St. Antonius Ziekenhuis

The medical oncology program in Utrecht is centered on cancer research across several major disease groups, with a strong focus on improving treatment effectiveness and survival outcomes. Trials here commonly explore new targeted therapies, immunotherapy combinations, and more personalized approaches for patients with advanced or hard-to-treat malignancies.

• Studies in lung cancer, including non-small cell lung cancer and small-cell lung cancer, are testing new immunotherapy and targeted treatment strategies.
• Research in prostate cancer and metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer is evaluating better ways to control disease progression.
• Trials in pancreatic cancer are examining treatment timing, symptom control, and ways to improve outcomes after surgery or in metastatic disease.
• Additional work includes studies in breast cancer, colorectal cancer, and bladder cancer, often with a focus on precision medicine.

Across the site, research also extends to genetic markers, cellular processes, and circulatory and respiratory phenomena, supporting a broader effort to match treatments more closely to each patient’s tumor biology.

A major part of the trial portfolio at St. Antonius Ziekenhuis focuses on lung cancer, especially non-small cell lung cancer and small-cell lung cancer. These studies are designed to test whether newer immunotherapies and targeted therapies can improve survival, delay progression, and offer better options after standard treatment.

• Advanced non-small cell lung cancer research is evaluating treatments for patients with KRAS G12C mutations and other molecular subtypes.
• Limited-stage and extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer trials are studying combinations aimed at improving long-term outcomes.
• Some studies assess whether adding immunotherapy after chemoradiotherapy can extend survival.
• Other research compares new targeted agents against current standard therapies in previously treated disease.

This area reflects a strong commitment to developing more effective and more individualized care for people with thoracic cancers.

The site is also active in male urogenital diseases, especially prostate cancer research. Current trials focus on improving disease control in both earlier and advanced settings, including metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer and metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

• Studies are evaluating whether adding new targeted treatments to standard hormone therapy can improve outcomes.
• Research includes patients with PTEN-deficient disease and other biologically defined subgroups.
• Some trials examine ways to better detect or monitor recurrence using modern imaging and biomarker approaches.
• There is also interest in treatment strategies for biochemically recurrent prostate cancer and other high-risk disease states.

These studies aim to refine treatment selection and support more precise care for men with advanced prostate cancer.

Research in digestive system cancers is another important theme at the site, particularly pancreatic cancer and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Trials are looking at how to improve survival, reduce complications, and support better treatment decisions in both surgical and metastatic settings.

• Studies in metastatic pancreatic cancer are testing approaches to improve quality-adjusted survival.
• Trials in resectable and borderline resectable pancreatic cancer are exploring new ways to strengthen treatment before or after surgery.
• Some research focuses on preventing complications after pancreatoduodenectomy.
• Other work evaluates whether adding immunotherapy or dendritic cell therapy can improve outcomes.

This program combines surgical, medical, and biologic approaches to address one of the most challenging gastrointestinal cancers.

A distinctive feature of the research at St. Antonius Ziekenhuis is its emphasis on precision oncology. Several studies are designed to match treatment to tumor-specific characteristics such as KRAS mutations, PD-L1 expression, PTEN deficiency, or other molecular markers.

• Trials include patients with advanced solid tumors and blood cancers such as multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
• Research is testing whether biomarker-guided treatment can improve response and delay progression.
• Some studies aim to make promising targeted anti-cancer drugs more accessible to patients who may benefit from them.
• Other work examines the clinical value of using molecular profiling to guide treatment choice.

This field highlights the hospital’s role in advancing more personalized cancer care through genomic and protein-based insights.

The trial portfolio also includes studies in several additional solid tumors, showing broad interest in improving standard care across different cancers. These include breast cancer, non-muscle invasive bladder cancer, and colorectal cancer, with a focus on both treatment effectiveness and longer-term disease control.

• Breast cancer research is examining new endocrine-based and targeted treatment combinations.
• Bladder cancer studies are assessing whether adding immunotherapy can improve disease-free survival.
• Colorectal cancer trials are testing new strategies for patients with advanced or metastatic disease.
• Some studies also address HER2-positive or hormone receptor-positive disease subgroups.

Together, these trials reflect a broad effort to improve outcomes across common oncology settings while tailoring care to tumor biology.