Ingrid Glimelius

Senior Consultant in Oncology with a focus on malignant lymphoma and malignant germ cell tumors

Professor, Uppsala University, Sweden.

I do clinical trials and large register-based investigations with a specific focus on Mantle Cell Lymphoma. My research projects also cover many translational projects

I am also leading the work on testicular cancer in Uppsala, Sweden

Professor, Uppsala University, Year 2022 -

Senior consultant in Oncology, Akademiska Sjukhuset, Uppsala, Sweden

Chair Uppsala Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Year 2023 -

PHD, Uppsala University 2009, Hodgkin lymphoma – an interplay between tumour cell and microenvironment

MD, specialist Internal Medicine 2011

MD, specialist Oncology 2013

Associate Professor in Oncology 2016

Good Clinical Practice, Investigator Site Personnel ICH-GCP 2017

Senior Consultant Oncology 2019

Senior lecturer 2021

Professor 2022

Our research focuses on clinically important questions in several cancer forms. We take advantage of the many national and local registries in Sweden.

Mantle Cell Lymphoma

Mantle cell lymphoma is currently one of the lymphomas with poorest long-term survival and novel treatment concepts are urgently needed. In addition to the short expected survival, patients face challenges such as difficulties to tolerate the intensive treatments needed for remission and risk of severe side-effects.

By active participation in the Nordic Mantle Cell lymphoma group, we have been involved in introducing and evaluating several new targeted drugs for mantle cell lymphoma patients.

We participate in several trials testing novel immunotherapies in relapsed disease. The phase III trial Globryte, randomise patients between the bi-specific antibody glofitamab and standard of care (Rituximab-Bendamustine or Rituximab Lenalidomid).

The phase I/II trial Waweline gives mantle cell lymphoma patients the opportunity to be treated with the andtibody-drug conjugate, zilvertamab-vedotin and in one line test the novel covalent bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor nemtabrutinib

In a randomized phase III trial in elderly patients, we have been testing whether a chemotherapy free concept can improve survival while using the first generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor Ibrutinib (the ENRICH trial). We have also recently finished the VALERIA-trial testing and showing that a minimal residual disease (MRD) approach is feasible when guiding treatment length in patients with relapsed and refractory mantle cell lymphoma patients.

We have also included patients in the follow-up trial ALTAMIRA where a MRD guided treatment approach is tested in first line in elderly patients while using the second generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor acalabrutinib (Calquence®) is feasible. Read more about our clinical trial unit at Akademiska Sjukhuset, Uppsala.

With our ongoing trials we aim to give patients access to novel targeted drugs in Uppsala and Sweden.

In addition I am currently investigating the impact of selection to clinical trials and the molecular landscape in diagnostic and relapsed biopsies. PHD students interested in the field are welcome to contact me.

Recently we investigated comorbidities and causes of death in Mantle Cell Lymphoma patients, showing that the majority of patients dies from the lymphoma, although gender differences exists.

Comorbidities and causes of death in Mantle Cell Lymphoma - a nationwide population-based Glimelius I, Smedby KE, Eloranta S, Jerkeman M, Weibull CE

Br J Haematology, November 13 2019. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjh.16317

In addition, we investigate the tumour microenvironment in mantle cell lymphoma, with the aim to identify new prognostic and predictive markers. We do a comprehensive characterization of the genetics, epigenetics and tumor biological features in lymphoma tumors. We aim to further improve the detection of relapses in mantle cell lymphoma patients by exploring novel minimal residual disease (MRD) methods for our patients.

In a register-based approach of our research we are also focusing on the many side-effect’s patients can experience after needing those intensive treatments. We are specifically investigating the risk of second malignancies and secondary infections.

Secondary malignancies among mantle cell lymphoma patients - PubMed (nih.gov)

Hodgkin lymphoma

Hodgkin lymphoma affects young adults and is today a curable disease with intensive chemotherapy. In this article, published in Journal of Clinical Oncology, the childbearing potential in survivors after Hodgkin lymphoma have been investigated together with researcher at Karolinska Institutet Caroline Weibull. We show that in the absence of relapse, contemporarily treated women have an improved childbearing potential with calendar time and women treated today give birth to the same degree as matched comparators.

In a related publication in Journal of Clinical Oncology from 2016 we have earlier shown the safety of having children for female survivors, were there was no increased risk of relapse after a pregnancy

Contemporarily Treated Patients With Hodgkin Lymphoma Have Childbearing Potential in Line With Matched Comparators.

Weibull CE, Johansson ALV, Eloranta S, Smedby KE, Björkholm M, Lambert PC, Dickman PW, Glimelius I. J Clin Oncol. 2018 Jul 25:JCO2018783514. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2018.78.3514. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 30044694

Pregnancy and the Risk of Relapse in Patients Diagnosed With Hodgkin Lymphoma.

Weibull CE, Eloranta S, Smedby K, Björkholm M, Kristinsson SY, Johansson AL, Dickman PW, Glimelius I. J Clin Oncol. 2016 Feb 1;34(4):337-44. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2015.63.3446. Epub 2015 Dec 14. PMID: 26668344

Nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphoma

We have recently started a joint Nordic collaboration investigating the outcome and late effects for patients burdened by the rare subtype Nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL).

Pregnancy and the risk of cancer

In two recent articles published in International Journal of Cancer and a comprehensive review published in Journal of Internal Medicine the associations between pregnancies and later cancer risk in the mother is examined. In the first article we show that a full length pregnancy protects against epithelial ovarian cancer to a higher extent than a pregnancy resulting in preterm delivery. In the next article, we show a decreased risk of breast cancer for females experiencing high blood pressure prior to and during pregnancy. In the review we both illustrate and discuss different aspects of pregnancy and a later risk of several solid malignancies.

Preterm delivery is associated with an increased risk of epithelial ovarian cancer among parous women.

Sköld C, Bjørge T, Ekbom A, Engeland A, Gissler M, Grotmol T, Madanat-Harjuoja L, Gulbech Ording A, Stephansson O, Trabert B, Tretli S, Troisi R, Toft Sørensen H, Glimelius I.

Int J Cancer. 2018 May 8. doi: 10.1002/ijc.31581. [Epub ahead of print] PMID:29737528

Pregnancy Complications and Subsequent Breast Cancer Risk in the Mother: A Nordic population-based case-control study.

Troisi R, Gulbech Ording A, Grotmol T, Glimelius I, Engeland A, Gissler M, Trabert B, Ekbom A, Madanat-Harjuoja L, Toft Sørensen H, Tretli S, Bjørge T.

Int J Cancer. 2018 May 11. doi: 10.1002/ijc.31600. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 29752724

The role of pregnancy, perinatal factors and hormones in maternal cancer risk: a review of the evidence.

Troisi R, Bjørge T, Gissler M, Grotmol T, Kitahara CM, Myrtveit Saether SM, Ording AG, Sköld C, Sørensen HT, Trabert B, Glimelius I.J Intern Med. 2018 May;283(5):430-445. doi: 10.1111/joim.12747. Epub 2018 Mar 25. PMID:29476569

Malignant Germ Cell Tumours - testicular cancer and non-epithelial ovarian cancer

We have a research collaboration focusing on rare malignancies in young adults. We conduct research on risk and prognosis in testicular cancer and research about the rare non-epithelial ovarian cancer in women.

We conduct large register-based investigations and have collaborations with the SWENOTECA group, The Swedish Norwegian Testicular Cancer Group and Svenska Gynekologiska Cancergruppen. With those collaborations we gain knowledge and data from whole Sweden.

One of our patients talking about participation in a clinical trial regarding Mantle Cell Lymphoma: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df6stYjhWXM

https://www.medfarm.uu.se/vision/ Creating visons for the Medical Faculty Fall 2020