately, the Dutch Cancer Society (KWF) has again increased their financial support
for our research by allowing a gradual increase of the core grant given by the Dutch
Cancer Society to the Netherlands Cancer Institute. In an attempt to further increase
our core funding, we have established the Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Foundation together
with the Dutch Cancer Society that managed to raise over 1 million euro in private
donations in 2014.
3
HIGHLIGHTS
It is impossible to provide a complete overview of the total impact generated by our
Institute in 2014 in this introduction. Many of the highlights can be found in the reports
of the individual group leaders further on in this annual report or on our website. I have
chosen to mention just a few highlights here.
A particular strength of our comprehensive cancer center is the number of our own
pre-clinical research studies that result into truly innovative clinical trials, based on new
concepts discovered in our center. We currently have several clinical trials open based on
synthetic lethality combination therapies that were inspired by basic research executed in
our own center.
In a joint research project, the labs of Rene Bernards, Lodewyk Wessels and Wilbert Zwart
developed a gene expression classifier that selectively predicts outcome after tamoxifen
therapy of breast cancer patients. With this classifier, individual breast cancer patients
may be identified who would derive limited benefit from tamoxifen, and could be offered a
more suitable and potentially more successful treatment instead.
Ton Schumacher and colleagues demonstrated that memory T cells in the skin provide
protection against renewed infection by inducing a state of ‘pathogen alert’ in the
surrounding cells. In addition, together with John Haanen and colleagues they showed that
CD4 T cells in melanoma patients frequently recognize mutated epitopes that are formed
because of tumor-specific mutations. These data add to the notion that recognition of
mutated antigens is an important ingredient of cancer immunotherapy.
To identify factors necessary for driving melanoma expansion, Daniel Peeper’s group
performed parallel in vitro and in vivo negative-selection short hairpin RNA (shRNA)
screens. They uncovered a synthetic lethal interaction between DNA damage response
kinases and hypoxia, which can be exploited pharmacologically. In addition, they found that
loss of the melanocytic lineage transcription factor MITF causes severe resistance to
a range of personalized medicines. This is associated with increased expression of the
receptor tyrosine kinase AXL. Currently, the group is trying to translate both findings to a
clinical setting.
Lenno Krenning and Femke Feringa showed that a short pulse of p53 induction is sufficient
to induce a permanent cell cycle exit in actively proliferating cells. Their work nicely shows
how fractionation of irradiation can be used to selectively target proliferating cells.
Lucas Jae clarified the entry route for Lassa virus and showed that this involved binding to
LAMP1, a new receptor only engaged upon an intracellular signal. Earlier work in the Thijn
Brummelkamp laboratory had revealed a similar tactic used by Ebola virus. Although both
viruses enter cells using different host components, the conceptual similarity highlights a
new paradigm in virus entry that was previously overlooked.
Floris Groenendijk, working with Michiel van der Heijden, used Next Generation Sequencing
to discover that mutations in ERBB2 characterize a subgroup of muscle-invasive bladder
cancers with complete response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Katrien Berns used
functional genomic approaches to find a vulnerability of clear cell ovarian cancer cells
that have a mutation in the ARID1A chromatin remodeler gene, which can be exploited
therapeutically.
The Epidemiology group (Flora van Leeuwen) and the Department of Radiation Oncology
(Berthe Aleman) showed that breast radiotherapy with tangential fields used after 1989
does not appear to increase risk of cardiovascular disease. This study represents the
largest cohort study of breast cancer patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)
(n=10,000) in history. They also reported that survivors of Hodgkin lymphoma, who are
known to have increased risks of second malignancy and cardiovascular disease, also
have elevated risk of diabetes mellitus. This risk is significantly increased with higher
mean radiation doses to the pancreatic tail. They concluded that screening for diabetes
is indicated for Hodgkin survivors treated with para-aortic and splenic radiation fields.
In addition, Michael Hauptmann led an international study that showed that radiotherapy
involving parts of the stomach increases gastric cancer risk, with the highest risks after
stomach doses of >30 Gy.
These above results provide a solid basis for future research that can help us to develop
novel anti-cancer therapies. In recent years, our research program has become very
successful in clinical translation of the therapeutic concepts that stem from our basic
and translational research program. Several clinical trials are currently ongoing at the
Netherlands Cancer Institute that are the direct result of basic and translational research
4
that was performed in our Institute (table 2). We are very pleased with the fact that we
have managed to significantly shorten the time between discovery and clinical application
in the last few years, with examples of clinical studies that were opened before the original
discovery was published.
TABLE 2
THERAPEUTIC CONCEPTS THAT ARE THE PRODUCT OF FUNDAMENTAL AND TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH
PERFORMED AT THE NETHERLANDS CANCER INSTITUTE, AND CURRENTLY IN CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT IN
OUR INSTITUTE.
REFERENCE CLINICALTRIALS. AVL CODE NOVEL TREATMENT TUMOR TYPE
NUMBER*** GOV
1 NCT01719380 M12LGX EGFRi + BRAFi ± PI3Ki Mutant BRaf Colorectal Cancer
1 NCT01750918 M13DPT EGFRi + BRAFi ± MEKi Mutant BRaf Colorectal Cancer
2 NCT02039336 M13DAP Pan-HERi + MEKi Mutant KRas Colorectal Cancer
2 NCT02230553 M14LTK Pan-HERi + MEKi Mutant KRas Colorectal Cancer
3-5 Registration M14REV Carboplatin + PARPi Advanced Breast Cancer with
pending BRCA mutation
6,7 NCT02285179 M14POS Tamoxifen + PI3Ki ER/PR+ and HER2- Breast Cancer
8-10 NCT01057069 M09TNM Neo-adjuvant Chemo Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
8-15 NCT01898117 M13TNB Paclitaxel ± VEGFi BRCA1-like Breast Cancer
16 NTC02278887 M14TIL TIL vs. Ipilimumab Metastatic Melanoma
17-19 NCT00407186 M06CRI Chemoradiotherapy + surgery Resectable Gastric Cancer
20 NCT02229656 N13ORH Radiotherapy + PARPi Laryngeal and HPV-Negative
Oropharyngeal SCC
20 NCT01562210 N11ORL Radiotherapy ± Cisplatin + Locally Advanced NSCLC
PARPi
20 NCT02227082 N13ORB Radiotherapy + PARPi Locally Advanced Triple-Negative
Breast Cancer
21 NCT01504815 M11ART Cisplatin + Adaptive High Dose Locally Advanced Oropharynx, Oral
Radiotherapy Cavity or Hypopharynx SCC
22 *NCT01024829 M09PBO FDG-PET-based Boosting RT Inoperable NSCLC
23 NCT01780675 M12PHA Hippocampus Avoidance PCI SCLC
24 NCT01933568 N12HYB Combined Stereotactic and Stage II-III NSCLC
Conventional Fractionated RT
25 *NCT01543672 M11VOL MLD-based SBRT Inoperable + Peripheral NSCLC
26 NCT01024582 M08PBI Partial Accelerated Early Stage Operable Breast
Preoperative Irradiation Cancer
27,28 NCT00582244 P07CB Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Breast Cancer
& Physical Exercise
29 NCT00783822 P08TIM Rapid Genetics BRCA mutant Breast Cancer
30,31 NCT015622431 P11SIG Problem checklist Breast & Colon Cancer
32 NCT01606566 M12PCA Efficacy of PC-A11 with Head and Neck
superficial PDT
REFERENCE NTR CODE AVL CODE NOVEL TREATMENT TUMOR TYPE
NUMBER***
33,34 *NTR4607 N14HPV DNA vaccination HPV16+ Vulvar Neoplasia
35 NTR3539 M11TCR MART-1 TCR gene therapy Metastatic Melanoma
36 NTR2159 P09PHY Physical Exercise Breast & Colon Cancer
37 NTR4026 N12RES In vivo respons assessment Liver/colorectal
38 NTR2557 N14RCS Smart tools during surgery Colorectal
** NTR4451 N12IGP Intra-operative fluorescence Prostate
during prostate surgery
39 NTR4733 M13PSN ICG-99mTc-nanocolloid for Prostate
sentinel node surgery
** NTR2614 N09PRF Pulsed RFA for post Breast
mastectomy pain
40 pilot N13NAV Surgical navigation Colorectal
41 NTR 2588 N10DMY Dose reduction of preop RT liposarcoma
* THERAPEUTIC CONCEPT NOT SOLELY, BUT PRIMARILY DEVELOPED AT THE NETHERLANDS CANCER INSTITUTE.
** PUBLICATION PENDING.
*** SEE REFERENCE LIST ON NEXT PAGE
5
1. Prahallad A et al. Unresponsiveness 12. Wessels LF et al. Molecular 23. Van Kesteren Z et al. A practical 33. Kenter GG et al. Vaccination
of colon cancer to BRAF(V600E) classification of breast carcinomas by technique to avoid the hippocampus in against HPV-16 oncoproteinsfor vulvar
inhibition through feedback activation comparative genomic hybridization: prophylactic cranial irradiation for lung intraepithelial neoplasia. N Engl J Med.
of EGFR. Nature 2012;483:100-3 a specific somatic genetic profile cancer. Radiother Oncol. 2012;102:225- 2009;361:1838-47
for BRCA1 tumors. Cancer Res 7
2. Sun C et al. Intrinsic resistance to 2002;62:7110-7117 34. Bins AD et al. A rapid and potent
MEK inhibition in KRAS mutant lung and 24. Grills IS et al. A collaborative DNA vaccination strategy defined by in
colon cancer through transcriptional 13. Van Beers EH et al. Comparative analysis of stereotactic lung vivo monitoring of antigen expression.
induction of ERBB3. Cell Rep. genomic hybridization profiles in human radiotherapy outcomes for early-stage Nat Med. 2005;11:899-904
2014;7:86-93. BRCA1 and BRCA2 breast tumors non-small-cell lung cancer using
highlight differential sets of genomic daily online cone-beam computed 35. Gomez-Eerland R et al.
3. Rottenberg S et al. High sensitivity aberrations. Cancer Res 2005;65:822- tomography image-guided radiotherapy. Manufacture of gene-modified human
of BRCA1-deficient mammary tumors to 827 J Thorac Oncol. 2012;7:1382-93 T-cells with a memory stem/central
the PARP inhibitor AZD2281 alone and in memory phenotype. Hum GeneTher
combination with platinum drugs. Proc. 14. Joosse SA et al. Prediction of 25. Peulen H et al. Mid-ventilation Methods. 2014;25:277-87
Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2008;105:17079-84 BRCA1-association in hereditary based PTV margins in Stereotactic
non-BRCA1/2 breast carcinomas with Body radiotherapy (SBRT): a 36. Van Waart H et al. Effect of low
4. Fong PC et al. Inhibition of poly(ADP- array-CGH. Breast Cancer Res Treat clinical evaluation. Radiother Oncol. intensity physical activity and high
ribose) polymerase in tumors from 2009;116:479-489 2014;110:511-6 intensity physical exercise during
BRCA mutation carriers. N Engl J Med. adjuvant chemotherapy on physical
2009;361:123-34 15. Lips EH et al. Quantitative copy 26. Van der Leij F et al. Target volume fitness, fatigue and chemotherapy
number analysis by Multiplex Ligation- delineation in external beam partial on physical fitness, fatigue and
5. Oonk AM et al. Clinical correlates dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA) breast irradiation: less inter-observer chemotherapy ompletion rates: Results
of ‘BRCAness’ in triple-negative of BRCA1-associated breast cancer variation with preoperative- compared of the PACES randomized clinical trial. J
breast cancer of patients receiving regions identifies BRCAness. Breast to postoperative delineation. Radiother Clin Oncol 2014 (in press)
adjuvant chemotherapy. Ann Oncol. Cancer Res 2011;13:R107 Oncol. 2014;110:467-70
2012;23:2301-5 37. Spliethoff JW et al. Monitoring
16. Kvistborg P et al. TIL therapy 27. Duijts SFA et al. Efficacy of of tumor response to Cisplatin using
6. Beelen K et al. PIK3CA mutations, broadens the tumor-reactive CD8(+) T cognitive behavioral therapy and optical spectroscopy. Transl Oncol.
phosphatase and tensin homolog, cell compartment in melanoma patients. physical exercise in alleviating 2014;7:230-9
human epidermal growth factor Oncoimmunology 2012;1:409-418 treatment-induced menopausal
receptor 2, and insulin-like symptoms in patients with breast 38. Nachabé R et al. Diagnosis of
growth factor 1 receptor and 17. Dikken JL et al. Neo-adjuvant cancer: Results of a randomized breast cancer using diffuse optical
adjuvant tamoxifen resistance in chemotherapy followed by surgery controlled multicenter trial. J Clin Oncol spectroscopy from 500 to 1600 nm:
postmenopausal breast cancer and chemotherapy or by surgery and 2012;30:4124-33 comparison of classification methods. J
patients. Breast Cancer Res. chemoradiotherapy for patients with Biomed Opt. 2011;16:087010
2014;16:R13 resectable gastric cancer (CRITICS). 28. Mewes JC et al. Cost-effectiveness
BMC Cancer 2011;11:329 of cognitive behavioral therapy and 39. Van der Poel HG et al.
7. Beelen K et al. Phosphorylated physical exercise for alleviating Intraoperative laparoscopic
p-70S6K predicts tamoxifen resistance 18. Trip AK et al. Preoperative treatment-induced menopausal fluorescence guidance to the sentinel
in postmenopausal breast cancer chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced symptoms in breast cancer patients. J lymph node in prostate cancer
patients randomized between adjuvant gastric cancer, a phase I/II feasibility Cancer Surviv. 2014 (in press) patients: clinical proof of concept of an
tamoxifen versus no systemic and efficacy study. Radiother Oncol. integrated functional imaging approach
treatment. Breast Cancer Res. 2014;112:284-8 29. Wevers MR et al. Impact of rapid using a multimodal tracer. Eur Urol.
2014;16:R6 genetic counselling and testing on 2011;60:826-33
19. Trip AK et al. IMRT limits the decision to undergo immediate
8. Rodenhuis S et al. Efficacy of high- nephrotoxicity after chemoradiotherapy or delayed prophylactic mastectomy 40. KleinJan GH et al. Optimisation of
dose alkylating chemotherapy in HER2/ for gastric cancer. Radiother Oncol. in newly diagnosed breast cancer fluorescence guidance during robot-
neu-negative breast cancer. Ann Oncol. 2014;112:289-94 patients: Findings from a randomized assisted laparoscopic sentinel node
2006;17:588-96 controlled trial. Br J Cancer biopsy for prostate cancer. Eur Urol.
20. Verheij M et al. Novel therapeutics 2014;110:1081-7 2014;66:991-8
9. Vollebergh MA et al. An aCGH in combination with radiotherapy to
classifier derived from BRCA1-mutated improve cancer treatment: Rationale, 30. Eijzenga W et al. Effect of 41. De Vreeze RS et al. Effectiveness
breast cancer and benefit of high-dose mechanisms of action and clinical routine assessment of specific of radiotherapy in myxoid sarcomas
platinum-based chemotherapy in HER2- perspective. Drug Resist Updat psychosocial problems on personalized is associated with a dense vascular
negative breast cancer patients. Ann 2010;13:29-43 communication, referrals and distress pattern Int J.Radiation Oncology Biology
Oncol. 2011;22:1561-70 levels in cancer genetic counseling and Physics 2008;72:1480-7
21. Heukelom J et al. Adaptive and practice: A randomized controlled trial.
10. Vollebergh MA et al. Genomic innovative Radiation Treatment FOR J Clin Oncol. 2014;32:2998-3004
patterns resembling BRCA1- and improving Cancer treatment outcomE
BRCA2-mutated breast cancers predict (ARTFORCE); a randomized controlled 31. Eijzenga W et al. Routine
benefit of intensified carboplatin-based phase II trial for individualized assessment of psychosocial problems
chemotherapy. Breast Cancer Res. treatment of head and neck cancer. after cancer genetic counseling:
2014;16:R47 BMC Cancer 2013;13:84 Results from a randomized controlled
trial. Clin Genetics 2014 (in press).
11. Rottenberg S et al. Impact 22. Van Elmpt W et al. The PET-boost
of intertumoral heterogeneity on randomised phase II dose-escalation 32. Karakullukcu B et al. MR and CT
predicting chemotherapy response of trial in non-small cell lung cancer. based treatment planning for mTHPC
BRCA1-deficient mammary tumors. Radiother Oncol. 2012;104:67-71 mediated interstitial photodynamic
Cancer Res 2012;72:2350-2361 therapy of head and neck cancer:
Description of the method. Lasers Surg
Med. 2013;45:517-23
6
QUALITY OF RESEARCH
The quality of our research can be monitored in several ways. First of all, objective
bibliometric parameters (citations and impact of scientific articles published by NKI
staff) demonstrate that our scientific productivity, as measured in numbers of citations,
is steadily increasing over time (table 3). It is therefore gratifying to note that we
manage to maintain our position at the international forefront of cancer research.
Through the participation in a pilot to designate excellent translational cancer research
(with Cambridge and Helsinki) that was organized by the European Academy of Cancer
Sciences, we scored very well and received valuable feedback on our performance.
Secondly, our prominent international standing in cancer research is reflected by
the frequency with which our staff members are invited to present at international
meetings and in the awards and grants that they obtain. We score high on all of these
accounts. Huib Ovaa and Jos Jonkers received a VICI award, Wilbert Zwart received a
Bas Mulder Award and Ton Schumacher received the Queen Wilhelmina Research Prize
from the Dutch Cancer Society. In addition to these awards, several NKI-postdocs have
received competitive grants from national and international organizations. We decided
to join five of the best Comprehensive Cancer Centers in Europe in the establishment
of CanCerCore Europe in order to further develop and initiate high quality research for
which consortio are increasingly important.
TABLE 3
SHORT TERM CITATIONS AND IMPACT OF SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES PUBLISHED BY
THE NETHERLANDS CANCER INSTITUTE RESEARCH STAFF 2002 - 2014
PUBLICATION PUBLICATIONS CITATIONS CITATIONS/ IMPACT
YEAR PUBLICATIONS
2002 397 7436 18,7 2455
2003 366 5094 13,9 2122
2004 348 5267 15,1 1882
2005 405 6350 15,7 2461
2006 435 6336 14,6 2608
2007 430 5605 13,0 2969
2008 442 5657 12,8 2590
2009 511 7904 15,5 3074
2010 481 8788 18,3 2841
2011 459 8651 18,8 3110
2012 548 9460 17,3 3340
2013 482 3219
2014 542** 3712**
* IN 2015 A NEW STANDARD WAS USED TO PERFORM THE CITATION AND IMPACT FACTOR ANALYSES.
CONSEQUENTLY THE NUMBERS CAN DIFFER FROM THE PREVIOUS YEARS.
** ANALYSIS WAS PERFORMED IN FEBRUARY 2015. DATA CAN BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
HONORS AND APPOINTMENTS
The NKI-AVL cannot award university degrees, but many of our staff members hold
special part-time chairs at Dutch Universities. This allows them to award PhD degrees
to graduate students who receive their training at the Netherlands Cancer Institute.
Currently, 35 staff members have professorships at one of the Dutch Universities.
In 2014, Kees Jalink was appointed Professor of High Resolution Microscopy at the
University of Amsterdam. Thijn Brummelkamp was elected as member of the European
Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO). The department of Radiation Oncology has been
honored with the Emmanuel van der Schueren Award 2014. The award, which is issued
by the European School of Oncology, honors research institutions or departments
that excel in translational research within the field of radiotherapy. Marcel Verheij,
head of the Radiotherapy division, accepted the award on February 13 during the de
7