Lifetime Achievements Awards
The Lifetime Achievement Awards are a heartfelt tribute to the unwavering dedication of sarcoma specialists and patient representatives who have made a lasting impact on the sarcoma community. SPAGN proudly acknowledges and honors their outstanding contributions to sarcoma research and patient advocacy, their passion, perseverance, and unwavering commitment to making a difference. Through their work in research and advocacy, they have brought hope, inspired meaningful change, and helped shape a better future for everyone affected by sarcoma.
As we announce the recipients of the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Awards, we honor their extraordinary contributions—bringing hope, driving meaningful change, and shaping a better future for all those affected by sarcoma.
2025 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients
Winette van der Graaf, MD, PhD, The Netherlands
Winette van der Graaf is a Professor of Personalised Oncology at the Netherlands Cancer Institute and Radboud University Medical Centre. With a distinguished career in clinical and translational research, she specializes in rare cancers, particularly sarcomas, and the care of Adolescents and Young Adults (AYA). She has played key leadership roles in European collaborative research networks such as EORTC and EURACAN, aiming to advance patient-centred cancer care and clinical trial accessibility across Europe.
Norman Scherzer, USA
Norman Scherzer is a prominent GIST patient advocate and Executive Director Emeritus of The Life Raft Group, a global patient-driven organization dedicated to improving the lives of people affected by gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). As a key figure who significantly advanced GIST patient advocacy, he has played a crucial role in raising awareness, driving research, advocating for access to treatment, and fostering international collaboration to accelerate progress in rare cancer care.
Jonathan A. Fletcher, MD, USA
Jonathan A. Fletcher, MD, is a leading pathologist and researcher at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, specializing in the molecular genetics and biology of sarcomas and other soft tissue tumors. He is internationally recognized for his groundbreaking discoveries in the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), including identifying KIT and PDGFRA mutations, which laid the foundation for the development of targeted therapies that have transformed treatment outcomes for patients worldwide.
Estelle Lecointe-Artzner, France
Estelle Lecointe-Artzner is a dedicated sarcoma and GIST patient advocate, founder of the French patient organization Ensemble contre le GIST and Info Sarcomes, and a prominent voice in national and international advocacy efforts. As a founding member, long-time board member, and former chair of SPAGN (formerly SPAEN), she has played a pivotal role in shaping the global sarcoma patient advocacy movement, ensuring that patient perspectives are represented in international research collaborations, policy discussions, and clinical care initiatives.