SAKK Awards 2025

The "Prostate Cancer Gene Expression Atlas" collects RNA sequencing data from patients with prostate cancer. This data can be used to make precise statements about the expression of target molecules or the activation of certain signaling pathways. Dr. med. Giuseppe Salfi, together with Prof. Dr. med. Jean-Philippe Theurillat from the Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Bellinzona, would like to integrate clinical data into this atlas and generate a user-friendly web tool. This open-access web tool will help researchers worldwide to discover new biomarkers for progression and treatment response in prostate cancer.

An increased tendency of the blood to clot is often associated with cancer. Until now, however, it was not known to what extent the coagulation factors involved have an influence on tumor growth. Bianca Calì, MD, from the Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Bellinzona, and team have now used single-cell RNA sequencing to study the environment of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) in a mouse model and found that certain immunosuppressive cells are an important source of coagulation factor X (FX). The study highlights opportunities for potential additional therapeutic approaches in the treatment of prostate cancer that should be further investigated.

CAR T-cell therapy is the standard treatment for relapsed or refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. This form of immunotherapy offers good efficacy, but in some cases second primary T-cell lymphomas (TCL) or second primary myeloid neoplasms (SPMN) occur.
Dr. med. Guido Ghilardi from the Instituto Oncologico della Svizzera Italiana, Bellinzona, is investigating the biological properties of SPMNs after CAR T-cell treatment. His hypothesis is that the properties of SPMNs do not differ from clones that may already have been present before immunotherapy and that develop into SPMNs after CAR-T infusion. If this hypothesis is confirmed, it would be possible in clinical practice to identify patients who are at a higher risk of developing SPMNs after treatment even before CAR-T cell therapy.

Axillary lymph node metastases are an important prognostic factor in breast cancer. The standard method for staging clinically node-negative patients is sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy. In clinically node-negative, SLN biopsy-positive patients, axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) can be dispensed with, as various clinical studies have shown. The aim of Dr. med. Nadia Maggi, University Hospital Basel, is to use her research to identify further patient populations who could benefit from a de-escalation of surgical axillary treatment. To this end, data from an international prospective study will be consulted and analyzed with a focus on patients with extracapsular extension or non-palpable suspicious lymph nodes. Potentially practice-changing results could reduce the arm morbidity associated with ALND for more breast cancer patients without worsening their prognosis.

In about 20-50% of patients who have completed treatment for localized prostate cancer, a recurrence occurs within 10 years. This is usually characterized by rising PSA levels.
In the TerbinaPro phase II study, Dr. Stefanie Fischer from HOCH Health Eastern Switzerland would therefore like to further investigate the effect of terbinafine in advanced or recurrent prostate cancer. In this mulicentric SAKK study, patients will receive either 250 mg or 500 mg Terbinafine over 12 months.
If the study results are positive, terbinafine could represent a tolerable treatment option for prostate cancer patients with biochemical recurrence and thus substantially improve their quality of life. Patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive or castration-resistant prostate cancer could also benefit.

The quality of life of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is severely restricted by the type and location of this tumor. Those affected sometimes have difficulty speaking, choke when eating, hear less well and suffer from pain or shortness of breath. In addition, the aesthetic and functional consequences of the disease often lead to isolation, anxiety and depression.
Based on the 116 patients included in the study to date, Dr. Nicolas Dulguerov will investigate the impact of the disease and its treatment on the quality of life of those affected and also analyze the functional consequences of the disease. The influence of treatment on the quality of life of those affected can thus be quantified, taking into account various factors such as tumour location and medical history. The project will also produce information brochures to support those affected and their families during the course of treatment.

Fungal infections are problematic in patients with a compromised immune system, for example due to hematologic malignancies, neutropenia or transplants, and contribute to increased mortality. This is partly due to the difficulty of diagnosing fungal infections at an early stage. As a fast and reliable diagnostic tool for fungal infections, Dr. med. Kevin Hofer from the University Hospital Zurich (USZ) is now investigating the breath of patients with acute myeloid leukemia using gas chromatography-spectrometry in the REDEFINE study. The advantage: the method offers a short analysis time, has a broad coverage and can detect the volatile molecules in high resolution, which also allows conclusions to be drawn about the pathophysiological mechanisms.