"Hodgkin Lymphoma is a type of cancer that can affect people at a young age. Unfortunately, we often see late side effects in patients as they age, even after successful treatment. Patients have an increased risk of developing a second tumor or cardiovascular disease. Women can also experience early menopause. But how are these risks related? That’s what I wanted to investigate. Many patients were irradiated around the chest. The higher the dose, the greater the risk of developing breast cancer. Even men have an increased risk. In women, we found a protective effect for every year of premature menopause. While Hodgkin survivors do have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease, I didn’t find a link to their hormone levels. I'm incredibly interested in uncovering these kinds of connections. I’m not a doctor, but I still feel like I can contribute. My research can be used to create new clinical guidelines. I hope to achieve something similar in my current job at VeiligheidNL, where I conduct research on the often young people who end up in the emergency room after accidents, such as those involving fatbikes. Hopefully, this research could eventually lead to new safety policies."
Inge Krul will defend her thesis on September 24.
prof. dr. ir. F.E. van Leeuwen
dr. B.M.P. Aleman