Miriam Koopman

Prof. Dr. M. Koopman studied medicine and obtained her PhD at the Radboud University in Nijmegen. Since 2010 she is staff member of the department of Medical Oncology at the UMC Utrecht, where she combines clinical/translational research and patient care. In 2017 she was appointed professor of Medical Oncology at Utrecht University with a chair in medical oncology, in particular colorectal cancer.

She was and still is involved in several CAIRO studies of metastatic colorectal cancer, of which the results have been included in (inter)national guidelines. She is chair of the Dutch Colorectal Cancer Group (DCCG), and one of the initiators of the Prospective National CRC cohort study (PLCRC) in close collaboration with all disciplines involved in the diagnosis and treatment of CRC patients, and several organizations, including the Dutch National Cancer registry, DICA/DCRA, and patient representatives. In PLCRC, patients with all stages of colorectal cancer are being asked for permission to use their data, tissue, blood and questionnaires for scientific research with the aim of further improving both time and quality of life by better individualization of treatment. Her ultimate goal is to change the current healthcare infrastructure through integration of care and research by learning from every patient which is the key to accelerated implementation of innovation and improvement of outcome.

Integration of care and research by learning from every patient- the key to accelerated implementation of innovation and improvement of outcome 

In recent years, research has ensured that treatment for patients with cancer has improved significantly. Positive results of, mostly expensive, new drugs in clinical trials are being incorporated in (inter)national guidelines. However these results derive from clinical trials in which only around 5-10% of our patients are being included and these patients are more often younger and fitter, and thus not representative for the general population. To know what the best treatment option is for every patient, including the less fit and older ones, there is an urgent need to learn from every patient for the benefit of the next patient.

In the Prospective National CRC cohort study (PLCRC), patients with all stages of colorectal cancer are being asked for permission to use their data, tissue, blood and questionnaires for scientific research with the aim of further improving both time and quality of life by better individualization of treatment. PLCRC was started to get more insight in the treatment and outcomes of the whole patient population. The cohort provides an infrastructure for scientific research to improve the outcomes of patients, both in overall survival and quality of life. By integrating PLCRC in daily clinical care a learning health care system is created, with the goal to improve outcomes of patients by providing more accurate data on the treatment and clinical/ patient reported outcomes of CRC in normal daily clinical care. PLCRC creates a continuous basis for a large variety of research purposes including:

A. Prognostic and predictive research

B. Biological research and (epi)genetic research

C. Studies that compare new therapies in a target population according to the cohort multiple randomized controlled trial (cmRCT) design.

D. Health care policies and cost-effectiveness studies

The design of PLCRC can be used for different types of cancer and even other kind of diseases. It can serve as an example of a learning healthcare system in which care and research are integrated, and in which scientific research with real world data is facilitated and more efficient. In my presentation I will show some clear examples of how the above purposes are being addressed within PLCRC including health care policies, accelerated access of new treatment options in daily clinical practice and benefit for the patient.