Henrik Grönberg

Henrik Grönberg

Professor/Senior Physician
Telephone: +46852482347
Visiting address: Nobels väg 12a, 17165 Solna
Postal address: C8 Medicinsk epidemiologi och biostatistik, C8 MEB Grönberg, 171 77 Stockholm
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About me

  • Henrik Grönberg is Professor of Clinical Cancer Epidemiology at Karolinska Institutet and Senior Consultant at the Prostate Cancer Center at Capio St. Göran’s Hospital, which he established in 2017. He leads a large research environment in prostate cancer comprising approximately 50–60 members, including clinicians, statisticians, bioinformaticians, and researchers in artificial intelligence.

    The research activities are conducted in close collaboration with Martin Eklund, Johan Lindberg, and Tobias Nordström. Together, they are developing an integrated research environment focused on improving the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer.

    The overarching goal of the research group is to develop methods for diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment prediction in prostate cancer. The work is based on a combination of large-scale clinical studies, analysis of genomic data, and the development and application of AI-based methods, with the aim of contributing to more personalized patient care.

    The ProBio study is an adaptive, biomarker-driven platform trial for patients with metastatic prostate cancer. The study aims to evaluate and optimize treatment strategies based on the molecular profile of the tumor through a study design that allows multiple treatments to be tested in parallel and continuously adapted based on accumulating data.

    Henrik Grönberg has also played a central role in the development of the population-based screening studies STHLM3 and STHLM3-MR. The STHLM3 study demonstrated that a combination of biomarkers, genetic markers, and clinical variables can improve the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer compared with PSA testing alone. In the subsequent STHLM3-MR study, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was integrated into the screening strategy, resulting in improved diagnostic precision and a reduction in unnecessary biopsies.

    Grönberg has been appointed Cancer Researcher of the Year. In addition to his research activities, Henrik Grönberg served as Head of the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (MEB) at Karolinska Institutet from 2008 to 2013 and as Acting Vice President (Pro Vice-Chancellor) of Karolinska Institutet in 2016.

Selected publications

Articles

All other publications

Grants

  • Swedish Research Council
    1 December 2025 - 30 November 2029
    This study assesses the feasibility and clinical benefits of de‐escalating treatment in metastatic hormone‐sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) patients with undetectable circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). In an open-label, 1:1 randomized, non-inferiority trial, we compare darolutamide monotherapy to the standard combination of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) plus darolutamide.The primary endpoint is time to development of castration resistance, analyzed using Bayesian Weibull accelerated failure time models, while secondary endpoints include health-related quality of life (HR-QOL), testosterone recovery, bone health, and cost-effectiveness.Leveraging the established ProBio trial platform—with ongoing recruitment across Sweden, Belgium, Norway, and Switzerland and over 940 patients enrolled—the study aims to reduce ADT-associated adverse effects without compromising efficacy. Coordinated by experienced investigators at Karolinska Institutet and supported by a finalized drug supply contract with Bayer, approximately 400 patients will be enrolled over 2–3 years with interim analyses planned.If successful, this de-escalation strategy may establish a new treatment paradigm for mHSPC patients with favorable prognosis, improving quality of life while maintaining robust clinical outcomes.This abstract and tstudy proposal is a summary of the 20-page sub-protocol: ProBio-Darolutamide monotherapy. The full protocol is available after request to: henrik.gronberg@ki.se.
  • Swedish Cancer Society
    1 January 2025 - 31 December 2027
  • Swedish Cancer Society
    1 January 2024 - 31 December 2026
  • Swedish Cancer Society
    1 January 2022 - 31 December 2024
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2022 - 31 December 2025
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2021 - 31 December 2024
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2020 - 31 December 2023
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2020 - 31 December 2020
  • VINNOVA
    15 March 2019 - 31 December 2021
  • Nordic implementation of personalised prostate cancer diagnostics
    NordForsk
    1 January 2019 - 31 December 2020
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2019 - 31 December 2022
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2019 - 31 December 2021
  • Tomorrow's Prostate Diagnostics - A Highly Improved Diagnosis That Leads to Reduced Over and Under Diagnosis and Improved Survival in Sweden's Most Common Cancer
    Swedish Cancer Society
    1 January 2018
    Prostate cancer is Sweden's most common cancer. Each year, over 10,000 men suffer from prostate cancer and 2,300 die from their disease. Unfortunately, today's diagnostics are substandard. This means that many men are over-treated while many aggressive and demanding prostate cancers are never treated. In recent years, our and others' research has shown that prostate cancer diagnosis can be improved by using the Stockholm3 test instead of PSA, improving the tissue sampling with magnetic camera followed by targeted biopsies and by genomically analyzing the tumor to choose the right treatment. My research group has identified the three key areas in prostate cancer diagnostics where we believe that improvements provide the most value for future patients. First, we will validate the Stockholm3 test in various healthcare systems within the EU. On the one hand, we carry out a randomized clinical study that can provide a basis for the National Board of Health and Welfare to introduce screening for prostate cancer. Finally, we will carry out a large randomized study that provides molecular support for the choice of treatment if one is to suffer from spread prostate cancer. All studies will be carried out at high speed to bring value to patients of the future as soon as possible. If we succeed with our academically driven studies, these will have a great impact on healthcare. For the patient, this means that in the near future we will be able to greatly reduce over- and under-diagnosis while at the same time increasing the survival of prostate cancer. For society, this will mean lower costs for diagnosis and care of prostate cancer and that critical resources in urology, pathology and oncology are used in a better way and more fairly.
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2018 - 31 December 2020
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 December 2017 - 31 December 2020
  • Clinical implementation of genetic markers in prostate cancer
    Swedish Cancer Society
    1 January 2017
    Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in Sweden today and over 10,000 men are diagnosed annually. Over 2,500 men die from prostate cancer, making it the most common cancer-related cause of death in Sweden. One way to reduce mortality is to diagnose prostate cancer as early as possible. Today, the PSA test is used, but we have now developed a better combined test STHLM3 test that is clearly better than PSA. We work on developing the diagnosis of prostate cancer and in the best way find the prostate cancers that are dangerous and need treatment. We use several different statistical and molecular genetic methods. Our research deals with a disease that is of great importance since over 2,500 men die in prostate cancer in Sweden annually. With our studies we try to develop various tests that enable us to find and treat the more dangerous cancers as early as possible. With this research program we want:   • Further develop the STHLM3 test • Evaluate how to combine the STHLM3 test with MRI (MRI) • Develop a tumor test that can determine whether a man needs treatment or not for his prostate cancer
  • Clinical implementation of genetic markers in prostate cancer
    Swedish Cancer Society
    1 January 2016
    Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in Sweden today and over 10,000 men are diagnosed annually. Over 2,500 men die from prostate cancer, making it the most common cancer-related cause of death in Sweden. One way to reduce mortality is to diagnose prostate cancer as early as possible. Today, the PSA test is used, but we have now developed a better combined test STHLM3 test that is clearly better than PSA. We work on developing the diagnosis of prostate cancer and in the best way find the prostate cancers that are dangerous and need treatment. We use several different statistical and molecular genetic methods. Our research deals with a disease that is of great importance since over 2,500 men die in prostate cancer in Sweden annually. With our studies we try to develop various tests that enable us to find and treat the more dangerous cancers as early as possible. With this research program we want:   • Further develop the STHLM3 test   • Evaluate how to combine the STHLM3 test with MRI (MRI)   • Develop a tumor test that can determine whether a man needs treatment or not for his prostate cancer
  • Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life and Welfare
    1 January 2016 - 31 December 2018
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2016 - 31 December 2018
  • Clinical implementation of genetic markers in prostate cancer
    Swedish Cancer Society
    1 January 2015
    Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in Sweden today and over 10,000 men are diagnosed annually. Over 2,500 men die from prostate cancer, making it the most common cancer-related cause of death in Sweden. One way to reduce mortality is to diagnose prostate cancer as early as possible. Today, the PSA test is used, but we have now developed a better combined test STHLM3 test that is clearly better than PSA. We work on developing the diagnosis of prostate cancer and in the best way find the prostate cancers that are dangerous and need treatment. We use several different statistical and molecular genetic methods. Our research deals with a disease that is of great importance since over 2,500 men die in prostate cancer in Sweden annually. With our studies we try to develop various tests that enable us to find and treat the more dangerous cancers as early as possible. With this research program we want:   • Further develop the STHLM3 test • Evaluate how to combine the STHLM3 test with MRI (MRI) • Develop a tumor test that can determine whether a man needs treatment or not for his prostate cancer
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Employments

  • Professor/Senior Physician, Cancer Epidemiology, Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, 2020-
  • Professor, Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, 2019-2020
  • Professor/Senior Physician, Cancer Epidemiology, Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, 2015-2019
  • Professor/Senior Physician, University Common, Karolinska Institutet, 2016-2016
  • Professor, Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, 2005-2015

Supervision

  • Supervision to doctoral degree

    • Andreas Karlsson, Microsimulation modelling of prostate cancer screening in Sweden., 2019

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