Koen Hartemink treats patients with lung cancer and other malignant tumors in the chest cavity at the Netherlands Cancer Institute. He also conducts research into the best treatments for early-stage and locally advanced non-small cell lung carcinoma, as well as treatments for metastatic lung cancer. His focus includes the use of surgery in combination with other therapies (chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, or cell therapy). “This multidisciplinary approach improves patient care and will continue to enhance it in the future.”
Harteminks research also includes the quality of care across different surgical techniques, including robotic surgery. He believes that the quality of Dutch scientific research on lung cancer can be further advanced through improved collaborations and the pooling of resources between various medical specialties and hospitals in the Netherlands.
Hartemink is the founder of the Multidisciplinary Research Platform Thoracic Oncology (Multidisciplinair Researchplatform Longoncologie), which aims to increase the collaborations among the medical specialties involved in treating lung cancer across hospitals. "There is so much to be gained for the patients if we work together, share knowledge, and conduct joint studies on the optimal treatment for all stages of lung cancer, mediastinal tumors, and other rare tumors in the chest cavity." This research platform has since become part of the Dutch Thoracic Group Foundation, which involves all disciplines involved in lung cancer treatment, including the lung cancer patient organization of the Netherlands (Multidisciplinair Researchplatform Longoncologie).
As a professor, Koen Hartemink will expand the aforementioned studies, multidisciplinary and across various centers.