Marleen van der Kaaij

Papers

Total Citations

228

H-Index

About

Marleen van der Kaaij is a leading clinical researcher whose work has fundamentally shaped our understanding of the long-term consequences of cancer therapy, with a particular focus on reproductive health and quality of life. Her research centers on the late effects of treatment, specifically sexual dysfunction and infertility, areas that were historically understudied despite their profound impact on survivors. Her landmark 2014 paper, "Sexual dysfunction and infertility as late effects of cancer treatment," has been cited over 228 times, establishing a critical framework for recognizing that at least half of men and women treated for pelvic malignancies—and over a quarter of those with other cancers—experience lasting sexual health challenges. By systematically linking these problems to treatment-induced damage to nerves, blood vessels, and hormonal pathways, van der Kaaij provided the evidence base needed to integrate sexual health counseling into survivorship care. Her work has been instrumental in shifting oncology from a purely survival-focused model to one that prioritizes patients' long-term well-being, making her a pivotal figure in the growing field of oncofertility and cancer survivorship research.