"As a statistician in training, I discovered the value of my profession in health care. Biostatistics is a good example of something that can help improve risk prediction. In my project, I focus on the risk of developing breast cancer after treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma. Patients with this cancer type in the lymph nodes receive radiation to the breast region, often at a relatively young age. For my research, I followed women who received treatment at the NKI between 1965 and 2000. In my model, I compared these women in terms of various factors including age and the radiation dose that the breast received during treatment. The good news is that modern accelerators [radiation devices] can be a lot more precise in delivering radiation, which reduces the risk of breast tumors. I was supposed to conduct part of my research at the National Cancer Institute in Washington D.C, but unfortunate that fell through: I had to go back to the Netherlands within a month because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But now I'm back in Washington for my postdoc. It's a fantastic city, full of culture and free museums. But most importantly, I found an institute here with plenty of data and a large number of leading experts to collaborate with here too — just like in Amsterdam. Ideal for a young statistician!"Sander Roberti will defend his thesis on October 23.
All research at the Netherlands Cancer Institute is financially supported by KWF Dutch Cancer Society.
prof. dr. ir. F.E. van Leeuwen & prof. dr. M. Hauptmann
N.S. Russell