Eric Van Cutsem

Board Member, European Cancer Organisation
Head of Digestive Oncology, University Hospitals Gasthuisberg & KULeuven
President, Belgian Foundation against Cancer

Eric Van Cutsem, MD, PhD, is full professor and Division Head of Digestive Oncology at University Hospitals Gasthuisberg & KULeuven, Belgium. He is a member of the Belgian Royal Academy of Medicine and president of the Belgian Foundation against Cancer (Stichting tegen Kanker; Fondation contre le Cancer).

In 2018 he became doctor honoris causa of the Medical University of Warsaw, Poland and received several national and international awards, amongst which were in 2019 the ESMO Award and the European Awards in Medicine for Cancer Research.
He published extensively: >705 articles in PubMed and more than 1600 according Thomson Web of Science, leading to more than 110.000 citations and an H-factor of 146. His research interests are various aspects of Gastrointestinal and Digestive cancers (colorectal, gastric, pancreas, bile duct, esophageal cancer and neuroendocrine tumors). He serves on many industry advisory boards for new anti-cancer drugs and treatment modalities and Independent Data Monitoring Committee of clinical trials.

He co-founded and is chair of ESMO GI/World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer in Barcelona, Spain. He serves/served on the board or key committee of ESMO (European Society Medical Oncology; executive board, several committees), UEG (United European Gastroenterology; educational committee, public affairs committee, scientific committee), ASCO (American Society of Clinical Oncology; program committee, international affairs committee), ENET (European NeuroEndocrine Society; advisory board), EORTC (European Organisation Research Treatment Cancer; executive board, chair of GI Cancer group), ECO (European Cancer Organisation; program committee), ESDO (European Society Digestive Oncology; president), ESO (European School of Oncology; Scientific council) and of patient advocacy groups EuropaColon (medical director) and Digestive Cancers Europe (DICE; co-founder, executive board) and the Foundation Engie (CSR) France & Belgium.

He was chairman of the governmental colon cancer prevention task force in Flanders, Belgium, was/is in Belgian active as president and treasurer of Belgian Group Digestive Oncology and as president/vice-president of Familial Polyposis Association (FAPA).

He is/was member of the Scientific Advisory board for different international hospitals/cancer centers: Institut National du Cancer (INCA), Toulouse & Paris, France; University of Ulm & Leipzig, Germany; Humanitas Hospital, Milan & Avignon, France and is member of the board of directors of the regional hospital of Halle (vice-president since 09-2023) and member of the board of CUROZ, network of hospitals, Belgium.

He is member of the governmental commission of recognition for specialists in gastroenterology/digestive oncology.

Updated: January 2024