The passing of Anton Hagenbeek, a key contributor to the lymphoma community

It is with great sadness we announce the passing of Professor Anton Hagenbeek. The Lymphoma Hub is eternally grateful for his guidance and contributions as an Executive Steering Committee member. Throughout his remarkable career, Hagenbeek co-authored over 345 papers in peer-reviewed journals, leaving a lasting impression on the lymphoma community.

Following completion of his medical degree at the Erasmus University, Rotterdam, NL, Anton Hagenbeek was trained in experimental hematology and undertook his PhD at the Radiobiological Institute T.N.O., Rijswijk. Hagenbeek’s career later steered him to the Department of Hematology at the Erasmus MC Daniel den Hoed Cancer Centre in Rotterdam, where he oversaw the autologous and allogeneic stem cell transplantation program from 1987–1994.

 

From 1993, Hagenbeek carried out research into developmental therapeutics for the management of leukemia as a Professor of Clinical and Experimental Hemato-Oncology at the Erasmus University. This pivotal stage of his career focused on translational research, from preclinical animal and in vitro models to clinical application, with a major focus on intergroup studies in Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas.

In 1997, Hagenbeek was appointed Professor of Hematology at the University Medical Centre Utrecht, alongside a joint appointment as Professor of Hematology in the Department of Hematology at the Academic Medical Centre and the University of Amsterdam from 2006.

Additional achievements include Hagenbeek’s role in communications for the European Hematology Association, as well as sitting on the advisory boards of a number of other congresses and hemato-oncology journals. He was a member of the international consortium on developing new biological prognostic indices in lymphoma and of the international consortium on first-in-man phase I/II studies with new agents in lymphomas and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

The remarkable work of Professor Anton Hagenbeek undoubtably impacted the lives of people with hematologic malignancies worldwide, as reflected by the below tributes from members of the Lymphoma Hub Steering Committee.

“Ton was a fantastic colleague, with a breadth knowledge in hematology, but passioned with the challenges we have to tackle with lymphoma. His enthusiasm and determination for building new projects and for establishing and consolidating collaborations was really contagious. His contribution was determinant to the emergence and growth of Lymphoma Hub. And besides all his professional qualities, we lose a friend who liked so much to share some of his free time relaxing outdoors or around a nice table. We will really miss him and share the deep sorrow of his sons and his friends.”

Gilles Salles, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, US.

 “We are standing on the shoulders of giants” (John of Salisbury, 1159)

“Ton was definitely such a giant in clinical research of lymphoma: he contributed extremely valuable investigations on autologous transplant, radioimmunotherapy, various antibodies, etc. in indolent lymphoma, all of them representing timely approaches at that time. Moreover, he was a very heartful colleague, always in favour of the ‘oranje team’ (the brilliant national team of the Netherlands). I remember him inviting all of us to watch the European Championship even at the EHA convention in Holland, wearing a bright orange fan T-shirt!

On the other hand, he was really one major driver of the European Hematology Association!

We all will sincerely miss him!”

Martin Dreyling, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, DE.

“Ton was known for his support of newly established lymphoma groups. We remember his several visits of Czech Lymphoma Study Group meetings, his friendship, inspiration and the collaboration within the academic studies and translational research.”

Marek Trněný, Charles University Hospital, Prague, CZ.