About A. (Anja) Wagner, MD, PhD
Introduction
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 to prevent cancer in yet another relative.
To achieve this the focus of my research is to better characterize cancer risks, optimize identification of individuals at risk of a cancer predisposition syndrome, evaluate current surveillance and treatment strategies as well as developing new tools for surveillance.
Education and career
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 2004, also leading the oncogenetics team of the counseling section of the department.
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. For my thesis click here.
During this project I was privileged to personally meet Professor Henry T. Lynch, founding father of cancer genetics, and study the Lynch families known at his department. Based on that experience, the research line “Hereditary gastrointestinal tumors” was initiated in collaboration with the departments of Pathology, Gastroenterology, Gynecology and Oncology of the Erasmus MC to which so far six PhD students contributed.
To promote collaboration in care and research regarding hereditary tumors I started the Center of expertise for familial and hereditary tumors:Center for Familial and Hereditary Tumours- Erasmus MC Cancer Institute
Publications
Main recent publications (see full list on Erasmus University research site of GoogleScolar):
Elizabeth Loehrer, Anja Wagner, Massiah Bahar, F. Rubab Ramzan, Anne Marie Jelsig, Anne Goverde, Monique van Leerdam, Susanne E Korsse, Evelien Dekker, Manon C.W. Spaander, John Gásdal Karstensen, Veronica Zuber, Finlay Macrae, Andrew Latchford. The clinicopathological features of breast cancer in Peutz-Jeghers syndrome: results from an international servey. Fam Cancel 2025 May 3;24(2):41. PMID: 40317347
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
Teaching activities
I contributed to both the medical curriculum as well as to post curricular education of the Erasmus University Rotterdam. Examples are the yearly “minoren” Pediatric oncology, Gynecology and Genetics in Society and Summer schools. I take care of regional education of general practitioners, medical specialists and nurses in the South-West Netherlands, within the oncology networks CONCORD and EMBRAZE, but also nationally. Between 2009 and 2011 I was deputy trainer for the specialisation Clinical genetics at our department and for two nurses I was tutor during their training to become nurse practitioners. Apart from that I contribute to patient education for example by giving presentations at the contact day of the patient foundation LynchPolyposis. 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 09/2018 09/2018 Celine Leenen Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands 01/2015 01/2015 Margot van Lier Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands 03/2011 03/2011 Dewkoemar Ramsoekh Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands 10/2009 10/2009
Co-promotor of the theses:
Other positions
- 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.
Scholarships, grants, and awards
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2013 |
Nutsohra |
Optimaliseren preventieve chirurgie bij kinderen met erfelijk darmkankerrisico |
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2016 |
Nutsohra |
Direct classificeren van mogelijk erfelijke en niet-erfelijke kindertumoren met behulp van tumoranalyse |
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2019 |
Erasmus MC grant |
CATCA-studie (“Catch the Cancer: Towards a cfDNA based blood test for colorectal cancer screening”) |
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2022 |
Koers23 project |
Be prepared |
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2022 |
KWF-14976 |
Smart measurement of circulating tumour DNA: a tumour-agnostic computational tool to improve colorectal cancer care leading WP3 |
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2024 |
KWF-15909 |
NESTOR, building the infrastructure for the Netherlands tumour risk registry, local coordinator and steering committee. |
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2024 |
Horizon Europe Cancer Mission grant: |
Validated non-invasive liquid biopsy tests for cancer PREDIction in LYNCH Syndrome (PREDI-LYNCH) |
| 2025 | KWF-17386 | Home-based DNA methylation selftest for endometrial cancer surveillance in women with Lynch syndrome, leading WP2 |
Recent Findings
Our research on Lynch syndrome and other hereditary gastrointestinal tumor syndromes has directly impacted the care for this high risk patients. For example our study on surgical management in patients with Lynch syndrome and colorectal cancer has been implemented in the revised national guideline on hereditary colorectal cancer (2025)
Zie: - richtlijnen database
The better characterization of breast tumors in Peutz-Jegherspatients, has raised awareness that these patients should be managed different than patients with other breast cancer predispositions like BRCA-carriers.
