Diagnostics & Laboratory

Working together to reach the right diagnosis for every child with cancer

Thanks to the collaboration of our colleagues, children with cancer can quickly receive clear test results and the most appropriate treatment. This makes the LKO an essential link in our mission: curing every child with cancer while ensuring the best possible quality of life.

What makes working within Diagnostics & Laboratory unique?

The LKO is the only fully integrated pediatric oncology laboratory in the Netherlands. All diagnostics required for the treatment of children with cancer come together here under one roof: from morphology and flow cytometry to molecular analyses and pathology. This means you work on both common and extremely rare tumors and experience the full scope of pediatric oncology diagnostics. Our care goes hand in hand with innovation. We apply state of the art techniques and continuously develop new methods, so that we keep advancing care.

The LKO also facilitates research at the Máxima Center. In the biobank, residual materials such as blood, bone marrow, or tumor tissue, along with associated data, are stored for future research. This enables researchers to study how survival rates and quality of life for children with cancer can be improved. Thanks to our meticulous processing and storage of materials, research can take place on a small scale as well as within large international studies. In this way, we accelerate research and actively contribute to our mission.

In addition, the LKO plays an increasingly important role in clinical studies. We support the processing of complex study materials, enabling researchers and physicians to conduct studies that standard laboratories cannot facilitate. This makes us a central link between patient care and research: all aspects of diagnostics, biobanking, and clinical research come together here under one roof.

The impact of your work

Working within the LKO means that your work directly influences a child’s treatment pathway. Diagnoses are often made within hours and guide crucial treatment decisions. You support physicians in selecting the most effective and, where possible, less burdensome treatment, identify early signs of residual disease or relapse, and enable rapid intervention. At the same time, you help researchers by providing carefully collected and analyzed materials that generate new insights worldwide.

Growing, learning and developing

At the Máxima Center, we continuously invest in knowledge, innovation, and professional growth. You have access to advanced techniques, research, and education, and you contribute to national and international collaborations. There is room to deepen your expertise in specialized methods, develop new workflows, and actively contribute to quality improvement. The LKO is ISO15189 accredited, ensuring high standards and a culture in which accuracy, learning, and continuous improvement are embedded in daily practice. Whether you are just starting your career or are an experienced specialist, you grow every day alongside developments in pediatric oncology diagnostics.