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Winan van Houdt Highlights New Article on Surgical Strategies for TIL Therapy in Melanoma

Photo of Winan van Houdt from avl.nl

Jun 29, 2025, 07:14

Winan van Houdt Highlights New Article on Surgical Strategies for TIL Therapy in Melanoma

Winan van Houdt, Surgical Oncologist at Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, shared a post by Marco Donia, Research Group Leader of the TIL group at CCIT (Center for Cancer Immune Therapy) and Professor at the University of Copenhagen, on LinkedIn, adding:

“Proud of this teamwork led by Liselotte Tas and myself – nicely described by Marco Donia below. This work can guide surgeons around the world to optimize the surgical strategy when harvesting tumor material for TIL therapy for melanoma.

We also introduced the new term ‘beneficial operation’, describing the chance that an operation for TIL therapy will actually benefit the patient – defined as an operation that resulted in successful TIL manufacture leading to a clinical reponse in our patients.

This new term can be used by surgeons in the future to compare surgical strategies for this purpose.”

Quoting Marco Donia‘s post:

“Surgical considerations for TIL therapy in melanoma

In a collaboration between colleagues at The Netherlands Cancer Institute and our team at CCIT-DK – National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy of Denmark, we analysed every metastasectomy performed in the pivotal TIL vs ipilimumab phase III study

Key Points:

93 operations treated 80 patients with a 17 % rate of only mild (Clavien I/II) surgical complications.
Lymph-node lesions had the lowest TIL outgrowth failure (≈3 %) compared with subcutaneous (≈19 %) and other sites (≈15 %).
Lesion size (≤2 cm vs >4 cm) and number had no significant impact on manufacturing success or clinical response.
Even incomplete resections were acceptable for successful TIL manufacture, helping minimise morbidity.

Clinical perspectives:

Safe harvest from a broad range of metastatic sites: focus should be on accessibility & patient preference.
A single, small lymph-node lesion is often enough; avoid extensive surgery when a low-impact option exists.
Fast recovery (median 1 day in hospital) keeps patients on-track for subsequent lymphodepletion and TIL infusion.

Take home:
Minimal-morbidity surgery can reliably deliver potent TIL products.

Congrats to the team Liselotte Tas, Marie Brinch-Møller Weitemeyer, Maartje Rohaan, Troels Holz Borch, Alexander van Akkooi, Inge Marie Svane, John Haanen, Lisbet Rosenkrantz Hölmich, Winan van Houdt and many others.”

Winan van Houdt

Title: Surgical considerations for tumour-infiltrating lymphocyte therapy in melanoma: results from a randomized phase III trial

Authors: Maartje W. Rohaan, Troels H. Borch, Joost H. van den Berg, Özcan Met, Rob Kessels, Marnix H. Geukes Foppen, Joachim Stoltenborg Granhøj, Bastiaan Nuijen, Cynthia Nijenhuis, Inge Jedema, Maaike van Zon, Saskia Scheij, Jos H. Beijnen, Marten Hansen, Carlijn Voermans, Inge M. Noringriis, Tine J. Monberg, Rikke B. Holmstroem, Lidwina D.V. Wever, Marloes van Dijk, Lindsay G. Grijpink-Ongering, Ludy H.M. Valkenet, Alejandro Torres Acosta, Matthias Karger, Jessica S.W. Borgers, Renske M.T. ten Ham, Valesca P. Retèl, Wim H. van Harten, Ferry Lalezari, Harm van Tinteren, Astrid A.M. van der Veldt, Geke A.P. Hospers, Marion A.M. Stevense-den Boer, Karijn P.M. Suijkerbuijk, Maureen J.B. Aarts, Djura Piersma, Alfons J.M. van den Eertwegh, Jan-Willem B. de Groot, Gerard Vreugdenhil, Ellen Kapiteijn, Marye J. Boers-Sonderen, W. Edward Fiets, Franchette W.P.J. van den Berkmortel, Eva Ellebaek, Lisbet R. Hölmich, Alexander C.J. van Akkooi, Winan J. van Houdt, Michel W.J.M. Wouters, Johannes V. van Thienen, Christian U. Blank, Aafke Meerveld-Eggink, Sebastian Klobuch, Sofie Wilgenhof, Ton N. Schumacher, Marco Donia, Inge Marie Svane, John B.A.G. Haanen

Read the Full Article.

Winan van Houdt Highlights New Article on Surgical Strategies for TIL Therapy in Melanoma

Title: Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte Therapy or Ipilimumab in Advanced Melanoma

Authors: Maartje W. Rohaan, Troels H. Borch, Joost H. van den Berg, Özcan Met, Rob Kessels, Marnix H. Geukes Foppen, Joachim Stoltenborg Granhøj, John B.A.G. Haanen

Read the Full Article.

Winan van Houdt Highlights New Article on Surgical Strategies for TIL Therapy in Melanoma

More posts featuring Marco Donia.

Aafke Meerveld-Eggink Alejandro Torres Acosta Alexander C J van Akkooi Alfons J.M. van den Eertwegh Anke Kuijpers Astrid A.M. van der Veldt Bastiaan Nuijen cancer Carlijn Voermans Christian U. Blank Cynthia M. Nijenhuis Cynthia Nijenhuis Djura Piersma Ellen Kapiteijn Eva Ellebæk Ferry Lalezari Franchette W.P.J. van den Berkmortel Geke A.P. Hospers Gerard Vreugdenhil Harm van Tinteren I Marie Svane Inge Jedema Inge M. Noringriis Inge Marie Svane Jan Willem B. de Groot Jessica S. W. Borgers Joachim Stoltenborg Granhøj Johannes V. van Thienen John B.A.G. Haanen Joost H. van den Berg Jos H. Beijnen Karijn P.M. Suijkerbuijk Koen J Hartemink Lidwina D.V. Wever Lindsay G. Grijpink-Ongering Lisbet R Hölmich Liselotte Tas Ludy H.M. Valkenet Maaike van Zon Maartje W Rohaan Marco Donia Marie B Weitemeyer Marion A.M. Stevense-den Boer Marloes van Dijk Marnix H. Geukes Foppen Marten Hansen Marye J. Boers-Sonderen Matthias Karger Maureen J.B. Aarts Melanoma Michel W J M Wouters Niels F M Kok OncoDaily Oncology Özcan Met Renske M.T. ten Ham Rikke B. Holmstroem Rob Kessels Saskia Scheij Sebastian Klobuch Sofie Wilgenhof The Netherlands Cancer Institute TIL Therapy TIL Therapy in Melanoma Tine J. Monberg Tom T P Seijkens Ton N. Schumacher Troels H Borch Valesca P. Retèl W. Edward Fiets Wim H. van Harten Winan J van Houdt Yvonne M Schrage

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