dr. Justine Himpe (MD)

In Belgium, approximately 1,500 new gynecological cancers are diagnosed annually in women aged over 70. Uterine and ovarian cancers are particularly common, with a median age at diagnosis around 70 years. Older women more often present with advanced disease, resulting in higher morbidity and mortality.

Despite this disproportionate burden, they remain underrepresented in clinical trials and psychosocial research. Consequently, current guidelines are largely based on younger, fitter populations, complicating treatment decisions and increasing the risk of both overtreatment and undertreatment, particularly in multimodal care settings.

Geriatric screening and comprehensive geriatric assessment have therefore become integral components of oncological care. Central to this approach is the concept of frailty, defined as a reduced physiological reserve and increased vulnerability to stressors such as cancer and its treatment. Frailty is strongly associated with adverse outcomes, including treatment-related complications, functional decline, reduced quality of life, and increased mortality, and is present in approximately half of older women with gynecological malignancies. However, although frailty research has substantially improved risk stratification at the start of treatment, a critical gap remains in understanding patients’ recovery trajectories after treatment. This gap relates to the concept of resilience—defined as the capacity of an individual patient to maintain or regain functional status following exposure to a significant stressor, such as cancer treatment.

This project focuses on functional resilience and the aims are to: 

• characterize functional trajectories in older women with gynecological cancer

• identify clinical, biological, and psychosocial determinants of resilience

• evaluate how resilience can inform personalized care

This research seeks to identify patients at risk of functional decline and those likely to recover, ultimately supporting more tailored, patient-centered care with a focus on preserving independence and quality of life.
 

I am a medical oncologist at the Department of Medical Oncology at Ghent University Hospital (Belgium). My clinical and research interests include gynecological malignancies, sarcomas, cancer survivorship, and geriatric oncology.
I obtained my medical degree from Ghent University in 2019 and completed my subspecialty training in medical oncology in 2025. 
I am actively involved in several professional societies, including the Belgian Society of Medical Oncology (BSMO), the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), the European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO), and the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG). In addition, I am a member of the BSMO working groups on survivorship and geriatric oncology, contributing to initiatives aimed at improving care for older patients and cancer survivors.
 

• Quality of Life Measures in Advanced Endometrial Cancer: A Systematic Review of Reporting Practices in Phase III Clinical Trials. Cancers (Basel). 2026 Jan 14;18(2):258. doi: 10.3390/cancers18020258. PMID: 41595177; PMCID: PMC12839332
   

• Lab address: Corneel Heymanslaan 10, University Hospital Gent
• Department of Medical Oncology UZ Gent 
• Cancer Center
• LinkedIn
• Justine Himpe is involved in 
  - GYPON: Gynaecologisch Pelvien Oncologisch Netwerk
  - BGOG: Belgian Gynaecological Oncology Group
• Justine Himpe is interested to receive invitations for presentations or talks