Eric Van Cutsem
埃里克·范·库特森
MD, PhD
Head, Department of Digestive Oncology, University Hospitals Leuven; Professor, KU Leuven鲁汶大学医院消化肿瘤科主任；鲁汶天主教大学教授
👥Biography 个人简介
Eric Van Cutsem, MD, PhD is Head of the Department of Digestive Oncology at University Hospitals Leuven and Professor at KU Leuven in Belgium. He is one of the most prolific and globally influential clinical investigators in gastrointestinal oncology, having led or co-led landmark trials that shaped the current treatment paradigm for metastatic colorectal cancer. Dr. Van Cutsem was the principal investigator of the CRYSTAL trial, which first established that adding cetuximab to FOLFIRI in first-line metastatic CRC significantly improved progression-free survival and response rate — and that this benefit was tightly restricted to patients with KRAS wild-type tumors, cementing KRAS testing as a mandatory biomarker. He subsequently co-led the PRIME trial with Douillard, confirming that extended RAS (all KRAS and NRAS mutations) testing is required before anti-EGFR therapy. Dr. Van Cutsem has also led studies on bevacizumab, aflibercept, ramucirumab, and combination maintenance strategies in mCRC. He has authored more than 700 peer-reviewed publications and is among the most highly cited oncologists in the world, with an h-index exceeding 115. He has served as Editor-in-Chief of Annals of Oncology and is a member of multiple international guideline panels.
🧪Research Fields 研究领域
🎓Key Contributions 主要贡献
CRYSTAL Trial — Cetuximab + FOLFIRI First-Line Standard in KRAS Wild-Type mCRC
Led the CRYSTAL phase III trial demonstrating that cetuximab added to FOLFIRI chemotherapy significantly improved progression-free survival (8.9 vs 8.0 months) and response rate in first-line metastatic CRC, with the benefit restricted to patients with KRAS wild-type tumors, establishing KRAS testing as the foundational biomarker for anti-EGFR therapy selection in mCRC.
Extended RAS Testing Validation and PRIME Trial Co-Leadership
Co-led the PRIME trial analyses demonstrating that extended RAS testing (encompassing KRAS and NRAS exons 2, 3, 4) identifies a larger group of patients (approximately 15% of KRAS exon 2 wild-type) who do not benefit from and may be harmed by panitumumab, establishing the current international standard requiring extended RAS testing before any anti-EGFR therapy.
Anti-VEGF Therapy Landscape — Bevacizumab, Aflibercept, and Ramucirumab in mCRC
Led or co-led multiple pivotal trials evaluating VEGF-targeting agents in metastatic CRC, including foundational bevacizumab studies, the VELOUR trial establishing aflibercept plus FOLFIRI as a second-line option, and the RAISE trial for ramucirumab, providing comparative evidence for anti-VEGF agent selection across lines of therapy.
Conversion Therapy and Resectability of Liver-Only Metastases
Has been a leading voice on conversion therapy strategies in initially unresectable liver-only metastatic CRC, emphasizing that the selection of high-response-rate first-line regimens (including anti-EGFR in RAS/RAF wild-type patients with left-sided tumors) can convert a proportion of patients to resectability with curative intent — contributing to ESMO consensus guidelines on this approach.
Representative Works 代表性著作
Cetuximab and chemotherapy as initial treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer (CRYSTAL)
New England Journal of Medicine (2009)
CRYSTAL trial demonstrating significant PFS and response rate improvement with cetuximab added to FOLFIRI in KRAS wild-type first-line metastatic CRC, founding the biomarker-driven anti-EGFR paradigm.
Aflibercept versus placebo in combination with fluorouracil, leucovorin and irinotecan in the treatment of previously treated metastatic colorectal cancer (VELOUR)
Journal of Clinical Oncology (2012)
VELOUR phase III trial establishing aflibercept plus FOLFIRI as a second-line option in metastatic CRC after oxaliplatin-based therapy failure.
Metastatic colorectal cancer: ESMO Clinical Practice Guideline for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up
Annals of Oncology (2023)
Current ESMO guidelines for metastatic CRC covering molecular testing, treatment algorithms, sequencing strategies, and emerging therapies including HER2, BRAF, and KRAS G12C inhibitors.
Bevacizumab in combination with oxaliplatin, fluorouracil, and leucovorin (FOLFOX4) for previously treated metastatic colorectal cancer: results from the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Study E3200
Journal of Clinical Oncology (2007)
E3200 trial demonstrating bevacizumab plus FOLFOX4 improved OS in second-line metastatic CRC, expanding anti-VEGF therapy indications.
🏆Awards & Recognition 奖项与荣誉
📄Data Sources 数据来源
Last updated: 2026-04-06 | All information from publicly available academic sources
Related Experts 相关专家
Hope S. Rugo
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
Maryam B. Lustberg
Yale School of Medicine / Yale Cancer Center
Sara M. Tolaney
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute / Harvard Medical School
Carlos H. Barrios
PUCRS (Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul) / Hospital São Lucas, Porto Alegre, Brazil
关注 埃里克·范·库特森 的研究动态
Follow Eric Van Cutsem's research updates
留下邮箱，当我们发布与 Eric Van Cutsem（University Hospitals Leuven / KU Leuven）相关的新研究或访谈时，我们会通知你。
Explore More Experts
Discover the researchers shaping the future of cancer treatment