Netherlands Cancer Institute researchers receive almost 8 million euros in funding from the Dutch Cancer Society (KWF)

Research into young adults with cancer
Every year 3800 young adults (18 to 39-year-olds) receive the diagnosis of cancer. Oncologist Winette van der Graaf is very pleased with this subsidy: "This is fantastic. Now we can set up a unique national research platform over the next five years in which we collect data from 4000 young adults. Data to better understand the risk factors for getting cancer at an early age, in which tumours differ from those of children as well as the elderly, and what it means in daily life to get cancer at this age." The platform is linked to the national AYA 'Young and Cancer' platform.

At this age, the types of tumours are very diverse. They can be a form of childhood cancer or specific tumours that arise at young adult age such as testicular cancer and Hodgkin, or the cancers that often occur at a later age, such as breast and lung cancer. The platform offers the possibility to investigate possible hereditary factors, gene mutations and the long-term effects of this group.

The psychosocial aspects and the quality of life will also be examined. Winette van der Graaf: "Young adults are at the beginning of their career or are building it up. Relationships are still developing and there is a desire for children in most cases. We really want to know what interventions we can use to improve their quality of life, and also how they deal with a disease that cannot be cured. We are curious how they want to communicate about their illness; with their therapist, with fellow sufferers, with their environment. How can social media be used for this?"

Hormonal breast cancer
Wilbert Zwart's research group receives more than 600,000 euros for a study into the treatment of hormonal breast cancer that no longer responds to hormone therapy. About three-quarters of the breast cancer patients have the hormonal form and often receive hormone therapy. That works well, but unfortunately not for everyone. Researchers led by Wilbert Zwart have discovered that the molecule on which hormone therapy engages binds to dozens of other proteins that prove necessary for its function. They are now going to investigate whether hormone-insensitive breast cancer could be treated by not inhibiting the hormone receptor itself, but precisely those proteins to which, as we now know, the hormone receptor binds. For most of these proteins, there are already inhibitory medicines.

Overview of the AVL research projects that have been honoured by KWF: