About the group

The group focuses on interdisciplinary research within the field of diseases of esophagus and stomach. A large biobank of samples from cancer in esophagus and stomach is established in cooperation with the Section for molecular oncology (Prof. Guro Lund).

Projects and Research

  • Establishment of a national database and biobank for patients resected for esophageal cancer as part of the NORECa project (Norwegian Esophageal Expert Consortium).
  • Monitoring complications/survival after resection for esophageal- and gastric cancer – local registry.
  • Monitoring introduction and use of robotic assisted gastroesophageal resections. Collaboration with international registries.
  • Continuous local biobanking (blood/tumor tissue) for esophageal cancer, ongoing analyses of sample quality and research projects.
  • Studies on esophageal cancer on biomarkers /local treatment of dysplasia and early cancer.
  • NEEDS study. Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus versus definitive chemoradiotherapy with salvage surgery as needed. Multicenter randomised controlled trial studythat started in 2021.
  • The upper GI International Robotic Association (UGIRA) - International Registry for Robot-Assisted Minimally Gastrectomy and Esophagectomy (RAMIG and RAMIE) for cancer.
  • kiNETiC study – a Scandinavian Randomized Controlled Trial- Ng-tube post–EsophagecTomy.
  • Nordic NEC registry (neuroendocrine carcinoma of the GI-tract (GEP-NEC)) (NNTG).
  • SARONG-II trial: randomized controlled trial investigating intense vs standard or more limited follow up. Primary endpoint overall survival.
  • Observational study on the use of gastropexy for patients with paraesophageal hernias.
  • Studies in pipeline include several randomized controlled trials:
  1. IPa Gastric (intraperitoneal chemotherapy + standard chemotherapy vs standard systemic chemotherapy only with carcinomatosis for gastric cancer) with primary end point overall survival.
  2. OMEC-5 trial: short versus prolonged chemotherapy prior to surgery for gastroesophageal cancer with oligo (limited) metastatic disease with primary end point progression free survival.
  3. BALANCE trial (epidural vs paravertebral block for analgesia post esophagectomy) with primary end point anastomotic leak.
  4. JEDI study is a planned observational study of functional outcome of the gastric conduit post esophagectomy.

PhD projects

Ingrid Vikan Sjurgard: “Molecular- and immuno-profiling of esophageal adenocarcinoma”.

Cooperation

Internal

  • Truls Hauge and colleagues at Dep. Gastroenterology, OUS, Ullevål
  • Geir Olav Hjortland and colleagues at the Dep. Oncology, OUS, Ullevål
  • Guro E. Lind and colleagues at Dep. of Molecular Oncology, Institute of Cancer Research, OUS, DNR.  
  • Colleagues at the university clinics in Tromsø, Trondheim and Bergen

International

  • Magnus Nilsson and colleagues at the Dep. Upper GI surgery, Karolinska University Hospital, Sweden
  • Jacob Hedberg, Dep. Surgical Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
  • C. de Jongh, University Medical Center, Utrecht, Netherlands

Selected Publications

  • Gerdes S, Schoppmann SF, Bonavina L3, Boyle N, Müller-Stich BP, Gutschow CA; Hiatus Hernia Delphi Collaborative Group (incl Søvik T) . Management of paraesophageal hiatus hernia: recommendations following a European expert Delphi consensus. Surg Endosc. 2023.
  • de Jongh C, Cianchi F, Kinoshita T, Kingma F, Piccoli M, Dubecz A, Kouwenhoven E, van Det M, Mala T, Coratti A, Ubiali P, Turner P, Kish P, Borghi F, Immanuel A, Nilsson M, Rouvelas I, Hӧlzen JP, Rouanet P, Saint-Marc O, Dussart D, Patriti A, Bazzocchi F, van Etten B, Haveman JW, DePrizio M, Sabino F, Viola M, Berlth F, Grimminger PP, Roviello F, van Hillegersberg R, Ruurda J; UGIRA Collaborative Group (incl Førland D). Surgical Techniques and Related Perioperative Outcomes After Robot-assisted Minimally Invasive Gastrectomy (RAMIG): Results From the Prospective Multicenter International Ugira Gastric Registry. Ann Surg 2023.
  • Evensen E, Sandstad O3, Larssen L3, Hagen M, Kristensen V3, Søvik TT, Schulz T, Hauge T, Medhus AW.  Intraoperative distensibility measurement in POEM for achalasia: impact on patient outcome and associations with other outcome variables at 1-year follow-up. Surg Endosc 2023 epub ahead of print.
  • Anundsen T, Førland D, Johannessen HO, Johnson E. Outcome after stent and endoscopic vacuum therapy-based treatment for postemetic esophageal rupture. Scand J Gastroenterol. 2023; 17:1-6.
  • Nilsson K, Klevebro F, Sunde B, Rouvelas I, Lindblad M, Szabo E, Halldestam I, Smedh U, Wallner B, Johansson J, Johnsen G, Aahlin EK, Johannessen HO, Alexandersson von Döbeln G, Hjortland GO, Wang N, Shang Y, Borg D, Quaas A, Bartella I, Bruns C, Schröder W, Nilsson M. Oncological outcomes of standard versus prolonged time to surgery after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for oesophageal cancer in the multicentre randomised controlled NeoRes II trial. Ann Oncol. 2023:S0923-7534(23)00825-6.
  • Venizelos A, Sorbye H, Elvebakken H, Perren A, Lothe IMB, Couvelard A, Hjortland GO, Sundlöv A, Svensson J, Garresori H, Kersten C, Hofsli E, Detlefsen S, Vestermark LW, Ladekarl M, Tabaksblat EM, Knappskog S. Germline pathogenic variants in patients with high-grade gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms. Endocr Relat Cancer. 2023 Aug 23;30(10):e230057
  • Elvebakken H, Hjortland GO, Garresori H, Andresen PA, Janssen EAM, Vintermyr OK, Lothe IMB, Sorbye H. Impact of KRAS and BRAF mutations on treatment efficacy and survival in high-grade gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms. J Neuroendocrinol. 2023 Apr;35(4):e13256.
  • Saeed U, Nordsletten M, Myklebust TÅ, Robsahm TE, Møller B, Skålhegg BS, Mala T, Yaqub S. Cancer risk and survival according to body mass index in hepatobiliary malignancies: a nationwide registry-based cohort study. HPB (Oxford). 2023 Jul 17:S1365-182X(23)01868-3.
  • Nordsletten M, Saeed U, Myklebust TÅ, Robsahm TE, Møller B, Skålhegg BS, Mala T, Yaqub S. Body mass index and its association with 22 cancer types: a Norwegian cohort study of 481 202 cancer cases. Acta Oncol. 2023 Sep 15:1-6.
  • Kazaryan AM, Monrad-Hansen PW, Eftang LL, Hagve M, Nedrebø BS, Rancinger P, Mala T. Perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis and interval appendectomy. Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen. 2023 8;143(7).
  • Saeed U, Myklebust TÅ, Robsahm TE, Kielland MF, Møller B, Skålhegg BS, Mala T, Yaqub S. Risk and survival in colorectal cancer with increasing body mass index: A nationwide population-based cohort study. Colorectal Dis. 2023 Mar;25(3):375-385.
  • Saeed U, Myklebust TÅ, Robsahm TE, Møller B, Mala T, Skålhegg BS, Yaqub S. Body mass index and pancreatic adenocarcinoma: A nationwide registry-based cohort study. Scand J Surg. 2023 Mar;112(1):11-21
  • Morken S, Langer SW, Sundlöv A, Vestermark LW, Ladekarl M, Hjortland GO, Svensson JB, Tabaksblat EM, Haslerud TM, Assmus J, Detlefsen S, Couvelard A, Perren A, Sorbye H. Phase II study of everolimus and temozolomide as first-line treatment in metastatic high-grade gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms. Br J Cancer. 2023 Online ahead of print.
  • Knappskog S, Grob T, Venizelos A, Amstutz U, Hjortland GO, Lothe IM, Kersten C, Hofsli E, Sundlöv A, Elvebakken H, Garresori H, Couvelard A, Svensson J, Sorbye H, Perren A. Mutation Spectrum in Liquid Versus Solid Biopsies From Patients With Advanced Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Carcinoma. JCO Precis Oncol. 2023 Feb;7:e2200336.
  • Fasting MH, Strønen E, Glomsaker T, Søvik TT, Fyhn TJ, Mala T. Perioperative strategies for patients undergoing subtotal cholecystectomy: a single-center retrospective review of 102 procedures. Scand J Gastroenterol. 2023 Dec 5:1-5.
  • Chiappetta S, Stier C, Ghanem OM, Dayyeh BKA, Boškoski I, Prager G, LaMasters T, Kermansaravi M; PGEMU collaborators. (incl Mala T). Perioperative Interventions to Prevent Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and Marginal Ulcers After Bariatric Surgery - an International Experts' Survey. Obes Surg. 2023;33:1449-1462.