Netherlands Cancer Institute / Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital

The research programme aims to contribute to an increased understanding of the aetiology and prognosis of cancer. The first research line focuses on the long-term health consequences of the treatment of cancer with radiation, chemotherapy and hormonal treatment (tamoxifen), particularly in terms of the risk of developing a second cancer or cardiac disease. The second research line focuses on the aetiology of hormone-related female cancers (cancers of the breast, ovary and endometrium). Exposure factors of interest are exogenous hormones (the long-term cancer risks of sub fertility treatment have been placed high on the research agenda) and life style factors that influence endogenous hormone levels, such as physical activity. The assessment of gene-environment interactions in hereditary breast/ovarian cancer families is of current interest. Population-based case-control studies and cohort studies are conducted combining epidemiological methods with molecular analyses in order to differentiate risk factors for cancer according to specific genetic alterations in the tumour. For more information see: www.nki.nl