DR-390 Exploring the impact of tumor microenvironment, biological ageing and immune health on cancer initiation, development, and treatment response

1. Cancer is a complex disease, characterized by a wide spectrum of genome abnormalities. However, emerging data indicates that genomic drivers may not stand alone as the cause of cancer. Rather, it is becoming clear that the interaction with the patient immune system is critical for development of advanced cancer. 
2. Using HMF data on metastatic cancer, we will characterize the immune microenvironment, and develop measures of biological age, to investigate how it impacts cancer evolution and treatment response.
3. Understanding the relevance of the patient immune response on cancer development and progression may enable novel therapeutic interventions.

Nicolai Birkbak, Aarhus University, Denmark