Elisabeth Wik

Elisabeth Wik completed her MD at the University of Bergen in 1998, and her PhD in 2013 (UiB). She did residency in gynecology, obstetrics and surgery in 2002–2007; and residency in pathology in 2013–2016. She was a postdoc at CCBIO in 2013–2018; consultant in pathology from 2017, and associate professor from 2018. From 2018–2023, she was Head of CCBIO’s Research School for Cancer Studies. She has also served as coordinator for the CCBIO-VBP INTPART project. From 2022, she is Head of the Department of Pathology, Haukeland University Hospital, and she has been group leader of the Breast Cancer of the Young Group since 2019.

Brief group presentation and history

The research group Breast Cancer of the Young — Bergen (BCY-B) was established in 2019. Two PhD candidates and two Medical Student Research Program students (UiB) were part of the group from the beginning. Since then, the group has expanded and today counts two PhD candidates (MD Anna K.M. Sæle, MD Rasmus O.C. Humlevik), three Medical Student Research Program students (Amalie Bark Kvamme, Ulrikke Hugaas, Amalie Fagerli Tegnander), and one pre-PhD student (MD Astrid A. Syrtveit). Researcher Erling A. Høivik teamed up with the group in 2022. In 2023, Lise M. Ingebriktsen completed the first PhD from the group. 

Høivik was from 2023 co-leader of the CCBIO Research School for Cancer Studies together with Agnete Engelsen, and from 2025, he took over as the sole leader of the Research School as Engelsen took on new responsibilities. He is academically responsible for CCBIO908 (Scientific Writing and Communication Seminar) and CCBIO906 (Cancer Genomics).

Research focus

Young patients with breast cancer experience more aggressive tumors and poorer survival compared to what is expected based on traditional clinico-pathologic prognostic measures. Breast cancer (BC) in the young (age ≤ 40 at diagnosis) is one of the most frequent causes of death among women in this age group. The research group BCY-B studies age-related breast cancer biology, aiming for diagnostic biomarker development and improved prognostication for the group of young breast cancer patients — a project of high clinical relevance.

There is a gap in the understanding of age-related tumor alterations in BC, how these contribute to the increased tumor aggressiveness seen in young patients, and whether this should affect the diagnostic and treatment strategies. This also applies to the comprehension of immune cell and tumor angiogenesis phenotypes among the young, and how these inter-relate towards cancer aggressiveness, prediction of therapy resistance, and outcome. The group’s results show more frequent aggressive tumor features like high histologic grade, lymph node metastases, triple negative and HER2+ phenotypes, increased proliferation, and reduced survival in BC patients ≤40 years, clearly pointing out the need to consider age-related biological differences in clinical management.

Subprojects
 

1. Age-related biological tumor characteristics affecting clinical outcome
2. Estrogen receptor-related biology in breast cancer of the young
3. Age-dependent transcriptomic alterations in breast cancer of the young
4. Age-dependent differences in immuno-angiogenic responses in breast cancer
5. Targets for therapy in primary and metastatic lesions in breast cancer of the young

Translational, clinical, and societal impact

Breast cancer of the young is recognized to pose specific societal challenges (e.g. contribution to family life; work life, etc.). The group regards this project as having the potential to contribute to major scientific, clinical, and societal impact. Study results from the BCY-B group have provided attention to the group of young breast cancer patients, and the particular attention this group would need, based on age-related tumor characteristics, pointing to a need for age-based therapy guidance and follow-up. The clinical and societal impacts from the BCY-B study results are emerging, as the group is asked to present data from their studies for the leading national diagnostic and clinical environment.

Future perspectives from 2024

The BCY-B studies will continue the tissue-based studies, integrating histopathologic, clinical, and molecular data, with support of large-scale (omics) data. Continued work includes projects focusing on age-dependent hormone receptor-related alterations, the breast cancer immune cell landscape across ages, and metastases in the young, and will include spatial biomarker information for improved understanding of cancer progress. The BCY-B leadership aims to establish international networks on cancer of the young — aiming for BCY-B to make a difference in research and clinical medicine, particular for the younger breast cancer patients.