AZ Turnhout

Clinical research here strongly centers on digestive system diseases, with studies in Crohn's disease, rectal cancer, small bowel adenocarcinoma, colon cancer, and pancreatic cancer. The trials are designed to improve treatment effectiveness, refine postoperative care, and evaluate new approaches for both inflammatory and cancer-related conditions.

• Testing new treatment strategies for Crohn's disease in patients who need better long-term control.
• Evaluating care approaches for locally advanced rectal cancer to balance effectiveness and safety.
• Studying postoperative treatment options in small bowel adenocarcinoma and colon cancer.
• Assessing novel therapies for advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and other gastrointestinal cancers.

The department’s GI focus makes this one of the site’s most active areas of research, bringing together cancer care and chronic digestive disease management.

Another major research stream at the hospital in Turnhout involves cardiovascular diseases and related metabolic conditions such as obesity and prediabetes. These trials aim to improve prevention, reduce heart-related risk, and test whether new therapies can slow disease progression or prevent future events.

• Investigating treatments for coronary artery disease and non-obstructive coronary artery disease.
• Studying therapies for heart failure with preserved or mildly reduced ejection fraction in people with obesity.
• Evaluating strategies to lower cardiovascular risk linked to lipoprotein(a) and plaque progression.
• Comparing approaches to prevent type 2 diabetes in people with prediabetes.

This research reflects a strong interest in long-term cardiovascular protection and in addressing the close link between heart disease and metabolic health.

The oncology portfolio at AZ Turnhout includes a broad range of neoplasms, from solid tumors to blood cancers. Current studies focus on improving outcomes in endometrial cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, prostate cancer, and lymphoma, with the goal of testing new therapies and comparing them with existing care.

• Exploring better treatment options for advanced and recurrent endometrial cancer.
• Assessing new approaches in metastatic colorectal cancer, HER2-positive colorectal cancer, and gastric cancer.
• Studying therapies for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer and metastatic breast cancer.
• Evaluating treatment strategies for follicular lymphoma and other relapsed or refractory cancers.

These trials show a clear emphasis on finding more effective options for difficult-to-treat cancers and for patients whose disease has returned or progressed.

Research in virus diseases includes studies of chronic hepatitis B infection, with attention to what happens when long-term treatment is stopped under controlled conditions. The main purpose is to better understand viral outcomes and inform future management of people living with chronic liver infection.

• Investigating the course of hepatitis B after treatment interruption.
• Studying factors that may influence off-treatment viral control.
• Supporting better long-term care for patients with chronic liver disease.

This area aligns well with the site’s gastroenterology and liver disease expertise, combining clinical care with research on infection control and treatment planning.

The site also contributes to research in reproductive and urinary physiological phenomena and male urogenital diseases. Studies here examine fertility-related questions, endometrial cancer in women, and advanced prostate cancer in men, with the aim of improving diagnosis, treatment choices, and reproductive outcomes.

• Evaluating fertility testing and interventions for women with infertility.
• Studying treatment approaches for oligoprogressive metastatic castration-refractory prostate cancer.
• Researching post-surgical treatment strategies in endometrial cancer.
• Exploring ways to improve reproductive outcomes in women with tubal factors.

Together, these trials show a broad interest in both reproductive medicine and cancer care within the same clinical research setting.

A smaller but important part of the portfolio addresses nutritional and metabolic diseases, including cancer cachexia, prediabetes, and obesity-related complications. These studies are focused on improving symptom control, supporting weight management, and preventing progression to more serious disease.

• Testing new ways to address cancer-related weight loss and fatigue.
• Studying prevention of diabetes in people at high metabolic risk.
• Evaluating therapies that may help reduce the impact of obesity on heart failure and cardiovascular disease.

This research highlights the link between metabolism, chronic illness, and quality of life in patients treated at the site.