Jorma Sormunen

Jorma Sormunen has been doing academic research on work-related cancers since 2010. He has been particularly interested in occupational exposures and their impact on the incidence of prostate cancer and colorectal cancers. In addition, he has studied the effects of exercise on cancer. More recently, Sormunen has become interested in studying the physical activity of cancer patients and its effects on cancer prognosis. In addition to these, he is interested in clinical drug research, especially in the treatment of urological cancers.

Jorma Sormunen authors many scientific articles every year. He is also supervising a dissertation study about the quality of life of prostate cancer patients, which is due to be completed for examination at the University of Tampere Faculty of Medicine in 2023.

The special areas of competence of Jorma Sormunen include, for example, research, the effects of lifestyle on cancer diseases and the treatment of cancer as well as the quality of life of cancer patients. He is specialised in the treatment of urologic cancers, for example, urinary bladder, prostate and kidney cancer. In addition, he treats patients with breast cancer and lung cancer. He is also interested in other types of cancer, including rare cancers.

Jorma Sormunen began his career as a physician in the Defence Forces, spending a year as a peacekeeper and the leader of a medical team in Lebanon in 1998–1999. In 2004, Sormunen received his permit to practise as a specialist in occupational health. Shortly thereafter, he started working in the pharmaceutical industry, where he had a decade-long career in Finland and Belgium. During this time, he graduated as an MBA from the University of Wales.

After returning to Finland, he specialised in oncology at the Tampere University Hospital. In 2018, Jorma Sormunen defended his dissertation about the effects of physical activity on the incidence of colorectal and prostate cancer. Sormunen’s opponent was the legendary professor Pekka Puska.

Jorma Sormunen has a strong interest in research. His particular areas of interest are the effects of physical activity on cancer, its incidence and development and the effects of different modes of cancer treatment. In addition, quality of life is an aspect that interests him in scientific work as well. Sormunen is also experienced in clinical studies and he has taken part in many studies of different phases (I–III) of drug development. Sormunen is a well-liked lecturer who has given lectures about his research in Finland and abroad.

Jorma Sormunen hopes that he can always remain a positive physician who supports his patients, side by side. In some cases, a difficult choice between prolonging a cancer patient’s life or improving its quality has to be made. Sormunen firmly believes that, in such cases, the quality of life is sometimes more important than the number of remaining days.