Jan Alsner

Chefkonsulent, PhD Experimental Clinical Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital jan@oncology.au.dk
Research interests

DK: Ingangværende forskning fokuserer på molekylær og eksperimentel stråleonkologi, specielt på omdannelsen af grundvidenskab til kliniske omgivelser. Dette indebærer beskrivelsen af det biologiske grundlag for strålingsinduceret sygelighed og tumor strålefølsomhed. Denne viden skal bruges til a) forudsigelse og indgriben af sygelighed og b) udvikling af biomarkører til prognoser og forudsigelser af terapeutiske strategier for tumor reaktion. 

UK: Ongoing research focuses on molecular and experimental radiation oncology, particularly on the translation of basic science into clinical settings. This involves characterization of the biological basis for radiation-induced morbidity and tumour radiosensitivity and using this knowledge for a) prediction and intervention for morbidity and b) development of biomarkers for prognosis and prediction of therapeutic strategies for tumour response.

 Workgroups Publications
  • Offersen BV, Alsner J, Nielsen HM, Jakobsen EH, Nielsen MH, Krause M, Stenbygaard L, Mjaaland I, Schreiber A, Kasti UM, Overgaard J Hypofractionated Versus Standard Fractionated Radiotherapy in Patients With Early Breast Cancer or Ductal Carcinoma In Situ in a Randomized Phase III Trial: The DBCG HYPO Trial J Clin Oncol. 2020 Nov 1;38(31):3615-3625 2020
  • Lassen P, Schou M, Overgaard J, Alsner J Correlation and prognostic impact of human papilloma virus and p16-expression in advanced hypopharynx and larynx cancer treated with definitive radiotherapy Acta Oncol . 2021 May;60(5):646-648 2021
  • Alsner J, Overgaard J, Tramm T, Lindegaard JC Hypoxic gene expression is a prognostic factor for disease free survival in a cohort of locally advanced squamous cell cancer of the uterine cervix Acta Oncol . 2022 Feb;61(2):172-178 2022
  • Tramm T, Vinter H, Vahl P, Özcan D, Alsner J, Overgaard J Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes predict improved overall survival after post-mastectomy radiotherapy: a study of the randomized DBCG82bc cohort Acta Oncol . 2022 Feb;61(2):153-162 2022
  • Schack LMH, Naderi E, Fachal L, Dorling L, Luccarini C, Dunning AM; Head and Neck Group of the Radiogenomics Consortium; Danish Head and Neck Cancer Group (DAHANCA), Ong EHW, Chua MLK, Langendijk JA, Alizadeh BZ, Overgaard J, Eriksen JG, Andreassen CN, Alsner J A genome-wide association study of radiotherapy induced toxicity in head and neck cancer patients identifies a susceptibility locus associated with mucositis Br J Cancer . 2022 Apr;126(7):1082-1090 2022
  • Overgaard M, Nielsen HM, Tramm T, Højris I, Grantzau TL, Alsner J, Offersen BV, Overgaard J; DBCG Radiotherapy Group Postmastectomy radiotherapy in high-risk breast cancer patients given adjuvant systemic therapy. A 30-year long-term report from the Danish breast cancer cooperative group DBCG 82bc trial Radiother Oncol . 2022 May;170:4-13 2022
  • Lefèvre AC, Alsner J, Sørensen BS, Tramm T, Toustrup K, Overgaard J, Spindler KG Hypoxia and local tumour control in squamous cell carcinoma of the anus - a hypothesis-generating study Acta Oncol . 2022 Jun 22;1-4 2022
  • Offersen BV, Alsner J, Nielsen HM, Jakobsen EH, Nielsen MH, Stenbygaard L, Pedersen AN, Thomsen MS, Yates E, Berg M, Lorenzen EL, Jensen I, Josipovic M, Jensen MB, Overgaard J; Danish Breast Cancer Group Radiotherapy Committee Partial Breast Irradiation Versus Whole Breast Irradiation for Early Breast Cancer Patients in a Randomized Phase III Trial: The Danish Breast Cancer Group Partial Breast Irradiation Trial J Clin Oncol . 2022 Aug 5 2022
  • Lassen P, Huang SH, Su J, Waldron J, Andersen M, Primdahl H, Johansen J, Kristensen CA, Andersen E, Eriksen JG, Hansen CR, Alsner J, Lilja-Fisher J, Bratman SV, Ringash J, Kim J, Hope A, Spreafico A, de Almeida J, Xu W, O'Sullivan B, Overgaard J Treatment outcomes and survival following definitive (chemo)radiotherapy in HPV-positive oropharynx cancer: Large-scale comparison of DAHANCA vs PMH cohorts Int J Cancer . 2022 Apr 15;150(8):1329-1340 2022
  • Offersen BV, Alsner J, Nielsen HM, Jakobsen EH, Nielsen MH, Krause M, Stenbygaard L, Mjaaland I, Schreiber A, Kasti UM, Overgaard J; Danish Breast Cancer Group Radiation Therapy Committee Hypofractionated Versus Standard Fractionated Radiotherapy in Patients With Early Breast Cancer or Ductal Carcinoma In Situ in a Randomized Phase III Trial: The DBCG HYPO Trial J Clin Oncol. 2020 Nov 1;38(31):3615-3625. 2020
  • Gregersen PA, Olsen MH, Urbak SF, Funding M, Dalton SO, Overgaard J, Alsner J Incidence and Mortality of Second Primary Cancers in Danish Patients With Retinoblastoma, 1943-2013 JAMA Netw Open. 2020 Oct 1;3(10):e2022126. 2020
  • Nielsen S, Bassler N, Grzanka L, Laursen L, Swakon J, Olko P, Andreassen CN, Alsner J, Singers Sørensen B. Comparison of Coding Transcriptomes in Fibroblasts Irradiated With Low and High LET Proton Beams and Cobalt-60 Photons. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2018 Dec 6 2018
  • Lilja-Fischer JK, Ulhøi BP, Alsner J, Stougaard M, Thomsen MS, Busk M, Lassen P, Steiniche T, Nielsen VE, Overgaard J. Characterization and radiosensitivity of HPV-related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma patient-derived xenografts. Acta Oncol. 2019 Oct;58(10):1489-1494. 2019
  • Andreassen CN, Eriksen JG, Jensen K, Hansen CR, Sørensen BS, Lassen P, Alsner J, Schack LMH, Overgaard J, Grau C. IMRT - Biomarkers for dose escalation, dose de-escalation and personalized medicine in radiotherapy for head and neck cancer. Oral Oncol. 2018 Nov;86:91-99. 2018
  • Laurberg T, Tramm T, Nielsen T, Alsner J, Nord S, Myhre S, Sørlie T, Leung S, Fan C, Perou C, Gelmon K, Overgaard J, Voduc D, Prat A, Cheang MCU Intrinsic subtypes and benefit from postmastectomy radiotherapy in node-positive premenopausal breast cancer patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy - results from two independent randomized trials. Acta Oncol. 2018 Jan;57(1):38-43 2018
  • Tramm T, Kyndi M, Sørensen FB, Overgaard J, Alsner J Influence of intra-tumoral heterogeneity on the evaluation of BCL2, E-cadherin, EGFR, EMMPRIN, and Ki-67 expression in tissue microarrays from breast cancer. Acta Oncol. 2018 Jan;57(1):102-106. 2018
  • Brøndum L, Alsner J, Sørensen BS, Maare C, Johansen J, Primdahl H, Evensen JF, Kristensen CA, Andersen LJ, Overgaard J, Eriksen JG Associations between skin rash, treatment outcome, and single nucleotide polymorphisms in head and neck cancer patients receiving the EGFR-inhibitor zalutumumab: results from the DAHANCA 19 trial. Acta Oncol. 2018 Sep;57(9):1159-1164 2018
  • Naderi E, Schack LMH, Welsh C, Sim AYL, Aguado-Barrera ME, Dudding T, Summersgil H, Martínez-Calvo L, Ong EHW, Odding Y, Varela-Pazos A, Steenbakkers RJHM, Crijns APG, Jena R, Pring M, Dennis J, Lobato-Busto R, Alsner J, Ness A, Nutting C, Thomson DJ, Gómez-Caamaño A, Eriksen JG, Thomas SJ, Bates AM, Overgaard J, Cascallar-Caneda LM, Duprez F, Barnett GC, Dorling L, Chua MLK, Vega A, West CML, Langendijk JA, Nicolaj Andreassen C, Alizadeh BZ; On the behalf of the Radiogenomics Consortium. Meta-GWAS identifies the heritability of acute radiation-induced toxicities in head and neck cancer. Radiother Oncol. 2022 Sep 30;176:138-148 2022
  • Nielsen S, Bassler N, Grzanka L, Swakon J, Olko P, Andreassen CN, Alsner J, Sørensen BS. Optimal reference genes for normalization of qPCR gene expression data from proton and photon irradiated dermal fibroblasts. Sci Rep. 2018 Aug 23;8(1):12688. 2018
  • Overgaard J, Alsner J Effect of ESA as a modifier of radiotherapy in curative intended treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC) Radiother Oncol. 2019 Jan;130:191-192 2019
  • Krause M, Alsner J, Linge A, Bütof R, Löck S, Bristow R Specific requirements for translation of biological research into clinical radiation oncology Mol Oncol. 2020 Jul;14(7):1569-1576 2020
  • Gregersen PA, Funding M, Alsner J, Olsen MH, Overgaard J, Urbak SF, Staffieri SE, Lou S Living with heritable retinoblastoma and the perceived role of regular follow-up at a retinoblastoma survivorship clinic: 'That is exactly what I have been missing' BMJ Open Ophthalmol. 2021 Sep 12;6(1):e000760 2021
  • Milo MLH, Thorsen LBJ, Johnsen SP, Nielsen KM, Valentin JB, Alsner J, Offersen BV Risk of coronary artery disease after adjuvant radiotherapy in 29,662 early breast cancer patients: A population-based Danish Breast Cancer Group study Radiother Oncol. 2021 Apr;157:106-113 2021
  • Nielsen AWM, Kristensen MH, Offersen BV, Alsner J, Zachariae R, Nielsen HM Patient-reported outcomes in postmenopausal breast cancer survivors - comparisons with normative data Acta Oncol. 50: 78-86, 2021 2021
  • Nielsen AWM, Lundorff M, Nielsen HM, Alsner J, Vrou Offersen B, Kristensen MH, Zachariae R Symptom trajectories in breast cancer survivors: growth mixture analysis of patient-reported pain, fatigue, insomnia, breast and arm symptoms Acta Oncol. 2021 Dec;60(12):1659-1667 2021
  • Thomsen MS, Alsner J, Nielsen HM, Jakobsen EH, Nielsen MH, Møller M, Pedersen AN, Yates E, Berg M, Lorenzen E, Jensen I, Josipovic M, Overgaard J, Offersen BV; DBCG RT Committee Volume matters: Breast induration is associated with irradiated breast volume in the Danish Breast Cancer Group phase III randomized Partial Breast Irradiation trial Radiother Oncol. 2022 Dec;177:231-235 2022
  • Gregersen PA, Funding M, Alsner J, Olsen MH, Overgaard J, Staffieri SE, Lou S, Urbak SF Genetic testing in adult survivors of retinoblastoma in Denmark: A study of the experience and impact of genetic testing many years after initial diagnosis Eur J Med Genet. 2022 Sep;65(9):104569 2022
  • Forner LE, Dieleman FJ, Shaw RJ, Kanatas A, Butterworth CJ, Kjeller G, Alsner J, Overgaard J, Hillerup S, Hyldegaard O, Arnell P, von Buchwald C, Kaanders JHAM, Smeele LE, Specht L, Johansen J, Witjes MJH, Merkx MAW, Jansen EC Hyperbaric oxygen treatment of mandibular osteoradionecrosis: Combined data from the two randomized clinical trials DAHANCA-21 and NWHHT2009-1. Radiother Oncol. 2022 Jan;166:137-144 2022