Workstream
No two patients respond to cancer treatment in the same way. Work Stream 2 aims to understand why some patients benefit from a particular treatment while others experience limited response, serious side effects, or long-term health consequences. By identifying these differences, we seek to make cancer treatment safer, more effective, and better tailored to each patient.
We integrate tumor genomics, medical imaging, immune profiling, clinical data, patient-reported outcomes, and Swedish healthcare and population registers to develop predictive models of treatment response, toxicity, and long-term outcomes. By combining biological, clinical, psychological, and social factors, we aim to better understand the complex determinants of treatment effectiveness and the unintended consequences of cancer therapy.
A key focus is identifying patients at increased risk of treatment-related complications—including cardiotoxicity, infertility, neuropathy, cognitive and mental health effects, lymphedema, and other long-term sequelae. We also investigate how health across the life course, pregnancy history, environmental exposures, and social conditions influence treatment outcomes and recovery.
The knowledge generated will be translated into clinician-facing decision-support tools and patient-friendly resources that support shared decision-making and personalized treatment planning. Ultimately, Work Stream 2 aims to optimize treatment selection, minimize harm, improve quality of life, and ensure that every patient receives the right treatment at the right time.
Carina Bernardo, Ingrid Hedenfalk, Lao Saal, Lisa Rydén, Niklas Loman, Päivi Kannisto, Pamela Buschwald, Sean Perrin, Sophia Zackrisson
Selected Projects
This project uses data from the SCAN-B study to develop gene expression profiles that can help predict how a patient’s breast cancer is likely to respond to treatment. The goal is to support more precise and personalized treatment decisions, helping ensure that each patient receives the treatment that is most likely to benefit her.
CIRCE is establishing a population-based research resource of 100,000 participants to transform our understanding of women’s cancer. By integrating blood samples with health, lifestyle, and registry data, the project will help identify new risk factors, improve prevention, and accelerate more personalized approaches to cancer screening and care.
Systems immunology, sex differences in immunity, computational biology.
Breast cancer imaging, treatment response assessment, neoadjuvant therapy, and AI-supported precision diagnostics.
Perinatal and cardiovascular epidemiology, maternal health.
