Research group Karin Ekström Smedby

Our research is about etiology, survival, prognostic determinants and survivorship in cancer, especially lymphomas, but also other cancer forms such as colorectal cancer. We use quality-of-care and national health care registers as well as biological data to address clinical and translational research questions, and apply and develop new biostatistical methods.

Clinical Cancer Epidemiology

Our research has a focus on increasing the understanding of etiology and survival of cancer, mainly lymphomas and other hematological malignancies but also other cancer forms such as colorectal cancer. In several studies we use Swedish population-based health care registers (quality registers and national health care databases) to get complete coverage of the patientpopulation. Investigations of survival, risk of recurrence and late treatment complications in cancer are relevant for clinical guidelines and frequency and duration of clinical check-up visits for example.

We also collaborate with our Nordic neighbouring countries in epidemiological register-based studies to validate results and increase robustness of the findings. We also have a close collaboration with the departments of hematology, pathology and clinical genetics at the Karolinska University Hospital in a prospective study to increase knowledge and implementation of precision medicine in lymphomas (the BioLymh study).

Ongoing projects

In a number of large research programs we are investigating various aspects of lymphoma survival and survivorship (e.g. the risk of infertility, cardiovascular disease or second malignancies after completed lymphoma treatment). The research project have the following titles:

  • National and nordic studies of adverse treatment outcomes after malignant lymphoma (Funded by the Swedish Cancer Society, PI: Karin Ekström Smedby)
  • Childbearing after modern-day intensive chemotherapy in young Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma survivors (Funded by the Swedish Cancer Society, PI: Sandra Eloranta)
  • Real-world outcomes in lymphoma and long-term benefit/risk balance of available therapies – A Nordic, multidisciplinary research program (Funded by the Nordic Cancer Union, Co-applicants: Karin Ekström Smedby, Sandra Eloranta, Caroline Weibull)

We are also investigating how new statistical methods in epidemiologic research can be used to maximise the usefulness of register-based data to study clinically relevant questions in cancer epidemiology, primarily with focus on lymphoma.

  • Harnessing the power of modern methods: Multistate modelling in cancer epidemiology (Funded by SFOEpi, PI: Caroline Weibull)

Group members

Karin Ekström Smedby

Research group leader, Professor/assistant senior physician

Research funding

  • Swedish Cancer Society
  • Research Funds Radiumhemmet
  • Stockholm County Council
  • Nordic Cancer Union

Selected Publications

Incidence and time trends of second primary malignancies after non-Hodgkin lymphoma: a Swedish population-based study.
Joelsson J, Wästerlid T, Rosenquist R, Jakobsen LH, El-Galaly TC, Smedby KE, Eloranta S
Blood Adv 2022 Apr;6(8):2657-2666

Incidence of relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) including CNS relapse in a population-based cohort of 4243 patients in Sweden.
Harrysson S, Eloranta S, Ekberg S, Enblad G, Jerkeman M, Wahlin BE, Andersson PO, Smedby KE
Blood Cancer J 2021 01;11(1):9

Real-world data on treatment and outcomes of patients with primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma: a Swedish lymphoma register study.
Wästerlid T, Hasselblom S, Joelsson J, Weibull CE, Rassidakis G, Sander B, Smedby KE
Blood Cancer J 2021 05;11(5):100

Relapse Risk and Loss of Lifetime After Modern Combined Modality Treatment of Young Patients With Hodgkin Lymphoma: A Nordic Lymphoma Epidemiology Group Study.
Biccler JL, Glimelius I, Eloranta S, Smeland KB, Brown PN, Jakobsen LH, Frederiksen H, Jerkeman M, Fosså A, Andersson TML, Holte H, Bøgsted M, El-Galaly TC, Smedby KE
J Clin Oncol 2019 03;37(9):703-713

Contemporarily Treated Patients With Hodgkin Lymphoma Have Childbearing Potential in Line With Matched Comparators.
Weibull CE, Johansson ALV, Eloranta S, Smedby KE, Björkholm M, Lambert PC, Dickman PW, Glimelius I
J Clin Oncol 2018 09;36(26):2718-2725

Cancer survival statistics for patients and healthcare professionals - a tutorial of real-world data analysis.
Eloranta S, Smedby KE, Dickman PW, Andersson TM
J Intern Med 2021 01;289(1):12-28

Outcome and determinants of failure to complete primary R-CHOP treatment for reasons other than non-response among patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
Wästerlid T, Harrysson S, Andersson TM, Ekberg S, Enblad G, Andersson PO, Jerkeman M, Eloranta S, Smedby KE
Am J Hematol 2020 07;95(7):740-748

Autoimmune disorders and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma subtypes: a pooled analysis within the InterLymph Consortium.
Ekström Smedby K, Vajdic CM, Falster M, Engels EA, Martínez-Maza O, Turner J, Hjalgrim H, Vineis P, Seniori Costantini A, Bracci PM, Holly EA, Willett E, Spinelli JJ, La Vecchia C, Zheng T, Becker N, De Sanjosé S, Chiu BC, Dal Maso L, Cocco P, Maynadié M, Foretova L, Staines A, Brennan P, Davis S, Severson R, Cerhan JR, Breen EC, Birmann B, Grulich AE, Cozen W
Blood 2008 Apr;111(8):4029-38

KE
Content reviewer:
29-03-2023