The prestigious ESMO Lifetime Achievement Award was established in 2006 to recognise international research by individuals, teams and organisations that demonstrated commitment to clinical cancer research and/or education. It is awarded as a recognition for outstanding lifetime achievements in oncology.
2024 – John Haanen, Netherlands
The 2024 ESMO Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to John Haanen at the ESMO 2024 Opening. Haanen is a consultant medical oncologist and scientific group leader at the Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, leads the research theme Immunotherapy and is Director of the Center for Cellular Therapy at the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI), Netherlands. He is also Professor of Translational Immunotherapy of Cancer at Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Netherlands and Head of Melanoma Clinic at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) in Lausanne, Switzerland.
His current research spreads over development of cellular therapies for solid tumours, neoadjuvant immunotherapies, and biomarker research. His clinical specialty includes melanoma and other skin cancers, kidney cancer and management of immune-related adverse events.
Haanen is being recognised for his outstanding research in the development of innovative immunotherapies, particularly tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) therapies in advanced melanoma.
Previous recipients of the ESMO Lifetime Achievement Award
- Anthony T.C. Chan, Hong Kong, Chin (2023)
- Bernard Escudier, France (2022)
- Alex A. Adjei, USA (2021)
- Nadia Harbeck, Germany (2020)
- Angelo Di Leo, Italy (2019)
- Tony Mok, Hong Kong (2018)
- José Baselga, USA (2017)
- Richard Peto, United Kingdom (2016)
- Nagahiro Saijo, Japan (2015)
- Peter Boyle, France (2014)
- Franco Cavalli, Switzerland (2013)
- European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), Belgium (2012)
- Hans Jörg Senn, Switzerland (2011)
- Alan H. Calvert, United Kingdom (2010)
- Alan Ashworth, United Kingdom (2009)
- Emili Montserrat, Spain (2008)
- Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI) (2007)
- Breast International Group (BIG) (2006)
Nomination and selection process
Nominations may be made by any ESMO member (except undergraduate medical or science student members). Candidates may not nominate themselves.
Candidate eligibility criteria
- Be an internationally recognised individual, team or organisation in any relevant discipline in the field of oncology
- Demonstrate an affiliation to a major academic or cancer research / treatment institution(s)
- Possess an international reputation and demonstrated lifetime commitment to clinical cancer research and/or education
- Be renowned for their outstanding achievements carried out in clinical cancer research and/or education
- Have published results on cancer research topics in highly cited peer-reviewed journals
- Have not previously received the ESMO Lifetime Achievement Award
- Have not received any other Award from ESMO within the last five (5) years
- Not be a current or recent (last two years) member of either the ESMO Executive Board, ESMO Council or the ESMO Nomination Committee
Final selection is made by the Selection Committee: ESMO President, ESMO President-Elect, ESMO Past-President, Chair of the ESMO Nomination Committee.