About the Group

The colorectal surgery group engages in both clinical and molecular-translational research. The main aims for the translational projects are detection and validation of new diagnostic, prognostic, predictive and monitoring molecular biomarkers, and to make them feasible in the routine clinical setting across laboratories. This effort focuses on achieving a more personalized treatment of patients.

The Group Studies

  • Primary tumor colon - rectum (crc)
  • Early cancer in the rectum
  • Liver Metastases
  • Liquid biopsy at crc
  • Oncological treatment of colorectal cancer
  • Tumor cells in circulation and bone marrow
  • Cultivation / drug testing on living cancer cells

Innovation as a tool towards advanced treatment possibilities, is an important part of the group's effort and several patents have been registered by the group during the past years.

Project Teams

The colorectal surgery research group covers a broad range of topics and consists of two sub-teams.

Clinical Studies

  • Clinical studies on colorectal cancer
    • Survival, prognostic factors, complications to surgery
  • National quality registry NorGast
  • NORWAIT study on rectal cancer after a complete response to neoadjuvant radiotherapy
  • ORACOL study on the effect of preoperative oral antibiotics on complications rates in right- and left-sided colon resections
  • SYLMET study on simultaneous vs. sequential resection of primary tumor and liver metastases
  • KASAK quality registry of patients who receive a colon stent as part of the treatment of colon cancer
  • The Norwegian Stoma Trial
  • The SCAR study
  • Transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) for localization of large polyps and early rectum cancer
    • Complications. Survival.We have regional function for this patient Group
  • Together with geriatricians (Ass. Prof. Siri Rostoft)
    • Broad geriatric assessment to assess operational risk in the elderly. Completed Phd Siri Rostoft
    • Broad geriatric assessment to identify patients at risk of postoperative complications and investigate whether preoperative interventions give a benefit to these patients. RCT, PhD project, fellow Nina Ommundsen
    • GoSafe - study, multinational, multicenter - functional pre-postoperative function in elderly patients
  • Together with health economists (Ass Prof. Eline Aas)
    • Model to estimate the cost and survival of colorectal cancer. Completed PhD project - Pål Joranger
  • Together with radiologist (General Ellen Viktil)
    • MR staging of rectal polyps and early cancer

Collaborators

At OUS

  • Molecular Genetics Dept of Molecular Oncology, OUH
    • Prof. Ragnhild A Lothe
    • Ass. Prof Anita Sveen
    • Prof. Rolf I Skotheim
    • Prof. Guro E Lind
  • Large-scale genome analyzes (ploydi), Håvard Danielsen, Dept. Medical Informatics
  • Pathology: Aud Svindland, Else Marit Løberg, Frode Jahnsen
  • Oncology: Kjell Magne Tveit, Marianne Grønlie Guren, Tormod Kyrre Guren, Olav Dajani
  • Liver Surgery: Bjørn Atle Bjørnbeth, Bård Røsok, Kristoffer Watten Brudvik
  • Radiology: Andreas Abildgaard, Vanja Cengija, Ellen Viktil
  • Medical Genetics: Eli Marie Grindedal, Astrid Stormorken

External

  • Rodrigo Dienstmann PI, Oncology Data Science (ODysSey) Group, Vall D’Hebron Institute of oncology, Barcelona, Spain
  • Research Scientist, Computational Oncology Group, Sage Bionetworks
  • Justin Guinney, Vice President, Computational Oncology group at Sage Bionetworks
  • Cellgene Research (del av Bristol-Myers Squibb)
  • Sabine Tejpar, Universitetet i Leuven, Belgia
  • Professor Sarah Teichmann, University of Cambridge, Cambridge
  • European Society of Coloproctology collaborating group.

Selected Publications

  • Aune D, Nordsletten M, Myklebust TÅ, Robsahm TE, Skålhegg BS, Mala T, Yaqub S, Saeed U (2025). Body mass index and risk of connective and soft tissue cancer: results from a large cohort of 1.7 million individuals in Norway BMC Cancer, 25 (1), 243. DOI 10.1186/s12885-025-13637-8, PubMed 39934750
  • Aune D, Nordsletten M, Myklebust TÅ, Robsahm TE, Skålhegg BS, Mala T, Yaqub S, Saeed U (2025). Body mass index and risk of Hodgkin's lymphoma: Insights from a Norwegian cohort study. Eur J Cancer, 221, 115400, DOI 10.1016/j.ejca.2025.115400, PubMed 40228428
  • Saeed U, Tor Åge Myklebust, Trude Eid Robsahm, Dagfinn Aune, Bjørn Møller, Bjørn Steen Skålhegg, Sheraz Yaqub, Tom Mala (2025). Associations between body mass index and gastroesophageal cancer incidence and mortality: novel insights from a nationwide registry-based cohort study. PMCID: PMC11911121 DOI: 10.1093/dote/doaf018
  • van Lieshout ML, Lemmens JMG, Greijdanus NG, Wienholts K, Ubels S, Talboom K, Hannink G, Wolthuis A, de Lacy FB, Lefevre JH, Solomon M, Frasson M, Rotholtz N, Denost Q, Perez RO, Konishi T, Panis Y, Rutegård M, Hompes R, van Workum F, Tanis PJ, de Wilt JHW (2025). Colorectal-vaginal fistula after rectal cancer resection: international comparative cohort study of characteristics and treatment. TENTACLE–Rectum Collaborative Group.Br J Surg. 2025 Nov 6;112(11):znaf189. doi: 10.1093/bjs/znaf189.PMID: 41251615 Free PMC article.
  • Saeed U, Saunes T, Sjo OH, Schultz J (2025). Giant Colonic Diverticulum: Case report of a rare complication of a common disease. Int J Surg Case Rep. 2025 Feb;127:110909. doi: 10.1016/j.ijscr.2025.110909. Epub 2025 Jan 20.PMID: 39930644 Free PMC article.
  • Aune D, Nordsletten M, Myklebust TÅ, Robsahm TE, Skålhegg BS, Mala T, Yaqub S, Saeed U (2024). The association between body mass index and vulvar and vaginal cancer incidence: findings from a large Norwegian cohort study. Cancer Causes Control, 36 (2), 191-198. DOI 10.1007/s10552-024-01930-z, PubMed 39463212
  • Aune D, Nordsletten M, Myklebust TÅ, Robsahm TE, Skålhegg BS, Mala T, Yaqub S, Saeed U (2024). Body mass index and penile cancer incidence: results from a Norwegian cohort study of 829,081 men, BMC Urol, 24 (1), 260. DOI 10.1186/s12894-024-01636-z, PubMed 39605013
  • Saeed U, Yaqub S, Barreto SG, Pandol S, Mala T (2024). Reducing the risk of cancer with bariatric surgery: The need for evidence to guide practice. Scand J Surg, 113 (4), 332-333. DOI 10.1177/14574969241264064, PubMed 38907591
  • Viktil E, Hanekamp BA, Nesbakken A, Løberg EM, Sjo OH, Negård A, Dormagen JB, Schulz A (2024). Early rectal cancer: The diagnostic performance of MRI supplemented with a rectal micro-enema and a modified staging system to identify tumors eligible for local excision. Acta Radiol Open, 13 (5), 20584601241241523. DOI 10.1177/20584601241241523, PubMed 38645439
  • Viktil E, Hanekamp BA, Nesbakken A, Løberg EM, Sjo OH, Negård A, Dormagen JB, Schulz A (2024). MRI of early rectal cancer; bisacodyl micro-enema increases submucosal width, reader confidence, and tumor conspicuity. Abdom Radiol (NY), 50 (6), 2401-2413. DOI 10.1007/s00261-024-04701-1, PubMed 39645641
  • Langerud J, Eilertsen IA, Moosavi SH, Klokkerud SMK, Reims HM, Backe IF, Hektoen M, Sjo OH, Jeanmougin M, Tejpar S, Nesbakken A, Lothe RA, Sveen A (2024). Multiregional transcriptomics identifies congruent consensus subtypes with prognostic value beyond tumor heterogeneity of colorectal cancer. Nat Commun, 15 (1), 4342. DOI 10.1038/s41467-024-48706-2, PubMed 38773143.
  • Majid U, Bergsland CH, Sveen A, Bruun J, Eilertsen IA, Bækkevold ES, Nesbakken A, Yaqub S, Jahnsen FL, Lothe RA. The prognostic effect of tumor-associated macrophages in stage I-III colorectal cancer depends on T cell infiltration. Cell Oncol (Dordr). 2024 Aug;47(4):1267-1276. doi: 10.1007/s13402-024-00926-w. Epub 2024 Feb 26.PMID: 38407700.
  • Rostoft S, Thomas MJ, Slaaen M, Møller B, Nesbakken A, Syse A. Hospital use and cancer treatment by age and socioeconomic status in the last year of life: A Norwegian population-based study of patients dying of cancer. J Geriatr Oncol. 2024 Mar;15(2):101683. doi: 10.1016/j.jgo.2023.101683. Epub 2023 Dec 7.
  • Anastomotic leak after manual circular stapled left-sided bowel surgery: analysis of technology-, disease-, and patient-related factors. European Society of Coloproctology (ESCP) Circular Stapled Anastomosis Working Group and 2017 European Society of Coloproctology (ESCP) Collaborating Group. BJS Open. 2024 Sep 3;8(5):zrae089. doi: 10.1093/bjsopen/zrae089.PMID: 39441693.