Hematology
The group focuses through epidemiological studies of hematological cancers on markers associated with occurrence, treatment outcome, and late effects
Our Research
Hematological cancers affect a growing number of individuals due to the combination of increasing incidence and improving survival. Although hematological cancers occur in all age groups, most types typically affect older adults. Thus, many patients with hematological cancer also suffer from other co-morbidities that may complicate both cancer treatment and survivorship.
Our research into the epidemiology of hematological cancers focuses on data- and biomarkers associated with disease occurrence, treatment outcomes and late effects of treatment with the overarching aim of facilitating the translation of acquired knowledge into actual intervention.
An underlying theme in our research is that understanding the biological underpinnings of identified determinants is essential to achieve our ambitions. Denmark offers exceptional opportunities for gaining such insights, owing to the many population and health registers, clinical databases, population cohorts, and biobanks, which when mutually linked, supplement and enrich one another to constitute a unique research platform.
We believe that cross-disciplinary approaches are required to fully harvest the scientific potential of these rich data sources. We therefore actively pursue collaborations with experts in clinical, genetic, and other scientific areas to conduct biologically and clinically sound studies that advance our insight into the natural history of these important cancers.
Examples of research areas:
- Pre-and post-natal risk immune modulation and neonatal biomarkers in childhood leukemia
- Register-based studies of immune function and risk of lymphoid malignancies
- Register-based studies of immune function and survival after lymphoid malignancies
- Epidemiological and clinical differences between Epstein-Barr virus-positive and -negative Hodgkin lymphomas
- The epidemiology of Epstein-Barr virus infection and -related diseases
- Genetic architecture of malignant lymphomas
- Comorbidity and survival after chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Søegaard SH, Rostgaard K, Kamper-Jørgensen M, Schmiegelow K, Hjalgrim H: Childcare attendance and risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: A register study based on the Danish childcare database. Int J Cancer 2022;152:1817–26
Andersen MA, Rostgaard K, Niemann CU, Hjalgrim H: Antimicrobial use before chronic lymphocytic leukemia: a retrospective cohort study. Leukemia 2021;35:747–51
Andersen MA, Niemann CU, Rostgaard K, Dalby T, Sørrig R, Weinberger DM, Hjalgrim H, Harboe ZB: Differences and Temporal Changes in Risk of Invasive Pneumococcal Disease in Adults with Hematological Malignancies: Results from a Nationwide 16-Year Cohort Study. Clin Infect Dis 2021;72:463–71
Rostgaard K, Nielsen NM, Melbye M, Frisch M, Hjalgrim H: Siblings reduce multiple sclerosis risk by preventing delayed primary Epstein–Barr virus infection. Brain 2022;146:1993–2002
Rotbain EC, Allmer C, Rostgaard K, Andersen MA, Vainer N, Cunha-Bang C, Parikh SA, Rabe KG, Hjalgrim H, Frederiksen H, Slager SL, Niemann CU: Impact of type 2 diabetes on mortality, cause of death, and treatment in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Am J Hematol 2023;98:1236–45
Group leader: Henrik Hjalgrim
Henrik Hjalgrim, MD, PhD, DMSc and his colleagues formed the Hematology group at the Danish Cancer Institute in 2021.
Dr. Hjalgrim has a long-standing interest in diseases of the immune system notably lymphoid cancers and their associations with auto-immune and allergic conditions and with typical early life exposures such as infections.
Dr. Hjalgrim has extensive research-experience using the unique Danish registers in combination with other sources of data, especially administrative databases and biobanks, which have been used in a wide variety of study designs and methods, from purely registry-based to genome-wide association investigations.
Dr. Hjalgrim is professor at University of Copenhagen and participates in national and international research consortia.
Key Funding
US National Institutes of Health
Danish Cancer Society
Danish Childhood Cancer Foundation
Neye Foundation
Innovation Fund Denmark
Networks and consortia
Danish Blood Donor Study
InterLymph
SCANDAT
DALYCARE
Childhood Cancer Team
The collaborative research program Adult Life after Childhood Cancer in Scandinavia (ALiCCS) between the five Nordic countries was initiated in 2010 with the purpose of investigating somatic late effects from cancer therapy in children in the Nordic region. The overall goal for this program including 43 909 childhood cancer patients and five as many population-based comparisons is to obtain a better understanding of the mechanisms behind treatment-induced somatic diseases in different organ systems such as cardiovascular, pulmonary and endocrine disorders, which is critical for making evidence-based recommendations for future care of long-term survivors.
A strong collaboration has been established between leading research groups within this research area in both Europe and the US, i.e. PanCareSurFup focusing on cardiac disease, subsequent primary neoplasms and late mortality in survivors as well as development of guidelines to improve lives for survivors (www.pancaresurfup.eu), PanCareLIFE focusing on female infertility, cisplatin-induced ototoxicity, and quality of life (www.pancarelife.eu), and PanCareFollowUp aiming at setting up state-of-the-art late effect clinics based on international guidelines for surveillance of late effects and a new innovative model for integrated care for survivors (www.pancarefollowup).
These European consortia are great examples of how collaboration across borders improve research especially when studying a rare disease such as childhood cancer.
Whereas an increasing body of evidence exists on somatic late effects in survivors, little is known about the socioeconomic and psychosocial impact of childhood cancer in long-term survivors. To address these knowledge gaps, the research program Socioeconomic consequences in Adult Life after Childhood Cancer in Scandinavia (SALiCCS) was initiated in 2016 with the overall aim of investigating socio-economic consequences in 20 000 long-term childhood cancer survivors in Denmark, Sweden and Finland.
Findings of this research program will enrich our understanding of the difficulties young childhood cancer survivors encounter integrating into society, which can be used as the basis for development of future interventions targeting vulnerable subgroups of survivors – knowledge highly requested by the survivors and their families and of great value for the society as such.
The ultimate goal of these large research programs is to provide every childhood cancer survivor with better care and better long-term health so that they reach their full potential, and to the degree possible, enjoy the same quality of life and opportunities as their peers.
Another main research area of interest is familial cancer syndromes affecting children and adolescents focusing on evaluating health-related and psychosocial consequences of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1).
NF1 is one of the most common Mendelian diseases with a worldwide incidence of approximately one per 3000 individuals.
We address the critical needs of the NF community in two important areas: cognitive and social dysfunction in the setting of NF and manifestations of NF post-adolescence.
Norsker FN, Rechnitzer C, Cederkvist L, Holmqvist AS, Tryggvadottir L, Madanat-Harjuoja L-M, Øra I, Thorarinsdottir HK, Vettenranta K, Bautz A, Schrøder H, Hasle H, Winther JF: Somatic late effects in 5-year survivors of neuroblastoma: a population-based cohort study within the Adult Life after Childhood Cancer in Scandinavia study.
Int J Cancer 2018;143(12):3083-3096
Allodji RS, Hawkins MM, Bright CJ, Fidler-Benaoudia MM, Winter DL, Alessi D, Fresneau B, Jouny N, Morsellino V, Bardi E, Bautz A, Byrne J, Am Feijen EL, Teepen JC, Vu-Bezin G, Rubino C, Garwicz S, Grabow D, Gudmundsdottir T, Guha J, Hau E-M, Jankovic M, Kaatsch P, Kaiser M, Linge H, Muraca M, Llanas D, Veres C, Øfstaas H, Diallo I, Mansouri I, Ronckers CM, Skinner R, Terenziani M, Wesenberg F, Wiebe T, Sacerdote C, Jakab Z, Haupt R, Lahteenmaki P, Zaletel LZ, Kuehni CE, Winther JF, Michel G, Kremer LCM, Hjorth L, Haddy N, de Vathaire F, Reulen RC: Risk of subsequent primary leukaemias among 69,460 five-year survivors of childhood cancer diagnosed from 1940 to 2008 in Europe: A cohort study within PanCareSurFup.
Eur J Cancer 2019;117:71-83
Clemens E, Broer L, Langer T, Uitterlinden AG, de Vries ACH, van Grotel M, Pluijm SFM, Binder H, Byrne J, van Dulmen-den Broeder E, Crocco M, Grabow D, Kaatsch P, Kaiser M, Kenborg L, Winther JF, Rechnitzer C, Hasle H, Kepak T, van der Kooi A-L, Kremer LC, Kruseova J, Kuehni CE, van der Paal H, Parfitt R, Deuset D, Matulat P, Spix C, Tillmanns A, Tissing WJE, Maier L, Am Zehnhoff-Dinnesen A, Zolk O, van den Heuvel-Eibrink MM, PanCare LIFE consortium: Genetic variation of cisplatin-induced ototoxicity in non-cranial-irradiated pediatric patients using a candidate gene approach: The International PanCareLIFE Study.
Pharmacogenomics J 2020;20(2):294-305
Frederiksen LE, Mader L, Feychting M, Mogensen H, Madanat-Harjuoja L, Malila N, Tolkkinen A, Hasle H, Winther JF, Erdmann F: Surviving childhood cancer: a systematic review of studies on risk and determinants of adverse socioeconomic outcomes.
Int J Cancer 2019;144(8):1796-1823
Kenborg L, Duun-Henriksen AK, Dalton SO, Bidstrup PE, Doser K, Rugbjerg K, Pedersen C, Krøyer A, Johansen C, Andersen KK, Østergaard JR, Hove H, Sørensen SA, Riccardi VM, Mulvihill JJ, Winther JF: Multisystem burden of neurofibromatosis 1 in Denmark: registry- and population-based rates of hospitalizations over the life span.
Genet Med 2020;22(6):1069-1078
CCA Staff
CCA Key Funding
Nordforsk
The Leo Foundation
Barncancerfonden