Goal achieved for Radboud Oncology Fund fundraising campaign

The Radboud Oncology Fund raised 45,000 euros for research into the use of the ENDORISK model in predicting metastases in the sentinel lymph nodes. The research has started! View the fundraising campaign here (now closed): Uterine cancer, AI to reduce the risk of lymphatic metastases... ( voorradboufonds.nl ) Thank you to all donors for making this study possible!

In the photo: Dr. Hanny Pijnenborg, gynecological oncologist Radboud University Medical Center and principal investigator of ENDORISK (left) and Drs. Marike Lombaers, docter and PhD Candidate on the ENDORISK project at the Radboud University Medical Center (right)

Background

The standard treatment for uterine cancer consists of removal of the uterus and ovaries. If there is suspicion of metastases in the lymph nodes, the lymph nodes are also removed.

When metastases in the lymph nodes are recognized and treated, 65% of women can be cured with additional radiation and/or chemotherapy. Unfortunately, removing the lymph nodes can lead to permanent side effects, such as fluid accumulation in the abdomen and/or legs (lymphedema). The ENDORISK model can predict the likelihood of metastases in the lymph nodes prior to surgery.

Sentinel node procedure

With a technique that is currently mostly performed in a research context in the Netherlands, only the so-called 'sentinel lymph nodes' are removed. These are the lymph nodes where uterine cancer metastases spread to first. If there are no metastases in these sentinel lymph nodes after microscopic examination, the other lymph nodes can be preserved. This keeps the risk of lymphedema low.

Sometimes it is not possible to find the sentinel lymph node , then more lymph nodes have to be removed and the risk of lymphedema is greater again. Furthermore, this procedure can only be performed in specialized hospitals.

Predicting lymph node metastases with ENDORISK

With a study in collaboration with Dr. Andrea Mariani from the Mayo Clinic in the United States, we want to investigate whether the ENDORISK model can predict whether there are metastases in the sentinel lymph nodes as well as how it can predict lymph node metastases when lymph nodes are removed in the current standard procedure.

Possible impact of using ENDORISK

• Better indication of the aggressiveness of uterine cancer

• Preventing unnecessary removal of lymph nodes

• Patient-oriented care and customized treatment

Read the post by the Radboud Oncology Fund on LinkedIn here.