Winan van Houdt

I started working as a surgical oncologist at the Netherlands Cancer Institute in 2017. I primarily focus on treating sarcomas, GIST tumours, and desmoid tumours (fibromatosis), as well as melanomas, squamous cell carcinomas, and other rare tumour types. Together with my team of sarcoma specialists at the Netherlands Cancer Institute, I treat soft tissue sarcomas throughout the entire body, including tumours in the arms and legs, belly, thoracic wall, and retroperitoneal space.

After my surgical training at the UMC Utrecht and the Netherlands Cancer Institute, I specialised in sarcomas through a KWF clinical fellowship at some of the world's best oncological hospitals in Milan, Toronto, and New York, and worked as a surgeon at the Royal Marsden Hospital melanoma unit in London. I brought a wealth of knowledge and experience gained during that period with me to the Netherlands Cancer Institute.

Because the Netherlands Cancer Institute aims to offer world-class oncological care, I take part in various international collaborations in sarcoma research: I am a 'young oncologist' in the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) sarcoma group, and a member of the Trans-Atlantic retroperitoneal sarcoma working group (TARPSWG).

The sarcoma and melanoma team at the Netherlands Cancer Institute develops a personalised treatment plan for every patient depending on the tumour type, characteristics, and our patient's personal needs. The treatment provided usually consists of surgery in combination with radiation therapy, and sometimes chemotherapy or other targeted drugs. Together with two colleagues, I often perform isolated limb perfusions for sarcomas and melanomas; a procedure only available at three hospitals in the Netherlands. This is why the Netherlands Cancer Institute is the ideal place to provide high-quality care to sarcoma and melanoma patients, involving the newest radiation therapy strategies and with a focus on maintaining the quality of life.