Deborah van de Wal

Deborah van de Wal is a Researcher in the Department of Radiotherapy at the Faculty of Medicine, Erasmus University Rotterdam. Her work focuses on gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) and the impact of cancer treatments on patient outcomes, with strong institutional affiliation to Erasmus MC.

Her research interests include:

• Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GIST)
• Quality of Life in Cancer Patients
• Side Effects of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (e.g., imatinib)
• Mental Health (fear, anxiety, depression) in oncology
• Financial toxicity in cancer care
• Diagnostic pathways in sarcoma

Recent publications demonstrate a cohesive focus on patient-centered outcomes in GIST, emphasizing mental health burdens, financial challenges, and treatment complications. Her work predominantly utilizes cross-sectional multicenter designs within Dutch healthcare settings, with increasing attention to sarcoma diagnostic trajectories through international collaboration.

Dr. van de Wal actively participates in the Sarcoma Collaborative Group and the international QUEST study, demonstrating commitment to multi-institutional research networks addressing critical gaps in sarcoma and GIST patient care.