Congratulations

Anna Thor from SWENOTECA awarded grant to improve care for men with testicular cancer

At the annual meeting of the Swedish Association for Urological Oncology (SFUO) in Stockholm on 13 November 2025, researcher Anna Thor from Karolinska Institutet received a SEK 100,000 grant — awarded in collaboration with pharmaceutical company Pfizer — for her work on metastatic testicular cancer. 

Her project investigates whether surgery can replace chemotherapy for some men with disseminated seminoma. By focusing on surgery and biomarkers such as microRNA, Thor hopes to lower the risk of long-term side effects from cytotoxic drugs — like cardiovascular disease or secondary cancers — while preserving excellent cure rates. 

Testicular cancer is the most common solid tumor in young men. Although survival rates are high, treatment-related late effects remain a serious concern. Through the Swedish–Norwegian collaboration SWENOTECA, Thor aims to collect population-based data to help tailor therapy to individual patients. 

“This grant enables us to work toward treatments that not only cure cancer — but also protect lifelong health,” she states. Her research offers hope that future survivors can lead healthy lives free from the burdens of overtreatment.