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Marcel Nijland
dr.

I work as a hematologist and my main focus is on patients with aggressive B-cell lymphomas and CNS lymphomas. My research is centered on the application of novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies into clinical trials. These include imaging-studies like 18F-FDG-PET, Zr-Brentuximab-PET and Zr-atezolizumab-PET. In addition, I aim to implement novel strategies to measure minimal residual disease, and prognostic gene expression profiles in DLBCL. Linked to this I also focus on mutational analysis to study clonal evolution and prognostic / predictive values of mutations. These studies are carried out in a close collaboration with HOVON and other departments in the UMCG.

Ibrutinib-associated invasive fungal diseases in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma: An observational study
Published in: Mycoses
Background Invasive fungal diseases (IFD) are life-threatening infections most commonly diagnosed in acute leukaemia patients with prolonged neutropenia and are uncommonly diagnosed in patients with lymphoproliferative diseases. Objectives Following the initial report of aspergillosis diagnosed shortly after beginning ibrutinib for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, a survey was developed to seek additional cases of IFD during ibrutinib treatment. Methods Local and international physicians and groups were approached for relevant cases. Patients were included if they met the following criteria: diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia/non-Hodgkin lymphoma; proven or probable IFD; and...
Rosa Ruchlemer, Ronen Ben-Ami, Maskit Bar-Meir, Jennifer R. Brown, Marion Malphettes, Rogier Mous, Sanne H. Tonino, Carole Soussain, Noelie Barzic, Julia A. Messina, Preetesh Jain, Regev Cohen, Brian Hill, Stephen P. Mulligan, Marcel Nijland, Yair Herishanu, Ohad Benjamini, Tamar Tadmor, Koh Okamoto, Benjamin ArthursBatsheva Gottesman, Arnon P. Kater, Munir Talha, Barbara Eichhorst, Maya Korem, Naama Bogot, Fransien De Boer, Jacob M. Rowe, Tamar Lachish
The OncoLifeS data-biobank for oncology: a comprehensive repository of clinical data, biological samples, and the patient’s perspective
Published in: Journal of translational medicine
BACKGROUND: Understanding cancer heterogeneity, its temporal evolution over time, and the outcomes of guided treatment depend on accurate data collection in a context of routine clinical care. We have developed a hospital-based data-biobank for oncology, entitled OncoLifeS (Oncological Life Study: Living well as a cancer survivor), that links routine clinical data with preserved biological specimens and quality of life assessments. The aim of this study is to describe the organization and development of a data-biobank for cancer research. RESULTS: We have enrolled 3704 patients aged ≥ 18 years diagnosed with...
WEE1 Inhibition Enhances Anti-Apoptotic Dependency as a Result of Premature Mitotic Entry and DNA Damage
Published in: Cancers
Genomically unstable cancers are dependent on specific cell cycle checkpoints to maintain viability and prevent apoptosis. The cell cycle checkpoint protein WEE1 is highly expressed in genomically unstable cancers, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Although WEE1 inhibition effectively induces apoptosis in cancer cells, the effect of WEE1 inhibition on anti-apoptotic dependency is not well understood. We show that inhibition of WEE1 by AZD1775 induces DNA damage and pre-mitotic entry in DLBCL, thereby enhancing dependency on BCL-2 and/or MCL-1. Combining AZD1775 with anti-apoptotic inhibitors such as venetoclax (BCL-2i)...
Mathilde Rikje Willemijn de Jong, Myra Langendonk, Bart Reitsma, Pien Herbers, Marcel Nijland, Gerwin Huls, Anke van den Berg, Emanuele Ammatuna, Lydia Visser, Tom van Meerten
Tumour necrosis as assessed with F-18-FDG PET is a potential prognostic marker in diffuse large B cell lymphoma independent of MYC rearrangements
Published in: European Radiology
OBJECTIVES: MYC gene rearrangements in diffuse large B cell lymphomas (DLBCLs) result in high proliferation rates and are associated with a poor prognosis. Strong proliferation is associated with high metabolic demand and tumour necrosis. The aim of this study was to investigate differences in the presence of necrosis and semiquantitative 18F-FDG PET metrics between DLBCL cases with or without a MYC rearrangement. The prognostic impact of necrosis and semiquantitative 18F-FDG PET parameters was investigated in an explorative survival analysis. METHODS: Fluorescence in situ hybridisation analysis for MYC rearrangements,...
Characterization of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder with semi-quantitative FDG-PET/CT
Aim/Introduction: One of the most dire complications of hematopoietic stem cell (HSCT) and solid organ transplantation (SOT) is the development of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD). PTLD compromises a broad spectrum of disorders classified by the 2017 World Health Organization (WHO) in non-destructive, polymorphic, monomorphic and classic Hodgkin lymphoma. Distinct morphologies are associated with a more favorable clinical course and better response to initial treatment. Reduction of immunosuppression, commonly used as first-line treatment, has been associated with higher response rates in non-destructive and polymorphic PTLD, while a more aggressive...