Colorectal Surgery

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.

• Genetic and epigenetic errors in the development of colorectal cancer as a basis for new diagnostics and treatment
  • Team leader of clinical part, Professor Arild Nesbakken
  • Team leader of molecular Genetics, Professor Ragnhild A. Lothe
• The metastasis process in colorectal cancer
  • Team leader, Professor Gro Wiedswang

Clinical Studies

• Clinical studies on colorectal cancer

  • Survival, prognostic factors, complications to surgery

• 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

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 
• European Society of Coloproctology collaborating group.

Selected Publications

• Body mass index and pancreatic adenocarcinoma: A nationwide registry-based cohort study. Saeed U, Myklebust TÅ, Robsahm TE, Møller B, Mala T, Skålhegg BS, Yaqub S. Scand J Surg. 2023 Mar;112(1):11-21. doi: 10.1177/14574969221127530. Epub 2022 Sep 29. PMID: 36173093

• Risk and survival in colorectal cancer with increasing body mass index: A nationwide population-based cohort study. Saeed U, Myklebust TÅ, Robsahm TE, Kielland MF, Møller B, Skålhegg BS, Mala T, Yaqub S. Colorectal Dis. 2023 Mar;25(3):375-385. doi: 10.1111/codi.16367. Epub 2022 Nov 17. PMID: 36222384

• A clinical decision support system optimising adjuvant chemotherapy for colorectal cancers by integrating deep learning and pathological staging markers: a development and validation study. Kleppe A, Skrede OJ, De Raedt S, Hveem TS, Askautrud HA, Jacobsen JE, Church DN, Nesbakken A, Shepherd NA, Novelli M, Kerr R, Liestøl K, Kerr DJ, Danielsen HE. Lancet Oncol. 2022 Sep;23(9):1221-1232. doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(22)00391-6. Epub 2022 Aug 11. PMID: 35964620

• E-cadherin is a robust prognostic biomarker in colorectal cancer and low expression is associated with sensitivity to inhibitors of topoisomerase, aurora, and HSP90 in preclinical models. Bruun J, Eide PW, Bergsland CH, Bruck O, Svindland A, Arjama M, Välimäki K, Bjørnslett M, Guren MG, Kallioniemi O, Nesbakken A, Lothe RA, Pellinen T. Mol Oncol. 2022 Jun;16(12):2312-2329. doi: 10.1002/1878-0261.13159. Epub 2021 Dec 26. PMID: 34890102 Free PMC article.

• Spatial analysis and CD25-expression identify regulatory T cells as predictors of a poor prognosis in colorectal cancer. Bergsland CH, Jeanmougin M, Moosavi SH, Svindland A, Bruun J, Nesbakken A, Sveen A, Lothe RA. Mod Pathol. 2022 Sep;35(9):1236-1246. doi: 10.1038/s41379-022-01086-8. Epub 2022 Apr 28. PMID: 35484226 Free PMC article.