Ilaria Colombo

Ilaria Colombo

Medical Oncologist

Gynecologic oncology

Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland

Location Switzerland, Bellinzona

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Dr. Ilaria Colombo is a medical oncologist specializing in gynecological malignancies and early-phase clinical trials for solid tumors. She currently serves as Lead of the Gynecological Cancer Program and Phase 1 Program, and Chair of Clinical Research, at the Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland (IOSI) in Bellinzona. Since February 2026, she also holds the title of Privat Dozent (Libero Docente) at the Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI). A Faculty Member of the ESMO Gynaecological Group and Vice President of the Gynecological Project Group of the Swiss Group for Clinical Cancer Research (SAKK), Dr. Colombo is recognized internationally for her leadership in drug development and her contributions to advancing treatment standards in gynecologic oncology.

Current Positions

  • Lead, Gynecological Cancer Program and Phase 1 Program, Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland (IOSI), Bellinzona, Switzerland, 2018–present
  • Privat Dozent (Libero Docente), Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), February 2026–present
  • Chair, Clinical Research Unit, IOSI, 2023–present
  • Senior Medical Oncologist, IOSI, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Bellinzona, Switzerland, 2018–present
  • Medical Doctor (Honorary Affiliation), University Health Network / Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Canada, 2016–present
  • Faculty Member, ESMO Gynaecological Cancers Group
  • Vice President, Gynecological Project Group, Swiss Group for Clinical Cancer Research (SAKK)

Education

Doctor of Medicine (MD), Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Italy, 1999–2005
Specialty in Medical Oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Italy, 2005–2009
Master’s Degree, Fundamentals of Clinical Research, Università degli Studi di Parma, Italy, 2014–2015
Privat Dozent (Libero Docente), Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), February 2026

Professional Experience

  • Medical Oncologist, Department of Medical Oncology, A. Manzoni Hospital, Lecco, Italy, December 2009–October 2015
  • Clinical Research Fellow, Drug Development Program and Gynecological Cancers, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada, 2016–2018
  • Senior Medical Oncologist and Lead, Gynecological Cancer and Phase 1 Programs, IOSI, Bellinzona, Switzerland, 2018–present
  • Chair, Clinical Research Unit, IOSI, 2023–present
  • Principal and Co-Investigator in numerous national and international clinical trials in gynecologic oncology and early-phase drug development

Research Activity

  • Drug development and Phase 1 trials: Leads the Phase 1 Program at IOSI with active involvement as Principal and Co-Investigator in first-in-human and dose-escalation studies across multiple novel oncology agents, including CDK2 inhibitors, WEE1 inhibitors, bromodomain inhibitors, TEAD inhibitors, liposomal formulations, and tumor-targeted interleukins
  • Gynecological malignancies: Focuses on ovarian, endometrial, and cervical cancers, with particular expertise in PARP inhibitors, immune checkpoint inhibitors, antibody-drug conjugates, and resistance mechanisms in platinum-resistant disease
  • Translational and biomarker research: Active contributor to immunological and genomic characterization studies in high-grade serous ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer, including work within the INSPIRE trial and AtTEnd trial
  • Body composition and oncology: Co-investigator in studies evaluating computed tomography-based body composition as a predictor of chemotherapy toxicity and survival in ovarian cancer
  • SAKK: Vice President of the Gynecological Project Group; contributor to multiple SAKK-sponsored phase I/II trials including NAPAGE (soft tissue sarcoma), SAKK 65/16 (TLD-1), and
  • SAKK 67/20 (micellar docetaxel in mCRPC)
  • COVID-19 and oncology: Contributed to ESMO guidelines for cancer patient management during the COVID-19 pandemic

Memberships / Affiliations

  • Faculty Member, ESMO Gynaecological Cancers Group
  • Vice President, Gynecological Project Group, Swiss Group for Clinical Cancer Research (SAKK)
  • European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO)
  • American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
  • Member, ESMO Gynaecological Cancers Congress Scientific Committee

Areas of Specialization

  • Gynecological oncology (ovarian, endometrial, and cervical cancers)
  • Early-phase and Phase 1 clinical trials
  • Drug development and novel therapeutic agents
  • PARP inhibitors and DNA damage response targeting
  • Immune checkpoint inhibitors and combination immunotherapy
  • Antibody-drug conjugates in gynecologic cancers
  • Translational and biomarker research
  • Body composition and oncology outcomes

Publications

Dr. Colombo has authored and co-authored more than 80 publications, including peer-reviewed journal articles, clinical trial reports, consensus guidelines, book chapters, and conference abstracts.

Select Recent Publications:

Colombo I, Karakasis K, Suku S, Oza AM. “Chasing immune checkpoint inhibitors in ovarian cancer: novel combinations and biomarker discovery.” Cancers 15(12):3220, 2023.

Colombo N, Biagioli E, Harano K, Galli F, Hudson E, Antill Y, Choi CH, Colombo I, et al. “Atezolizumab and chemotherapy for advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer (AtTEnd): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial.” The Lancet Oncology 25(9):1135–1146, 2024.

Guo C, Sharp A, Gurel B, Crespo M, Figueiredo I, Jain S, Vogl U, Colombo I, et al. “Targeting myeloid chemotaxis to reverse prostate cancer therapy resistance.” Nature 623(7989):1053–1061, 2023.

Martorana F, Pavone G, Sessa C, Treglia G, Lheureux S, Colombo I. “Can we learn from failures? A systematic review of phase III trials in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer.” International Journal of Gynecological Cancer 35(1):100009, 2025.

Ciliberti EA, Calleja-Holgado FJ, Lheureux S, Van Gorp T, Colombo I, et al. “Safety of antibody-drug conjugates in gynecologic cancers: current evidence and management approaches.” International Journal of Gynecological Cancer, 2025.

Trevisi E, Sessa C, Colombo I. “Clinical relevance of circulating tumor DNA in ovarian cancer: current issues and future opportunities.” Exploration of Targeted Anti-tumor Therapy 5(3):627, 2024.

TLD-1 Phase I (SAKK 65/16): Colombo I, Koster KL, Holer L, Haefliger S, Rabaglio M, Bastian S, et al. “TLD-1, a novel liposomal doxorubicin, in patients with advanced solid tumors: dose escalation and expansion part of a multicenter open-label phase I trial.” European Journal of Cancer 201:113588, 2024.

Mc Laughlin AM, Hess D, Michelet R, Colombo I, et al. “Population pharmacokinetics of TLD-1, a novel liposomal doxorubicin, in a phase I trial.” Cancer Chemotherapy and Pharmacology 94(3):349–360, 2024.

Klose M, Colombo I, Gobat K, et al. “TLD-1, a novel liposomal doxorubicin, in patients with solid tumors: comparative pharmacokinetics and final results of a multicenter phase 1 study (SAKK 65/16).” Clinical Pharmacokinetics 65(2):217–228, 2026.

Papadopoulos KP, Sharma M, Dummer R, Colombo I, Ramelyte E, et al. “Results of a phase 1, dose-finding study of Debio 0123 as monotherapy in adult patients with advanced solid tumors.” Journal of Clinical Oncology 42(16_suppl):3120, 2024.

Debio 0123 Phase I: Papadopoulos KP, Sharma MR, Dummer R, Colombo I, et al. “Debio 0123, a WEE1 kinase inhibitor: Phase 1 results from dose escalation in patients with advanced solid tumors.” European Journal of Cancer, 2026.

Lorusso D, Damian S, Simonelli M, Homicsko K, Colombo I, Cassier PA, et al. “Safety and preliminary efficacy from a phase 1 study of INCB123667, a selective CDK2 inhibitor, in patients with advanced platinum-resistant and refractory ovarian cancer.” Journal of Clinical Oncology 43(16_suppl):5514, 2025.

Lorusso D, Damian S, Colombo I, Wang EW, van der Velden M, et al. “Interim safety and antitumor activity data from a phase 1 study of INCB123667, a selective CDK2 inhibitor, in patients with metastatic recurrent endometrial cancer.” Journal of Clinical Oncology 43(16_suppl):5603, 2025.

Saini KS, Koopman M, Martins-Branco D, Bossi P, Winther SB, Brahmi M, Colombo I, et al. “ESMO adaptation of lines of systemic therapy (EnLiST): a consensus framework for standardising the designation of lines of therapy in solid tumours.” Annals of Oncology, 2026.

Van Aken ESM, Gandhi AK, O’Cathail SM, Borst G, Barriuso J, Fokas E, Colombo I, et al. “ESMO-ESTRO consensus statements on the safety of combining radiotherapy with CDK4/6, HER2, PARP, or mTOR inhibitors.” Radiotherapy and Oncology, 2025.

Parola S, Colombo I. “Bispecific antibodies in the treatment of epithelial ovarian, endometrial, and cervical cancer: an overview of current applications, challenges, and emerging opportunities.” Exploration of Targeted Anti-tumor Therapy 6:1002345, 2025.

Pavone G, Martorana F, Ricco V, Ciliberti EA, Nerone M, Sessa C, Colombo I, et al. “A systematic review of phase I trials in patients with ovarian cancer.” Cancer Treatment Reviews 139:102982, 2025.

Koster KL, Colombo I, Hayoz S, Eckhardt K, Mora AR, Hess D, Britschgi C, et al. “A retrospective analysis of phase I and phase I/II investigator-initiated clinical trials conducted by the Swiss Group for Clinical Cancer Research (SAKK).” ESMO Open 10(11):105876, 2025.

Martinez-Cannon BA, Colombo I. “The evolving role of immune checkpoint inhibitors in cervical and endometrial cancer.” Cancer Drug Resistance 7:23, 2024.

Lheureux S, Matei DE, Konstantinopoulos PA, Wang BX, Gadalla R, Colombo I, et al. “Translational randomized phase II trial of cabozantinib in combination with nivolumab in advanced, recurrent, or metastatic endometrial cancer.” Journal for Immunotherapy of Cancer 10(3):e004233, 2022.

All information is sourced from publicly available materials.