Tobias Nordström

Tobias Nordström

Affiliated to Research | Docent
Visiting address: Entrévägen 2, 18257 Danderyd
Postal address: D1 Kliniska vetenskaper, Danderyds sjukhus, D1 KoUr Urologisk forskning, 171 77 Stockholm
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About me

  • Clinical urologist and researcher dedicated to improve diagnostics and
    treatment of prostate cancer and other urological conditions.
    Tobias Nordström is a clinically active urologist, focusing on the detection
    and treatment of malignancies in the prostate and kidney, as well as treating
    general urological conditions. He started practicing urology in 2007
    and has achieved degrees in General Surgery and Urology at Danderyd's
    Hospital. He was awarded Fellow of the European Board of Urology (FEBU) in
    2015.
    Tobias Nordström defended his thesis "Predicting Prostate Cancer- on the
    use of biomarkers in Prostate Cancer Diagnostics [1]" in January 2015 after
    which he undertook international postdoctoral studies at University of
    California, San Francisco.
    He now combines clinical surgical practice at Danderyds Hospital
    with independent research at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and
    Biostatistics at Karolinska Institutet. Centrepieces of his work includes
    leading guidelines development and implementing improvements in clinical care
    such as targeted prostate biopsies and imaging.

    2024 Scientific Congress Office, European Association of Urology

    2024 Best scientific paper award, Swedish Urological Society (SUF)

    2022 Prostate Cancer Research Award, European Association of Urology

    2021 Best Abstract Oncology, European Association of Urology annual congress
    2017 European Meeting on Urinary Cancers (EMUC) - Best poster award [2]
    2017 Astellas Cutting Edge Award
    2016 European Association of Urology (EAU) Annual Meeting - Best poster
    award
    2014 StratCan International Postdoc award
    2011 StratCan Ph.D. award
    2011 Research Resident

    * 2021 Senior Consultant Urologist (Danderyd Hospital)

    * 2021 Docent
    * 2015 Postdoc (Dept of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, KI)
    * 2015 Clinical Urologist (Danderyd's Hospital)
    * 2015 Fellow of the European Board of Urology (FEBU)
    * 2015 Postdoc (University of California, San Francisco)
    * 2015 Ph.D. (Dept Clinical Sciences at Danderyd's Hospital, KI)
    * 2013 General Surgeon (Danderyd's Hospital)
    * 2007 M.D. (KI)
    [1] https://openarchive.ki.se/xmlui/handle/10616/42331
    [2] http://emuc17.org/new-multistep-approach-pca-detection-wins-emuc17-prize/

Research

  • The over-arching aim of Tobias Nordström's research is to improve detection
    and treatment of prostate cancer. Current work emanates from different
    perspectives, resulting in several different projects.
    *An improved diagnostic chain for prostate cancer*
    The hypothesis is that combining improved blood-based testing and imaging
    techniques will improve detection of prostate cancer. Tobias Nordström
    is principal investigator for the STHLM3MR-projects, aiming to investigate
    the value of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in prostate cancer detection.
    The STHLM3MR Main study [1] is a large randomized study, exploring a
    combination of using the STHLM3 test and targeted biopsies using MRI/Fusion
    techniques.
    *Traditional tools for prostate cancer detection*
    Several tools are already available to aid decisions in prostate cancer
    diagnostics, but evidence is often scarce. Using contemporary, high-quality
    data, Dr Nordström systematically explores the value of traditionally used
    markers of prostate cancer risk such as prostate volume, voiding symptoms,
    repeated blood-testing et cetera.
    *Current diagnostics of prostate cancer*
    Using the population-based cohort STHLM0, Dr Nordström works on describing
    how detection of prostate cancer is currently being performed. For example,
    he has described current patterns of PSA-testing, use of prostate biopsies
    and frequency of biopsy-related complications.
    [1] https://ki.se/en/meb/the-sthlm3mri-trial

Articles

All other publications

Grants

  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2025 - 31 December 2025
    Yearly, 2100 Swedish men die from prostate cancer (PC). About 50 % of these were first diagnosed with non-metastatic high-risk PC (HR-PC) and offered curative treatment that failed. With improved personalized therapies for HR-PC, progression to metastatic, lethal disease could be limited, and lives saved. We aim to establish an infrastructure for observational and precision medicine trials (www.sprintr.se). This planning phase aims to facilitate the development of a national platform for clinical research in prostate cancer. SPRINTR-RealAll men biopsied for suspected PC will be invited to SPRINTR-Real, a prospective observational study. Men consent to 1) comprehensive profiling of the diagnostic prostate biopsy (molecular, imaging, and digital pathology), 2) follow-up through the clinical tool IPÖ (INCA.se) and registers, 3) be selectively invited to suitable studies/trials based on collected data. Implementing SPRINTR-Real in the diagnostic workflow will greatly increase the potential for efficient recruitment to any trial in Sweden. SPRINTR-Trial  Patients with HR-PC will be invited to SPRINTR-Trial and the full profiling of the biopsy will generate biomarker data to be used in classifier algorithms established in parallel (sprintr.se) for weighted randomization. SPRINTR-Trial is a biomarker-driven multi-arm adaptive randomized clinical trial platform. Based on accumulated evidence during the study, arms and algorithms may be modified, and experimental arms will be added.
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2023 - 31 December 2025
    Prostate cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death in males. Prostate cancer screening every 2-4 year has been shown to decrease prostate-cancer mortality and opportunistic screening is wide-spread. In a recent high-impact project, we showed that screening-related over-diagnosis at an initial screen can be mitigated and screening outcomes improved by using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), novel blood-based risk prediction and targeted biopsies (STHLM3MRI: Eklund et al NEJM 2021
    Nordström et al Lancet Onc 2021). There are ongoing initiatives for implementing screening, but there are important knowledge gaps on how to design repeat screening, screening interventions and the real-world performance of screening outside trials.The purpose of this project is to provide unique evidence on re-screen methods by completing three work packages (WP) within a three year timeframe. This includes a prospective paired design study on repeat prostate cancer screening (WP1), studies on optimization of screening interventions (WP2) using retrospective, screen-by-invitation data from the STHLM3MRI project and building a collaborative platform for assessment of real-world outcomes inside and outside a screening program initiative (WP3).Our studies provide vital data on optimal screening intervals and interventions (MRI, biopsy decision aids and biopsy strategies) as well as knowledge on acceptance and performance of prostate cancer screening.
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2023 - 31 December 2025
    Our general aim is to use modelling to reduce the burden due to prostate and cervical cancer through cost-effective screening. For prostate cancer, new tests, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and artificial intelligence (AI) assisted pathology are expected to reduce harms while maintaining the mortality benefits from early detection. For cervical cancer, human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations are expected to substantially reduce HPV incidence and eventually lead to the eradication of cervical cancer. With changes to HPV transmission, cervical cancer screening may require extended genotyping, self-sampling and renewed guidelines to be cost-effective.We will evaluate the cost-effectiveness of: (i) organised prostate cancer testing (OPT) in Sweden, including MRI and the Stockholm3 test
    (ii) prostate cancer testing using a genetic risk score
    (iii) prostate cancer diagnostics using AI-assisted pathology
    and (iv) primary HPV testing with extended genotyping in vaccinated cohorts with clinic-based testing or self-sampling. These results will inform policy for (a) the development and planning of a national OPT program, (b) the use of AI-assisted histopathology, and (c) the development of national cervical cancer screening guidelines for vaccinated cohorts.
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2022 - 31 December 2025
    The lack of treatment-predictive biomarkers is an unmet clinical need in metastatic prostate cancer leading to inferior clinical outcomes, overtreatment and accelerating costs. The ProBio study (NCT03903835) is an ongoing randomized trial that builds on a novel adaptive study design and prospectively evaluates treatment predictive biomarker signatures in a large network of over 35 study centers in Europe. By using ProBio we will be able to rapidly evaluate both new and old drugs in subsets of patients with similar genomic biomarker. If successful, patients with prostate cancer will get individualized treatment based on treatment-predictive genomic biomarker signatures in the near future.To test this hypothesis, we will use a multiphase randomized study using an outcome-adaptive multi-arm biomarker-driven study design. We have the following main aims: To investigate if treatment decisions based on a biomarker signature identified by sequencing circulating tumor DNA improves progression free survival (primary endpoint)To ultimately show that the ProBio concept is a model for collaboration between academia and industry in the evaluation of new drugs in prostate cancer
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2021 - 31 December 2024
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2018 - 31 December 2020

Employments

  • Consultant Urologist, Urology, Dept. Surgery and Urology, Danderyds sjukhus, 2015-
  • Affiliated to Research, Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, 2024-2026
  • Affiliated to Research, Department of Clinical Sciences, Danderyd Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, 2022-2025

Degrees and Education

  • Docent, Karolinska Institutet, 2021
  • Postdoctoral Scholar, Urology, Epidemiology, Urology, University of California, San Francisco, 2016
  • Degree Of Doctor Of Philosophy, Department of Clinical Sciences, Danderyd Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, 2015
  • University Medical Degree, Karolinska Institutet, 2005

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