Presentation of 2024 Bob Pinedo Cancer Care Award to John Haanen

About John Haanen

Together with a new generation of clinical researchers, John Haanen has developed a new therapeutic approach that enables the body's immune system to attack cancer cells more effectively. His most significant achievement has been the development of a 'tumour-infiltrating lymphocyte therapy' (TIL) for melanomas. TIL is a form of cancer treatment in which the patient's own immune cells are extracted from the tumour, strengthened, and then returned to the tumour so as to fight the cancer more effectively. In multiple studies, this therapy has demonstrated impressive results after only 4 to 6 weeks of treatment, leading to improved patient survival without recurrence of the cancer and improved quality of life.

TIL therapy is now a new standard treatment for melanoma patients in the Netherlands and Denmark; it has been fully covered by health insurance since 15 January 2023. This therapeutic approach will also soon be made available for other types of cancer, such as lung cancer and uterine cancer. John Haanen’s research therefore plays an important role in the wider field of cell therapy. His work is world-leading, both in terms of a willingness to think outside the box and in terms of impact.