A. (Anja) Wagner, MD, PhD

The main motivation for my research has always been to improve the care for patients (suspect of) a hereditary colorectal cancer syndrome, especially Lynch syndrome (LS) and Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS), and prevent cancer in yet another relative. 
To achieve this the focus of my research is to optimize identification of individuals at risk of Lynch syndrome, evaluate current surveillance and treatment strategies as well as developing new tool for surveillance.
Regarding the very rare Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, the focus has been on better characterization of the cancer risks and optimization of surveillance guidelines.

I was trained as a medical doctor and clinical geneticist at the Erasmus University Rotterdam and have worked as a Clinical geneticist at the department of Clinical Genetics at the Erasmus MC since then.
My PhD project on Lynch syndrome (previously known as HNPCC) “HNPCC, molecular and clinical dilemmas” was under supervision of Prof. R. Fodde at the LUMC. This initiates the research line “Hereditary gastrointestinal tumors” in collaboration with the departments Pathology, Gastroenterology, Gynecology and Oncology to which so far six PhD students contributed.  

Main recent publications (see full list on Erasmus University research site of GoogleScolar):

Ellis L. Eikenboom, Lotte van Leeuwen, Floris Groenendijk, Jorien M. Woolderink, Anne M. Van Altena, Monique E. Van Leerdam, Manon C. W. Spaander, Helena C. van Doorn, and Anja Wagner,∗ on behalf of the collaborative investigators from the Dutch Foundation for  Detection of Hereditary Tumor. Outcomes of endometrial cancer prevention strategies in patients with Lynch syndrome: a nationwide cohort study in the Netherlands.  EClinicalMedicine. 2024 Dec 21:79:103006.PMID: 39816931

Eikenboom EL, Wilting SM, Deger T, Srebniak MI, Van Veghel-Plandsoen M, Boers RG, Boers B, van IJcken WFJ, Gribnau JH,  Atmodimedjo P, Dubbink HJ, Martens JWM, Spaander MCW and Wagner A. Liquid Biopsies for Colorectal Cancer and Advanced Adenoma. Screening and Surveillance: What to Measure? Cancers (Basel). 2023 Sep 17;15(18):4607. doi: 10.3390/cancers15184607.
PMID: 37760576

Eikenboom EL, Moen S, van Leeuwen L, Geurts-Giele WRR, Tops CMJ, van Ham TJ, Dinjens WNM, Dubbink HJ, Spaander MCW, Wagner A. Unexplained mismatch repair deficiency: Case closed. HGG Adv. 2022 Dec 14;4(1):100167. doi: 10.1016/j.xhgg.2022.100167.PMID: 36624813

Anja Wagner, Stefan Aretz, Annika Auranen, Marco J. Bruno, Giulia M. Cavestro, Emma J Crosbie, Anne Goverde, Anne Marie Jelsig, Andrew Latchford, Monique E. van Leerdam, Anna Lepisto, Marta Puzzono, Ingrid Winship, Veronica Zuber, Gabriela Möslein. The management of Peutz-Jeghers syndrome: European Hereditary Tumour Group (EHTG) Guideline. J Clin Med 2021 Jan 27;10(3):473. doi: 10.3390/jcm10030473.PMID: 33513864 

Co-promotor of the theses: Lotte van Leeuwen Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands Smart measurement of circulating tumour DNA: a tumour-agnostic computational tool to improve colorectal cancer care ongoing 2027 Ellis Eikenboom Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands Detection, management, and prevention of Lynch syndrome-associated tumors 01/2024 01/2024 Anne Goverde Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands Lynch syndrome, improving diagnostics and surveillance 09/2018 09/2018 Celine Leenen Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands Diagnostic strategies for early Lynch syndrome detection 01/2015 01/2015 Margot van Lier Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands Hereditary Colorectal Cancer Syndromes, epidemiological studies on Peutz-Jeghers syndrome and Lynch syndrome 03/2011 03/2011 Dewkoemar Ramsoekh Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands Towards improved detection and management of Lynch Syndrome 10/2009 10/2009

- Leading onco-genetics team of the section counseling of the department of Clinical genetics.
- Advisory board of the patient federation Lynch Polyposis.
- Board member of the “Stichting Opsporing Erfelijke Tumoren (StOET)”.
- Member steering group NESTOR-consortium
- Member of the working group “tumor en erfelijkheids diagnostiek” of the VKGN, VKGL, NVVP.
- Representative for the Erasmus MC for the ERN GENTURIS.
- Member of the task group Lynch Polyposis of the ERN GENTURIS.

2013	Nutsohra	Optimaliseren preventieve chirurgie bij kinderen met erfelijk darmkankerrisico
2016	Nutsohra	Direct classificeren van mogelijk erfelijke en niet-erfelijke kindertumoren met behulp van tumoranalyse
2019	Erasmus MC grant	CATCA-studie (“Catch the Cancer: Towards a cfDNA based blood test for colorectal cancer screening”)
2022	Koers23 project	Be prepared
2022	KWF-14976	Smart measurement of circulating tumour DNA: a tumour-agnostic computational tool to improve colorectal cancer care WP3
2024	KWF	NESTOR, building the infrastructure for the Netherlands tumour risk registry
2024	Horizon Europe Cancer Mission grant:	Validated non-invasive liquid biopsy tests for cancer PREDIction in LYNCH Syndrome (PREDI-LYNCH)

In order to translate scientific progress to the clinic I contribute to national and international guidelines like the “national guideline on hereditary colorectal cancer” (2015 and update 2025) and “richtlijn voor informeren en informed consent bij moleculaire tumor diagnostiek (2024)”.
Zie: - richtlijnen database