# Geerard Beets

Source: https://onco.cc/people/geerard-beets/  
OnCo record `geerard-beets` (Person). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Colorectal surgeon and ESSO President, internationally known for watch-and-wait organ preservation in rectal cancer.

## Summary

Geerard Beets is President of the European Society of Surgical Oncology (ESSO) and Chair of Surgery at Maastricht University Medical Centre. His research has helped establish organ-preserving 'watch-and-wait' strategies for rectal cancer after complete response to chemoradiotherapy, including the International Watch & Wait Database. He has also held senior roles at the Netherlands Cancer Institute.

## Fields

- Kind: Person
- Last checked: 2026-09-10
- Tags: leadership; clinician-scientist; colorectal cancer; surgical oncology
- Role: President
- Specialisms: Surgical oncology; Colorectal cancer; Rectal cancer organ preservation

## Sources

- Society page: https://www.essoweb.org/about/governance/
- PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Beets+GL%5BAuthor%5D

## Connected records

- cancers: [Colorectal cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/colorectal/)
- institutions: [European Society of Surgical Oncology](https://onco.cc/institutions/esso/)
- journals: [Critical reviews in oncology/hematology](https://onco.cc/journals/critical-reviews-in-oncology-hematology/)

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