Hans de Wilt receives KWF grant for research into rectal cancer therapy

Surgeon Hans de Wilt of Radboud university medical center has received a KWF Dutch Cancer Society grant of 1.1 million euros for research into tumors in the rectum. Together with colleagues from the Dutch Cancer Institute, he will investigate whether therapy of rectal tumors can be done more often with radiation and an additional boost radiotherapy or chemotherapy instead of surgery in which the rectum is removed. 

Common therapy for patients with rectal cancer is surgery to completely remove the rectum with the surrounding lymph nodes. Many patients receive a temporary or permanent stoma after surgery. In addition, many patients experience complaints of frequent defecation, urinary problems and sexual dysfunction.  

For several years now, attempts have been made in various hospitals in the Netherlands to treat the rectal tumor with radiation, possibly in combination with chemotherapy, in order to prevent surgery. This so-called organ-sparing therapy of the rectum is currently being investigated in the STARTREC phase III study. Together with various international researchers, de Wilt is investigating whether short radiation or chemoradiation can achieve equally good results. In a recent analysis of the first 80 patients who have undergone organ-sparing therapy, it was found that 60% of the patients actually have an effect on this therapy.  

The results of this study will follow in 2026, because patients will be followed over a longer period of time. In the meantime, surgeon Hans de Wilt of Radboudumc, together with colleagues Brechtje Grotenhuis and Corrie Marijnen from the AvL/NKI, will investigate whether the percentage of patients in which the rectum can be spared can increase. Hans de Wilt: 'With this study, we hope to increase the chance of organ-sparing therapy for patients with rectal cancer and thus increase the quality of life. Since many patients with rectal cancer want to prevent a stoma and permanent symptoms after major surgery, there is a great need among patients for studies like this.'

About this grant 

KWF Dutch Cancer Society is allocating more than 26 million euros for 31 new studies that contribute to a better life with and after cancer. It concerns the awards of 5 different funding rounds: regular research projects (€13 million, 17 projects), implementation projects (€3 million, 4 projects), public-private partnerships (€2 million, 5 projects), research on the theme of Smart Measurement Technologies (€4.7 million, 4 projects) and research on the theme of Palliative Care (€4 million, 1 project).