Anna Martling

Anna Martling

Professor/Senior Physician
Telephone: +46852482725
Visiting address: Elite Hotell, plan 2, Eugeniavägen 6, 17176 Stockholm
Postal address: K1 Molekylär medicin och kirurgi, K1 MMK Kolorektalkirurgi, 171 76 Stockholm
Part of:

About me

  • Anna Martling is a Professor of Surgery at Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. She defended her thesis on rectal cancer in 2003, became a board certified surgeon in 2004 and an associate professor of surgery in 2009. In 2014 Martling became full professor of surgery. Between 2019 and 2023, Anna Martling served as Dean at Karolinska Institutet. From 2020 to 2024, she held the role of coordinating and driving the implementation of precision medicine into healthcare within the Stockholm Region. In 2024, Professor Martling served as the Scientific Director of Life Science at Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm.

    Since 2008 she has been heading the research group and responsible for the research field of colorectal surgery with special focus on clinical, translational and epidemiological studies on colorectal cancer. A special interest of Martlings research group has been predictive and prognostic biomarkers, aspirin, radiotherapy, timing of surgery and development of new surgical techniques. Anna Martling has managed to fully integrate the work by the research group into the clinical department creating a unique creative and academic culture supporting high quality clinical research.

    Her research has received numerous awards. In 2013, Anna Martling received the Swedish Surgical Society´s Great Research Prize. In year 2021 she received the prize “Cancer Researcher of the Year” from The Swedish Cancer Society.

    She is considered to be a world leading expert in her field and is a frequent lecturer in Sweden and abroad. Professor Martling is Honorary Fellow of Royal College of Surgeon of England (FRCS), American Colleges of Surgeons (FACS) and American Society of Colorectal Surgeons (FASCRS). Professor Martling is chairman of the Swedish Colorectal Cancer Study Group, which is a national research network for colorectal cancer in Sweden. Between 2015-2018 she has been the Chairman of the Program Committee of ESCP and responsible for the scientific programme for the annual meeting. Since 2020 Professor Martling is coordinating chairman of the Task force for implementing Precision Medicine into healthcare in Region Stockholm.

    Anna Martling's research is funded by the Swedish Research Council, the Swedish Cancer Society, Radiumhemmet's research funds, KI and the Region Stockholm. In 2014, she received the Swedish Research Council's largest grant to date for clinical treatment research of 25 million Swedish crowns.

    Concerned questions

    At Karolinska Institutet (KI), we must jointly create a stimulating and research-facilitating environment that enables world-leading basic scientific, translational and clinical research which together creates value by contributing knowledge about life and improving human health. An important component in this is the introduction of what has come to be known as precision medicine. By running this project in collaboration between KI, SciLifeLab, Karolinska University Hospital and the Stockholm Region, we hope to achieve that important medical advances, new findings and technologies can be implemented in healthcare and create more precise, individualized diagnostics and therapies at the forefront. Another important component to achieve this is that we jointly create conditions for storage, processing, integration and analysis of large amounts of complex data, which not just contributes to the development of precision medicine but also enables secondary use of health data for research.

    At the same time, KI is facing new challenges but also significant opportunities with the major changes in the healthcare structure within the Stockholm Region. It is then of utmost importance that KI is active and deeply involved in the changes and seize the opportunity to build an excellent research and education environment for the future where research and education are integrated and natural parts of our healthcare system at all levels, regardless of mode of operation and care provider.

    Academic honours, awards and prizes
    2023 Honorary Fellow of European Society of Coloproctology (FESCP)

    2023 Honorary Fellow of American College of Surgeons (FACS)

    2022 Honorary Fellow of Royal College of Surgeons of England (FRCS)

    2021 Årets Cancerforskare, Cancerfonden

    2020 Honorary Fellowship of American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (FASCRC)

    2019 Tarmcancerpriset, ILCO

    2019 Med dr Axel Hirsch Pris, Karolinska Institutet

    2018 Hilda and Alfred Eriksson's Prize, Kungliga Vetenskaps Akademin

    2017 Marc-Claude Marti Lecture, Villars, Schweiz

    2016 Årets Lennanderföreläsare, Svenska Läkaresällskapet

    2015 The Edward Wilson Lecture, Sydney, Australia

    2013 Swedish Surgical Society Major Research Prize

Research

  • Leading the research group since 2008, she focuses on colorectal surgery with clinical, translational, and epidemiological studies on colorectal cancer. Her leadership has advanced TME surgery, introduced HIPEC and cytoreductive surgery at Karolinska University Hospital, and initiated organ-preserving treatments for rectal cancer in Stockholm and nationwide. As Principal Investigator (PI), she led multicenter studies like Stockholm III and ALASCCA, receiving numerous awards. 

Selected publications

Articles

All other publications

Selected grants

  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2023 - 31 December 2026
    The rapid development of technologies for molecular profiling paves the way for precision medicine approaches to match patients with effective treatment. Through the development of a coordinating support unit, we aim to provide access to SciLifeLab’s technology platforms to support academic and industry-initiated clinical trials. We will establish customized diagnostic packages jointly with clinical trials units across the country to strengthen our attractiveness as a clinical trial site and to ensure early access of patients to both innovative technologies and emerging treatments.Our goal is to identify mature technologies to be evaluated in observational studies and adopted in interventional biomarker-driven clinical trials. To build this capacity, connecting SciLifeLab national infrastructure to clinical practice, key developments supporting cross-platform data, sample and analysis flows with timelines and quality complying with the needs of clinical trials are needed. Our unit will unite services from current and emerging sequencing technologies, to proteome, metabolome, spatial biology techniques, and drug efficacy testing. Our competitive edge is the repertoire of technologies at SciLifeLab, which once combined provide a unique opportunity for clinical trials. With the ‘service packages’ we aim to make Sweden competitive as a trial site, catalyze academy-industry ecosystems and provide opportunities for early access to the latest diagnostic technologies and treatments.
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2014 - 31 December 2019

Grants

  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2020 - 31 December 2020
  • Improved patient-specific investigation, treatment and rehabilitation of patients with rectal cancer
    Swedish Cancer Society
    1 January 2018
    Thick and rectal cancer annually affects about 6,000 people. The treatment is essentially surgical. In recent years, treatment has improved, which has led to increased survival in the disease, but still nearly half of the patients suffer from difficult-to-treat relapses. In spite of a localized tumor, 20-40% of patients will develop remote proliferation at high risk of death. In spreading disease there are new treatments that prolong survival, but only in a small proportion of patients leads to cure. Improved add-on treatments - in order to reduce the risk of relapse - would therefore be of greatest value. We are towards the final phase of a randomized multicentre study that studies the value of different radiation treatment regimens where the results show that a newly introduced regimen can reduce the risk of side effects by about 40% while maintaining good oncological results. Furthermore, sexual function and hormones are studied after radiation therapy, which has been sparingly studied previously. Treatment with acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) has shown to reduce the incidence of polyps, reduce the risk of colon and rectal cancer and also reduce the risk of developing daughter tumors. We have now initiated the first biomarker-based study of treatment with ASA in patients with colorectal cancer. Our clinical, patient-related research on various aspects of diagnosis, treatment and prognosis in rectal cancer has resulted in altered treatment strategies and reduced local recurrence rates and improved survival. The research program aims at a more patient-specific cancer incident throughout the care chain from diagnostics to rehabilitation, thereby increasing the chances of cure and a reduced suffering of side effects. Furthermore, we hope that further improved supplementary treatments will reduce the risk of relapse. Our studies are all well applicable in clinical practice and will immediately benefit the patients.
  • Improved patient-specific investigation, treatment and rehabilitation of patients with rectal cancer
    Swedish Cancer Society
    1 January 2017
    Thick and rectal cancer annually affects about 6,000 people. The treatment is essentially surgical. In recent years, treatment has improved, which has led to increased survival in the disease, but still nearly half of the patients suffer from difficult-to-treat relapses. In spite of a localized tumor, 20-40% of patients will develop remote proliferation at high risk of death. In spreading disease there are new treatments that prolong survival, but only in a small proportion of patients leads to cure. Improved add-on treatments - in order to reduce the risk of relapse - would therefore be of greatest value. We are towards the final phase of a randomized multicentre study that studies the value of different radiation treatment regimens where the results show that a newly introduced regimen can reduce the risk of side effects by about 40% while maintaining good oncological results. Furthermore, sexual function and hormones are studied after radiation therapy, which has been sparingly studied previously. Treatment with acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) has shown to reduce the incidence of polyps, reduce the risk of colon and rectal cancer and also reduce the risk of developing daughter tumors. We have now initiated the first biomarker-based study of treatment with ASA in patients with colorectal cancer. Our clinical, patient-related research on various aspects of diagnosis, treatment and prognosis in rectal cancer has resulted in altered treatment strategies and reduced local recurrence rates and improved survival. The research program aims at a more patient-specific cancer incident throughout the care chain from diagnostics to rehabilitation, thereby increasing the chances of cure and a reduced suffering of side effects. Furthermore, we hope that further improved supplementary treatments will reduce the risk of relapse. Our studies are all well applicable in clinical practice and will immediately benefit the patients.
  • Sexual function, well-being and hormone levels in women and men with rectal cancer: the importance of early intervention and sexual rehabilitation
    Swedish Cancer Society
    1 January 2016
    Intestinal cancer is the seventh most common form of cancer and is mainly treated with surgery, sometimes in combination with radiation therapy. However, the treatment may cause side effects. Sexual dysfunction is well described in men, but less in women. The cause may be the surgical trauma, lack of intestinal function, urinary incontinence, stoma and bodily changes. In the radiation treatment, ovaries and testicles are exposed to radiation, which can lead to premature menopause, infertility, fragile mucous membranes and intercourse pain, and possibly a hormone deficiency. In men, decreased testosterone levels are seen, in women this has not previously been studied. We intend to study how radiation therapy and pelvic surgery in women and men with rectal cancer affect hormone levels, sexual function and well-being. In men, the influence on sperm production will also be studied, which has also been sparingly studied previously. Based on the results of the previous studies within the project, we have initiated a new study that studies the value of early intervention with the addition of PDE-5 inhibitors in low dose and testosterone substitution on sexual function after treatment of rectal cancer which has not previously been studied. In recent decades, treatment and prognosis in rectal cancer has improved significantly and more and more people survive the disease. It is thus becoming increasingly important to study the quality of life after the treatment has been completed. The objectives of the project are to increase knowledge of sexual function, quality of life and hormone levels after radiotherapy and surgery in women and men with rectal cancer and to improve the care of this large patient group regarding psychosexual prevention, information, rehabilitation and intervention.
  • Sexual function, well-being and hormone levels in women and men with rectal cancer: the importance of early intervention and sexual rehabilitation
    Swedish Cancer Society
    1 January 2015
    Intestinal cancer is the seventh most common form of cancer and is mainly treated with surgery, sometimes in combination with radiation therapy. However, the treatment may cause side effects. Sexual dysfunction is well described in men, but less in women. The cause may be the surgical trauma, lack of intestinal function, urinary incontinence, stoma and bodily changes. In the radiation treatment, ovaries and testicles are exposed to radiation, which can lead to premature menopause, infertility, fragile mucous membranes and intercourse pain, and possibly a hormone deficiency. In men, decreased testosterone levels are seen, in women this has not previously been studied. We intend to study how radiation therapy and pelvic surgery in women and men with rectal cancer affect hormone levels, sexual function and well-being. In men, the influence on sperm production will also be studied, which has also been sparingly studied previously. Based on the results of the previous studies within the project, we have initiated a new study that studies the value of early intervention with the addition of PDE-5 inhibitors in low dose and testosterone substitution on sexual function after treatment of rectal cancer which has not previously been studied. In recent decades, treatment and prognosis in rectal cancer has improved significantly and more and more people survive the disease. It is thus becoming increasingly important to study the quality of life after the treatment has been completed. The objectives of the project are to increase knowledge of sexual function, quality of life and hormone levels after radiotherapy and surgery in women and men with rectal cancer and to improve the care of this large patient group regarding psychosexual prevention, information, rehabilitation and intervention.
  • Sexual function, well-being and hormone levels in women and men with rectal cancer: the importance of early intervention and sexual rehabilitation
    Swedish Cancer Society
    1 January 2014
    Intestinal cancer is the seventh most common form of cancer and is mainly treated with surgery, sometimes in combination with radiation therapy. However, the treatment may cause side effects. Sexual dysfunction is well described in men, but less in women. The cause may be the surgical trauma, lack of intestinal function, urinary incontinence, stoma and bodily changes. In the radiation treatment, ovaries and testicles are exposed to radiation, which can lead to premature menopause, infertility, fragile mucous membranes and intercourse pain, and possibly a hormone deficiency. In men, decreased testosterone levels are seen, in women this has not previously been studied. We intend to study how radiation therapy and pelvic surgery in women and men with rectal cancer affect hormone levels, sexual function and well-being. In men, the influence on sperm production will also be studied, which has also been sparingly studied previously. Based on the results of the previous studies within the project, we have initiated a new study that studies the value of early intervention with the addition of PDE-5 inhibitors in low dose and testosterone substitution on sexual function after treatment of rectal cancer which has not previously been studied. In recent decades, treatment and prognosis in rectal cancer has improved significantly and more and more people survive the disease. It is thus becoming increasingly important to study the quality of life after the treatment has been completed. The objectives of the project are to increase knowledge of sexual function, quality of life and hormone levels after radiotherapy and surgery in women and men with rectal cancer and to improve the care of this large patient group regarding psychosexual prevention, information, rehabilitation and intervention.
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2014 - 31 December 2016
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2011 - 31 December 2012

Employments

  • Professor/Senior Physician, Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, 2014-

Degrees and Education

  • Docent, Karolinska Institutet, 2009
  • Doctor Of Philosophy, Dept of Surgical Science, Karolinska Institutet, 2003
  • University Medical Degree, Karolinska Institutet, 1994

Leadership and responsibility assignments

  • Research team leader, CITCCA - CIrculating Tumour DNA in Colorectal CAncer, Karolinska Institutet, 2020-
  • Research team leader, EROS - EaRly interventiOn and Sexual rehabilitation, Karolinska Institutet, 2018-
  • Research team leader, ALASCCA-trial
  • Adjuvant Low dose ASpirin in patients with Colorectal CAncer, Karolinska Institutet, 2016-
  • Research team leader, Stockholm III Trial, Karolinska Institutet, 2007-2013

Distinction and awards

  • Honorary Fellow of American College of Surgeons (FACS), American College of Surgeons, 2023
  • Honorary Fellow of European Society of Coloproctology (FESCP), European Society of Coloproctology, 2023
  • Honorary Fellow of Royal College of Surgeons of England (FRCS), Royal College of Surgeons of England, 2022
  • Member, BJS Award Committee, 2022
  • Cancer Researcher of the Year, Swedish Cancer Society, Swedish Cancer Society, 2021
  • Honorary Fellowship, American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, 2020
  • Member, International Surgical Group (ISG), 2020
  • Med dr Axel Hirsch Prize, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska Institutet, 2019
  • Tarmcancerpriset, ILCO, ILCO, Tarm- uro- och stomiförbundet, 2019
  • Hilda and Alfred Eriksson's Prize, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, 2018
  • Marc-Claude Marti Lecture, Villars, Switzerland, 2017
  • Årets Lennanderföreläsare, the Swedish Society of Medicine, Swedish Society of Medicine, 2016
  • Six best papers award, ESCP meeting, 2016
  • Six best papers award, ESCP meeting, 2015
  • The Edward Wilson Lecture, Sydney, Australia, 2015
  • Swedish Surgical Society Major Research Prize, Swedish Surgical Society, 2013
  • Six best papers award, ESCP meeting, 2012
  • Young Investigator Award, 6 years of salary stipend for postdoctoral researchers in Sweden working on cancer research, Swedish Cancer Society, 2008
  • Six best papers award, ESCP meeting, 2008
  • Young Promising Researcher, Karolinska Institutet, 2003

Supervision

  • Supervision to doctoral degree

    • Ida Hed Myrberg, 2023-
    • Cecilia Merk, 2022-
    • Sofieke Temmink, Organ preservation in rectal cancer: Implementation and quality assurance, 2021-
    • Huang Linglong, 2021-
    • Mehrnoosh Shahrivar, Aspirin use, genetic profile and prognosis in patients with colorectal cancer, https://ki.se/en/people/mehrnoosh-shahrivar, 2020-
    • Louise de la Motte, Sequele after multimodal treatment of rectal cancer, 2019-
    • Emeli Pontén, 2018-
    • Emelie Ponten, 2017-
    • Stina Fuentes, Adverse effects and quality of life after radiotherapy and surgery for rectal cancer - a randomized controlled trial enriched with register data, 2016-
    • Patrik Lundström, 2015-
    • Petri Rantanen, On the clinical evaluation of morhology related and other risk factors in colorectal cancer patients, 2014-
    • Claes Anderin, Low rectal cancer : aspects of surgical techniques and treatment results, 2012
    • Christian Buchli, Rectal cancer : aspects on radiotherapy, androgens and body composition, 2015
    • Anders Hansson Elliot, On preoperative treatment selection and magnetic resonance imaging in rectal cancer, 2017
    • John Tapper, Hormones, Muscles and Oncological Outcome in men with rectal cancer, 2019
    • Michael Torkzad, Magnetic resonance imaging of rectum : diagnostic and therapy related aspects, 2006
    • Gabriella Jansson Palmer, Locally advanced rectal cancer : aspects on management, outcome and quality of life, 2009
    • David Pettersson, Preoperative radiotherapy in rectal cancer – aspects of different regimens, 2012
    • Richard Bernhoff, Coloncancer- aspects on surgical treatment and Complete Mesocolic Excision, 2018
    • Johan Erlandsson, Preoperative radiotherapy in rectal cancer - Aspects on fractionation and timing to surgery, 2019
    • Annika Svanström Röjvall, Adverse effects of treatment for rectal cancer- Sexual function, hormones, and bone health, 2022
    • Josefin Segelman, Colorectal Cancer – Aspects of multidisciplinary treatment, metastatic disease and sexual function, 2012
    • Karin Westberg, Locally recurrent rectal cancer-aspects on management, surgery and outcome, 2017
    • Deborah Saraste, Early rectal cancer and screening for colorectal cancer, 2015

Committee work

  • Member, Steering committee, Swedish Quantum Life Science Center, 2023-
  • Member, Steering committee, Genomic Medicine Sweden (GMS), 2023-
  • Member, Steering committee, Clinicum, Karolinska Institutet, 2021-
  • Member, Board of Trustees, European Society of Coloproctology (ESCP), 2021-
  • Member, Board, Swedish Cancer Society, 2020-2023
  • Chair, Task-force Precision Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 2020-
  • Member, Board, Forska Sverige, 2020-
  • Member, Board of Directors, Karolinska Cancer Comprehensive Center (KCCC), 2020-
  • Member, Board, KI/Region Stockholm, 2019-
  • Member, Board, Bactiguard (Sweden), 2019-
  • Member, Board, St Erik Eye Hospital, 2019-
  • Chair, Stiftelsen Konung Gustaf V:s Jubileumsfond, 2019-2024
  • Member, Faculty Board, Karolinska Institutet, 2019-
  • Member, Board of Directors, Centrum for Innovative Medicine (CIMED), 2018-
  • Member, Board of Research, Karolinska Institutet, 2015-2018
  • Chair, Program/Scientific Committee, European Society of Coloproctology (ESCP), 2015-2018
  • Chair, Swedish Colorectal Cancer Study Group, 2015-
  • Member, Scientific Committee and Research Council, Swedish Cancer Society, 2012-2017
  • Member, Scientific committee, Swedish Cancer Society, 2012-2018
  • Chair, Bengt Ihre Research Fellowship, 2012-2016
  • Member, United European Gastroenterology Federation Scientific Committee, 2010-2012
  • Chair, Stockholm Colorectal Cancer Study Group, 2008-
  • Member, Steering Committee, Swedish Colorectal Cancer Registry, 2008-2019
  • Other, Advisor, ad hoc committee for development of National Centers of Excellence for the Treatment of Rectal Cancer, American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, 2008-2008
  • Member, Swedish Colorectal Surgery Society, 2004-2006

Editorial work

  • British Journal of Surgery, Editorial board member, 2016
  • European Journal of Surgical Oncology, Associate editor, 2014-2017
  • Colorectal Disease, Associate editor, 2014-2019

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