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| The AACI is dedicated to promoting the common interests of the nation’s leading academic cancer centers that are focused on the eradication of cancer through a comprehensive and multidisciplinary program of cancer research, treatment, patient care, prevention, education, and community outreach. |
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| AACI Update is an e-newsletter for the cancer center directors and key contacts at AACI member institutions and individuals interested in the cancer center-related activities of AACI. AACI Update reports on the progress of AACI initiatives and other AACI endeavors that benefit the cancer community and highlights important news and events at AACI member institutions. |
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AACI encourages member institutions
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Mailing address:
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Philip H. and Penny Knight to Give $100 Million to
OHSU Cancer Institute
Oregon Health & Science University today announced that Philip H. and Penny Knight have pledged to give $100 million to the OHSU Cancer Institute. The Nike founder’s gift – the largest in the history of OHSU – represents a critical step toward achieving the cancer institute’s ambitious goal to make Oregon’s cancer death rate the lowest in the nation.
In recognition of the transformational impact the donors’ generosity will have on the treatment of cancer, OHSU will rename its cancer institute – the state’s only National Cancer Institute-designated center – the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute.
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Caligiuri Appointed To NCI Board of Scientific Advisors
Dr. Michael A. Caligiuri, CEO of the James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute at The Ohio State University and director of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, has been appointed to the National Cancer Institute’s board of scientific advisors. Dr. Caligiuri is president-elect of the Association of American Cancer Institutes.
Members of the board of scientific advisors counsel the National Cancer Institute (NCI) director and deputy director for extramural science on a wide variety of matters concerning scientific program policy, progress and future direction of research programs. This includes the evaluation of NCI-awarded grants, cooperative agreements, contracts and concept review of those activities which the board considers meritorious and consistent with the NCI’s programs.
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Moses Receives National Healthcare Appointment
Dr. Harold (Hal) Moses, professor of Cancer Biology and Director Emeritus of Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, has been designated a National Associate, an honorary title given in recognition of extraordinary service to the National Research Council in its role as adviser to the nation in matters of science, engineering and health, by the authority of the Council of the National Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Medicine.
Membership in this group is offered as a lifetime appointment.
“I have spent much time volunteering for the Institute of Medicine and the National Cancer Policy Forum and it is a wonderful honor to receive this national recognition for those efforts,” Dr. Moses said.
Dr. Moses is the Founding Director of Vanderbilt-Ingram and current director of the Frances Williams Preston Laboratories. He is well known for his work on the transforming growth factor-beta family of growth regulatory peptides. Dr. Moses is also a past president of the Association of American Cancer Institutes.
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AACI 2008 Annual Meeting Highlights
| The Association of American Cancer Institutes convened its member cancer centers and collaborators from the national cancer research community for the AACI Annual Meeting/CCAF Fall Meeting October 5-7, 2008, in Chicago. For a round-up of meeting highlights, photos and speaker presentations, please visit AACI’s website
http://www.aaci-cancer.org/in_other.asp.
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News from the Centers
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Georgetown University Medical Center Researcher Elected to IOM
Lombardi Cancer Center at Georgetown University
Dr. Lucile Adams-Campbell, associate director for minority health and health disparities research at the Medical Center, has been selected by the Institute of Medicine to serve on the leading body that advises the nation on biomedical sciences, medicine and health. Adams-Campbell, who also serves as professor of oncology and is an internationally recognized expert on health disparities, becomes the third member of the Georgetown Medical Center faculty to hold membership in the Institute of Medicine. She was elected to the body amongst 64 other new members from the United States and five foreign associates. “It is a great pleasure to welcome these distinguished and influential individuals to the Institute of Medicine,” says Harvey Fineberg, Institute president. “Members are elected through a highly selective process that recognizes people who have made major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care and public health.”
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Study Shows Immune System Can Both Hurt and Help Fight Cancer
University Of Pennsylvania School Of Medicine
Researchers at the University Of Pennsylvania School Of Medicine have found that some proteins of the immune system can promote tumor growth. Investigators found that instead of fighting tumors, the protein C5a, which is produced during an immune response to a developing tumor, helps tumors build molecular shields against T-cell attack. These findings appeared online this week in Nature Immunology.
C5a is part of the complement system, one of the body’s immune defenses against pathogens. When activated, the system’s proteins rid the body of microbes and foreign cells. Many cancer treatments are aimed at boosting the immune system to kill tumors. “Until now, everyone thought that the complement system was there to eliminate tumor cells. We found that in some conditions, the complement system can promote tumor growth, depending on the specific tumor and the specific environment in which the tumors are developing,” says Dr. John Lambris, the Dr. Ralph and Sallie Weaver Professor of Research Medicine.
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Duncan Cancer Center’s Associate Director of Basic Science Receives
Top Science Honor at White House
Duncan Cancer Center
President George W. Bush awarded the National Medal of Science to Dr. Bert O’Malley, chair of molecular and cellular biology at Baylor College of Medicine and associate director of basic science at the Duncan Cancer Center at BCM, in a ceremony at the White House on Sept. 29. O’Malley is one of eight leaders in science to be honored by the president as recipients of the 2007 National Medal of Science. O’Malley is only the fifth in Texas to receive the award in biological sciences, and joins Dr. Michael E. DeBakey as the only other recipient from BCM. "It is a great surprise," O’Malley said. "It certainly is appreciated and is humbling." Often referred to as the father of molecular endocrinology, O’Malley began his career at BCM 36 years ago. He said this award is good for the college and the Texas Medical Center.
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Roswell Park Hosts Prestigious National Conference
Roswell Park Cancer Institute
Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) gathered national cancer experts from around the United States to discuss “The Future of Cancer Research: Science and Patient Impact” during a Centennial Symposium sponsored by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), October 27-28, Research Studies Center, RPCI. This forward-looking Centennial Symposium also honored the long history that the Roswell Park Cancer Institute has had with AACR. RPCI scientists, among the founders of AACR, recognized the need to understand the causes of cancer and in 1907 made a commitment to meet those challenges through an organized national effort. “Roswell Park is privileged to host the AACR Centennial Symposium honoring the contributions of individuals and organizations which have contributed to a century of progress in cancer research,” said Dr. Donald L. Trump president and CEO, RPCI. “This event offers a significant opportunity for a distinguished roster of national leaders in cancer to gather and share their insights into future opportunities for advances in cancer prevention, research, education and treatment.”
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Gac Named City of Hope Senior Vice President of Human Resources
City of Hope National Medical Center and Beckman Research Institute
Deborah Gac, a human resources executive with more than two decades of health care experience and work force development, has been appointed senior vice president of human resources at City of Hope. Gac was previously executive director of human resources operations at Scripps Health in San Diego.
City of Hope employs nearly 3,500 people in a wide range of medical, scientific and administrative roles. Gac will oversee all employee recruitment and retention, ensuring competitive benefits and bolstering the organization’s infrastructure through staff development programs that encourage professional advancement, and expanding information technology to make it more accessible and interactive for employees.
”Deborah is an accomplished executive who will lead human resources and oversee organization-wide corporate services that support City of Hope’s mission and strategic initiatives,” said Virginia Opipare, executive vice president and chief operating officer, City of Hope. “Her wealth of experience will help ensure that all of our staff members are equipped with the needed infrastructure to do their best work.”
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Meyskens Honored with AACR-Prevent Cancer Foundation Award for Excellence in Cancer Prevention Research
American Association for Cancer Research
Frank L. Meyskens, Jr., M.D., one of the “fathers” of the field of cancer chemoprevention, has been selected to recieve the seventh annual American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)-Prevent Cancer Foundation Award for Excellence in Cancer Prevention Research.
The award is given annually to a scientist for seminal contributions to the field of cancer prevention research in basic, translational, clinical, epidemiological or behavioral science.
Meyskens, Professor of Medicine and Biological Chemistry and Director of the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Associate Vice Chancellor of Health Sciences at the College of Health Sciences University of California, Irvine, is being honored for his many significant contributions to the field of cancer prevention and control.
His early work examined the translation of laboratory-based chemoprevention into clinical trials. Meyskens led the development of the combination of difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) plus Sulindac to dramatically reduce the risk of advanced colorectal adenoma recurrence.
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UAMS Researcher Awarded Grant to Study Blood Platelets in Tumor Growth
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
A scientist at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has received a grant from the U.S. Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program to continue his research into the role of blood platelets in the growth and spread of tumors.
Jerry Ware, Ph.D., professor in the UAMS Department of Physiology and Biophysics, was one of only 69 researchers to receive the highly competitive Idea Award, which includes a three-year grant of $425,960. A total of 767 proposals were submitted by researchers worldwide for the award. Ware has spent more than 20 years studying a rare genetic condition known as Bernard-Soulier syndrome (BSS), which can be a life-threatening bleeding disorder. His research has shown that BSS is caused by abnormal circulating blood platelets that lack a specific protein important to the normal process of blood clotting.
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Indiana Health Industry Forum to Hold Cancer/Oncology Summit
Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center
Indiana institutions, companies and individuals with a common interest in cancer research, diagnosis and treatment will gather at a cancer/oncology summit Dec. 1-2 at the University Place Conference Center, IUPUI, in Indianapolis. "Emerging Trends and New Developments in Cancer Discovery, Diagnosis and Treatment" is the third in a series of summits examining Indiana’s life sciences research strengths in cancer. "The event will provide a unique combination of presentations, panel discussions and networking opportunities for scientists, clinicians and supporting institutions and private corporations," said conference co-chairman Mark R. Kelley, Ph.D., associate director of the Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research and associate director for the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center. "And we hope the format of the meeting will stimulate new interactions, connections and collaborations among all of us in Indiana working in oncology," he said.
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‘Get Screened’ Video Contest Throws Spotlight on Colorectal-Cancer Screening
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center today announced a video contest called "Get Screened" -- a creative challenge to movie makers to help shine a spotlight on the importance of colorectal-cancer screening. The contest is part of the Hutchinson Center’s ongoing awareness campaign -- "Your colon. Your life. Your call." – to increase colon-cancer screening rates and reduce deaths from the disease in Washington state.
Colon cancer is the third most-commonly diagnosed cancer and the second-leading cause of cancer death in the United States. An estimated 49,960 Americans, including 940 Washington state residents, will die of the disease this year, according to the American Cancer Society.
“Most of these deaths could be prevented if the disease were caught early. We’re launching this video contest to help increase awareness about the importance of early detection and motivate people to get screened," said Lee Hartwell, Ph.D., president and director of the Hutchinson Center.
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The James Recruits Four Head and Neck Cancer Researchers
The Ohio State University Medical Center
Dr. Theodoros N. Teknos, a renowned head and neck surgeon from the University of Michigan has been recruited to the department of otolaryngology at The Ohio State University’s College of Medicine. Teknos, who has been named director of the division of head and neck oncologic surgery, is bringing with him three of his top researchers. Teknos most recently served as division chief of head and neck oncology in the department of otolaryngology at the University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor. In addition, he was the co-residency director of that same department. “Our search for the best candidate took us all over the country, and we are very pleased with the result,” says Dr. Michael Caligiuri, CEO of the James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute at Ohio State and director of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. “Dr. Teknos and his team will bolster our already strong head and neck cancer program at The James and the OSU Comprehensive Cancer Center.”
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Pitt Researchers Receive $2.7 Million to Develop Drug That Counters Radiation Exposure
University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have been awarded $2.7 million from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to develop a radiation mitigator drug that could counter the effects of radiation exposure in case of large-scale public exposure. The ultimate goal of the contract is to develop an easily administered drug that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the Department of Health and Human Services can store and fly to hospitals and care facilities if and when an emergency occurs.
A team of researchers led by Joel Greenberger, M.D., professor and chairman of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, will develop the GS- nitroxide drug JP4-039, identified by the Pitt research team in 2004 as a radioprotector. Using both mouse model and human cell and tissue research, they have shown that the drug, when delivered 24 hours after irradiation, enhances cell recovery.
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NIH Awards Emory $7.4 million for Studies of Oxidative Stress and Colon Cancer
Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University
Researchers at Emory’s Winship Cancer Institute have earned a five-year, $7.4 million grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), supporting their work examining the links between oxidative stress and colorectal cancer, the second deadliest cause of cancer in the United States. The NIEHS is part of the National Institutes of Health.
Diet, environmental pollutants, radiation and drugs can all influence the body’s oxidative stress level, says Dr. Paul Doetsch, professor of biochemistry, radiation oncology, and hematology and oncology at Emory University School of Medicine and the grant’s principal investigator.
Oxidative stress comes from an imbalance between reactive oxygen species and the body’s ability to detoxify them. Reactive oxygen species can drive cancer formation by damaging cells’ DNA, leading to mutations and genetic instability that unleash out-of-control growth.
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NCI Again Awards Competitive Grant to Simon Cancer Center
The Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center
The Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center has been recognized as a premier cancer center for the third consecutive time by the National Cancer Institute. Since 1999, the IU Simon Cancer Center has carried the prestigious NCI designation. This year, the NCI awarded the IU Simon Cancer Center a five-year, $6.5 million support grant following a multi-step competitive process. The NCI designation places the IU Simon Cancer Center in an elite group of 64 research centers across the country that focus on the rapid translation of research discoveries to directly benefit people with cancer. It is the only NCI-designated cancer center in Indiana that provides patient care and performs basic research.
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OSU Hosts National Personalized Health Care Conference
The Ohio State University Medical Center
The Ohio State University Medical Center hosted experts from across the country to discuss translating scientific breakthroughs in the laboratory to clinical health care practice during the national Personalized Health Care Conference on Oct. 16-17. Health care leaders, government policy makers, health care providers, researchers, industry experts, academic leaders, and consumer and patient advocacy groups were among the more than 200 attendees gathering at Ohio State University’s Biomedical Research Tower to hear from national leaders in personalized health care. Industry leaders will discuss breakthroughs in gene-based information that helps individuals prevent disease, tailor therapies and maintain health. With a conference theme of “Translating Science to Personalized Health Care,” invited speakers included Linda Avey, co-founder and co-president, 23andMe, Inc.; Geoffrey Ginsberg, director, Center of Geonomic Medicine, Duke Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy, Duke University; Lawrence Lesko, director, Office of Clinical Pharmocology, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration; Edison Liu, executive director, Genome Institutes of Singapore, professor of medicine, National University of Singapore, executive director, Singapore Cancer Syndicate and executive director, Singapore Tissue Network; and Jeffrey Trent, president and scientific director, Translational Genomics Research Institute.
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Genetic Link between Obesity and Cancer Revealed
UAB Comprehenvise Cancer Center
A new study reveals the first-ever genetic link between obesity and colon cancer risk, a finding that could lead to greater accuracy in testing for the disease, said a researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).
The discovery also may improve efforts to ward off colon cancer with obesity-fighting activities like exercise, weight loss and healthy eating.
The findings are published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
"Our hope is that we can significantly improve the screening and early detection for this disease, and open new avenues for better understanding the genetic and lifestyle factors that influence colon cancer risk," said Boris Pasche, M.D., Ph.D., director of the division of hematology and oncology at the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center and lead author of the JAMA study.
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Nevada Cancer Institute Researcher Awarded Department of Defense Grant
Nevada Cancer Institute
Nevada Cancer Institute (NVCI) researcher Hong Sun, M.D., Ph.D., received notification from the Department of Defense (DOD) that she will receive a grant of $675,000 to study a new therapeutic approach to breast cancer based on Dr. Sun’s ongoing work on the IGF-I receptor protein.
Breast cancer occurs at a rate of nearly 200,000 new cases a year in the United States, resulting in about 40,000 breast cancer deaths per year. In Nevada, breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women. It is estimated that there will be 1,270 new cases of breast cancer diagnosed in Nevada in 2008 and that approximately 340 of these women may die in 2008. Finding an effective treatment for breast cancer is a major challenge facing the scientific and healthcare community.
“This DOD grant will allow us to push forward our breast cancer research program and test a novel strategy for effective treatment of breast cancer,” said Dr. Sun, NVCI director of Cancer Genomics, Division of Basic Science.
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CINJ Associate Director Receives Award at International Conference in New York
The Cancer Institute of New Jersey
Recognized by cancer specialists from around the globe, a noted leader at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) has been honored with the John Ultmann Award for Contributions to Lymphoma, which was presented at the Lymphoma and Myeloma 2008 International Congress on Hematologic Malignancies in New York City. CINJ is a Center of Excellence of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
Dr. Joseph R. Bertino, associate director and chief scientific officer at CINJ and university professor of medicine and pharmacology at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, was recognized during the SASS Foundation for Medical Research Award Ceremony. The conference promotes discussion of the latest advances in lymphoma and myeloma, and is attended by leaders in the fields of molecular biology, pathology, immunology, and translational and clinical research.
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Marshall to Receive International Prize for Excellence in Biomedical Research
Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson
Barry Marshall, AC., an Australian physician and researcher, was convinced that stomach ulcers developed from a bacterial infection and not from stress as commonly believed. In 1984, when working at the Royal Perth Hospital, he tested his theory on himself by drinking a petri dish of the bacteria Helicobacter Pylori (H. pylori). He developed the classic signs of gastritis, and treated himself with antibiotics. Soon after, other researchers confirmed the connection not only between ulcers and H. pylori, but also between gastric cancer and H. pylori.
Thomas Jefferson University is honoring Dr. Marshall, who is a Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Western Australia, with the Lennox K. Black International Prize for Excellence in Biomedical Research. Dr. Marshall will receive the award during a two-day symposium, Transformational Discoveries in Cancer. The symposium will be held November 10 and 11, and take place on the Jefferson campus at the Bluemle Life Sciences Building.
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African Americans and Poor Have Worse Prognosis for Head and Neck Cancer
University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
A team of Sylvester researchers has led a study which finds considerable disparities in survival for African Americans and poor patients with head and neck cancer. The study, led by Leonidas G. Koniaris, M.D., associate professor of surgery, cell biology and anatomy at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, indicates that earlier diagnosis and greater access to treatment could improve outcomes for these cancers among African Americans and the poor. The study is published online and in the November 15, 2008 issue of Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.
A number of studies have examined disparities in cancer survival among different groups to help identify interventions to improve patient outcomes. To investigate factors that impact survival from head and neck cancer, Koniaris teamed up with several colleagues, including W. Jarrard Goodwin, M.D., director of Sylvester, Dido Franceschi, M.D., associate professor and leader of the Stomach and Esophageal Cancer Site Disease Group at Sylvester, Frederick L. Moffat, M.D., professor of surgical oncology, Alan S. Livingstone, M.D., professor and chair of surgery, Margaret M. Byrne, Ph.D., research assistant professor of epidemiology and public health, and four surgical residents at the Miller School of Medicine.
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Researchers Identify Promising Gene Target for Neuroblastoma Therapy
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Harvard Medical School
Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have identified a set of previously unknown mutations in a single gene in 8 percent of neuroblastomas, tumors of the nervous system that occur in young children and account for approximately 15 percent of all childhood cancer deaths.
The discovery is intriguing because a small "targeted" molecule inhibitor caused neuroblastoma cell lines carrying two of the mutations to die when treated in the laboratory. This suggests that when mutations activate the gene, known as ALK, tumors become "addicted" to — or dependent on — the mutated gene for their continued growth. Therapies designed to inhibit ALK may offer an effective approach to the disease.
For the research team and Dana-Farber itself, the finding is especially rewarding because funding for the study was provided in part by the Friends for Life Foundation, founded by the parents of a young Dana-Farber patient to support neuroblastoma research.
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Roswell Park Physician to Lead National Study
Roswell Park Cancer Institute
Dr. Alex A. Adjei, Senior Vice President of Clinical Research and the Katherine Anne Gioia Chair in Cancer Medicine at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI), is the chair of a newly-launched national clinical trial: the first ever to determine if biomarkers can help guide therapies for lung cancer. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) announced the launch of the large clinical trial for non-small cell lung cancer that will be the first ever to validate whether a biomarker could predict clinical benefit in this disease. The study, called MARVEL (Marker Validation for Erlotinib in Lung Cancer), will establish if a biomarker can identify a target known as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and the effectiveness of drugs to block the target, thus re-defining treatment options for lung cancer patients. Roswell Park is pleased to play a leading role in this unique and important study,” said Dr. Adjei. “The MARVEL trial is a result of collaboration among several national health care organizations, including the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, NCI co-operative groups, the biomarker industry and the pharmaceutical industry. All are focused on the goal to provide new, more effective treatments to lung cancer patients.
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Susan G. Komen for the Cure Awards Grant to City of Hope
City of Hope
City of Hope has received a three-year, $600,000 grant from Susan G. Komen for the Cure™ to support research in reducing side effects and preventing drug resistance during treatment of hormone-dependent breast cancer. City of Hope researchers are studying the combination therapy of aromatase inhibitors, which block the production of estrogen, and an investigational drug that specifically targets breast cancer cells. This year in the U.S., an estimated 182,460 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. A major focus of the breast cancer research conducted at City of Hope centers on the role of aromatase, an enzyme that converts the male hormone androgen into estrogen. Shiuan Chen, Ph.D., principal investigator, and co-leader of the Breast Cancer Research Program, studies the regulatory mechanism of aromatase expression in breast cancer cells. His lab was one of three internationally to discover that breast cancer cells produce their own estrogen.
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Oncologist Kucuk Joins Emory Winship
Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University
Dr. Omer Kucuk, who conducted the first clinical trials to show the benefits of soy and lycopene supplements in prostate cancer treatment, has joined Emory University’s Winship Cancer Institute as professor of hematology and medical oncology.
Kucuk comes to Emory Winship from the Karmanos Cancer Center at Wayne State University in Detroit where he was a professor and co-leader of the population sciences and prevention program, and member of genitourinary and head and neck cancer multidisciplinary groups.
"We are delighted to welcome Dr. Kucuk to the Emory Winship Cancer Institute," says Dr. Fadlo Khuri, chair of the department of hematology and medical oncology and deputy director of Emory Winship. "Dr. Kucuk is a devoted physician, and he will add an internationally recognized level of expertise to our prostate cancer program. In addition, he brings with him an impressive track record of groundbreaking research in cancer prevention through nutritional components." Kucuk has more than 150 peer-reviewed publications, review articles and book chapters to his credit, and he is on the editorial boards of numerous publications, including the Cancer Detection and Prevention and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.
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Black Americans at Greater Risk for Colon Polyps
Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute
Black Americans have a higher occurrence of colon polyps, according to a new study by Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) Cancer Institute member David A. Lieberman, M.D., published in the Sept. 24 issue of JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association). The new study measured the incidence and location of colon polyps that were more than 9 mm in diameter in men and women of all age groups who had undergone colonoscopy screenings at 67 sites across the United States. Lieberman and colleagues found that of 5,464 black patients and 80,061 white patients who had undergone a colonoscopy, 7.7 percent (422) of black patients and 6.2 percent (4,964) of white patients had at least one or more polyps larger than 9 mm. Black men had a 16 percent greater chance of having polyps larger than 9 mm, while black women had a 62 percent greater chance. “These data show that black men and women who receive screening are more likely to have serious polyps compared to whites, and are therefore likely to benefit from more intensive screening. Black men and women age 50 years and older should be strongly encouraged to receive colon cancer screening,” said Lieberman.
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French Cancer Research Prize Awarded To OSU Scientist
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center
Dr. Carlo Croce, who is a member of the molecular biology and cancer genetics program in The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, received the ARC Leopold Griffuel Prize, which honors work that has led to major breakthroughs in the field of cancer. The prize is awarded by the Board of Directors of the French Association for Cancer Research after evaluation by a scientific committee.
Croce, who also is director of human cancer genetics at Ohio State University, received the award earlier this month during the annual meeting of the French Association of Cancer Research in Paris. After accepting the award, he lectured on “Role of microRNAs in Cancer.”
Croce received the award based on his discovery that chromosome translocations activate oncogenes and initiate the process of malignant transformation. He also discovered that a new class of genes that do not encode proteins – microRNAs – are directly involved in cancer pathogenesis.
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Lombardi Names Director of Health Services Research
Lombardi Cancer Center at Georgetown University
Georgetown’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center has named Dr. Arnold L. Potosky, as director of health services research. In establishing a national-caliber health services research program as part of the cancer control program at Lombardi, Potosky will conduct innovative research and build improved research infrastructure to help improve the delivery of high-quality cancer care at Lombardi and nationwide.
Potosky was recruited to Lombardi after a 21-year career at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), where his efforts focused on dissemination of cancer-related detection and treatment services, and the connection between care delivery and patient health outcomes in diverse populations treated in general clinical practice. He served in the health services and economic branch at the NCI, leading the development of large, extramural initiatives and helping to create data resources to advance the field of cancer-focused health services research. Most recently, he served as the NCI program director for the Cancer Care Outcomes Research and Surveillance Consortium (CanCORS), a national study enrolling more than 10,000 recently diagnosed lung and colorectal cancer patients. (CanCORS), a national study enrolling more than 10,000 recently diagnosed lung and colorectal cancer patients.
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Brett Named Outstanding Cancer Professional by Ohio Partners for Cancer Control
Case Comprehensive Cancer Centers
Gabrielle Brett has received the 2008 J. Nick Baird Outstanding Cancer Professional Award from the Ohio Partners for Cancer Control at its October 17 annual meeting. Ms. Brett is the Northern Ohio Partnership Program Coordinator for the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Information Service (CIS), a position funded by the NCI.
The award honors Ms. Brett for “actively promoting and putting into practice the goals of the Ohio Cancer Plan” and acknowledges her commitment to “making cancer history for all Ohioans.” She devotes much of her effort to reducing health disparities by reaching minorities and medically underserved populations with cancer information.
Ms. Brett supports more than 30 Ohio and regional cancer organizations, health professionals, community groups and coalitions in 11 counties. Her home office is at the Ireland Cancer Center of University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland.
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Roswell Park Appoints Scientific Faculty
Roswell Park Cancer Institute
Dr. Candace S. Johnson, a nationally recognized leader in translational research who has been actively involved in shaping the resurgence of Roswell Park as a premier cancer center, has been appointed Deputy Director of Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI).
She will continue to serve as Chair of the Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics. Dr. Johnson has been a senior faculty member in the department and Senior Vice President, Translational Research since 2002, and was endowed as the Robert, Lew and Ann Wallace Chair in Translational Research at the Institute in 2005.
As Deputy Director of RPCI, Dr. Johnson is responsible for integrating science, clinical research and education missions; execution of research initiatives and milestones in the RPCI strategic plan; and oversight of the National Cancer Institute core grant, annual scientific report, annual scientific retreat, and faculty forum.
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AACR and Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Provide Over $1.2 Million for Research
American Association for Cancer Research
The American Association for Cancer Research is accepting applications for grants supporting pancreatic cancer research. The deadline for applications is November 10, 2008. The grant terms will begin on July 1, 2009.
Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States. In a mission to accelerate pancreatic cancer research, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network has partnered with the AACR on three initiatives to promote and support outstanding research focused on conquering this deadly disease.
Pancreatic Cancer Action Network-AACR Pilot Grants, ranging from $100,000 to $200,000 over the two-year grant term, are open to independent investigators and support new ideas and innovative models that have direct application and demonstrate direct relevance to pancreatic cancer. In addition to pancreatic cancer researchers, investigators with experience in other areas of cancer research who have promising and realistic ideas or research approaches that can be applied to pancreatic cancer are also invited to apply. Special emphasis will be placed on research that is not duplicative of other efforts. Up to six grants will be awarded.
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Chatigny Joins City Of Hope as Vice President of Patient Access Services
City of Hope
Judy Chatigny, R.N., M.S.N., a seasoned health-care administrator, has joined City of Hope as vice president of patient access services. Chatigny, who has extensive experience as both a practicing nurse and an administrator, will focus on streamlining access to care and patient services. She comes to City of Hope from Loma Linda University Medical Center’s cancer institute, where she served as executive director. “At City of Hope, we understand that a cancer diagnosis is life-altering and that patients need more than just the best treatments for their disease,” said Elizabeth Dunne, executive officer of the medical center at City of Hope. “Patients need support and guidance throughout their treatment experience. We are fortunate to have Judy’s expertise as we continue to enhance access and services to patients and their families.” Chatigny oversees new patient registration, admitting and scheduling services. She also will collaborate with administrators, faculty and leaders of clinical departments to develop new programs and services.
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Mitchell receives major cancer research grant
Stanford Cancer Center
Dr. Beverly Mitchell, has received a total of $6.25 million from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in the form of a Marshall A. Lichtman Specialized Center of Research grant. Mitchell is the George E. Becker Professor of Medicine and the director of the Stanford Cancer Center. The SCOR program is the society’s largest research grant, with total funding of $178.25 million since its inception in 2000.
The SCOR grants are intended to bring together multidisciplinary teams of researchers to develop new treatments for leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Mitchell and her team will receive $1.25 million a year for five years to study the "molecular and cellular characterization of myelodysplastic syndromes." Myelodysplastic syndromes are characterized by damaged bone marrow cells that can’t mature into functional blood cells. The disorders frequently progress to acute myelogenous leukemia.
Awards go to groups that best demonstrate outstanding scientific promise facilitated by the synergy that will occur from their combined efforts. Mitchell’s team recently identified new molecular markers that may help them target myelodysplastic stem cells that have progressed to leukemia.
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NCI Awards Massey Cancer Center $4.25 Million to Study Colon Cancer Diagnosis
Massey Cancer Center Virginia Commonwealth University
The National Cancer Institute has awarded two grants totaling more than $4.25 million to a Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center researcher for two studies to examine delays and disparities in colon cancer diagnosis.
“African Americans get more colon cancer and die from it more often than their white counterparts,” said principal investigator Laura A. Siminoff, Ph.D., associate director of the Cancer Prevention and Control research program at Massey. “If we can gain a better understanding of how physicians respond to patients who may have colon cancer, as well as how patients respond to their own symptoms, we may be able to develop programs and tools that will lead to earlier diagnosis, which could help to reduce mortality rates from this disease.”
Siminoff, a nationally recognized expert on health communication and decision- making in disease treatment, also chairs the VCU School of Medicine’s Department of Social and Behavioral Health. In these roles, she and colleagues focus on understanding how social, cultural and behavioral factors affect public health, and educating the public to make lifestyle and other changes to improve the standard of health. Their emphasis is on cancer, chronic disease and healthcare disparities among various populations.
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U of M Study Shows Link between Gene Variations and Cancer Survival
Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota
Scientific research shows that certain genes can influence a person’s likelihood to contract particular diseases, cancer for example. New research at the Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota demonstrates that genetic markers may also show a person’s likelihood to survive the disease.
A research study led by Brian Van Ness, Ph.D., has successfully identified combinations of genes associated with early clinical relapse of multiple myeloma, a cancer of the white blood cells that produce antibodies. These results raise the possibility that a patient’s genetic background exerts an important influence on the patient’s prognosis and response to treatment.
“Ultimately, the goal of this research is to predict drug efficacy and toxicity based on a patient’s genetic profile, and develop individualized assessments and predictions for the right drug, at the right dose, for the right patient,” Van Ness said. This approach offers the dual benefits of avoiding unnecessary treatment for patients less likely to respond to a particular drug, and targeting treatments to those who will benefit most.
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Karmanos Names New Chief Medical Officer and
Associate Center Director of Clinical Affairs
Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Center
George Yoo, M.D., FACS, head and neck surgical oncologist at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Center, was promoted to Associate Center Director of Clinical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer, according to John C. Ruckdeschel, M.D., president and chief executive officer. Dr. Yoo, who also serves as vice president of Medical Affairs, is the leader of the Head and Neck Multidisciplinary Team at Karmanos and associate professor and vice chair of the department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery and Oncology at Wayne State University School of Medicine. “Dr. Yoo is committed to exceptional patient care and treatment,” said Dr. Ruckdeschel. “His expertise and dedication make him well-qualified to lead the clinical affairs of Karmanos and to continue to raise the bar for exceptional patient care.”
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Radiation Oncologist Receives National Honor
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine
Joel E. Tepper, M.D., professor of radiation oncology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, is being honored by the American Society of Therapeutic Radiology (ASTRO) as one of two recipients of the organization’s Gold Medal Award. The medal, ASTRO’s highest honor, is given to members the society says have made outstanding contributions to the field of radiation oncology, including research, clinical care, teaching and service. Tepper will receive his award Tuesday (Sept. 23) during ASTRO’s 50th annual meeting in Boston. The award recognizes achievements such as Tepper’s pioneering work in the use of intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT), when radiation therapy is administered during surgery so that higher doses can be given without damage to surrounding tissue. He was also one of the first physicians involved in treating patients with proton therapy, a technique that uses special radiation beams to enhance delivery of radiation.
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New Tool Tailors Hormone Therapy for High-Risk Prostate Cancer
Fox Chase Cancer Center
Using one of the largest databases of prostate cancer outcomes in the United States, Fox Chase Cancer Center researchers have developed a prediction tool that uses a patient’s clinical information to estimate the benefit of adding androgen deprivation therapy of various durations to radiation therapy. Such hormone therapy has been shown to help radiation kill prostate cancer cells and improve survival in men at a high risk of recurrence, but it is associated with significant side effects. Even when the cancer has been characterized as high-risk, the degree of benefit from the addition of androgen deprivation can be quite variable. "Studies have generally lumped patients into three levels of risk, and physicians have recommended hormone therapy based on these studies," says Niraj H. Pahlajani, a resident in the radiation oncology department at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia.
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Breast Cancer Survivors Report High Quality of Life Up to 15 Years after Surgery
Fox Chase Cancer Center
Women with breast cancer who are treated with lumpectomy and radiation report a high level of overall quality of life several years after treatment that is comparable to a general sampling of the adult women U.S. population according to a survey conducted by physicians at Fox Chase Cancer Center. “Treatments for breast cancer may decrease quality of life temporarily, but this is evidence that survivors on average will return to a normal quality of life,” said Gary Freedman, M.D., an attending physician in the department of radiation oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center who led the survey. Freedman’s research was presented today at the 50th annual meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology. The study included women with early stage breast cancer treated with breast-conserving surgery and radiation with or without chemotherapy and hormone therapy. During routine follow-up visits with their oncologist, the women were asked to complete a brief questionnaire.
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LoRusso Named Award and Lectureship Recipient
Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute
Patricia LoRusso, D. O., professor of medicine at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute and Wayne State University, is the 2008 recipient of the Michaele Christian Oncology Development Award and Lectureship. The award was presented Monday at the NCI Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP) Early Drug Development Meeting in Bethesda, Maryland.
As part of the award, Dr. LoRusso was invited to speak at the meeting. Her lecture will be published in the journal of Clinical Cancer Research.
Named to honor the 20 year NCI career of Dr. Christian, the award recognizes the contributions of individuals, particularly those in mid-career, to the development of novel agents for cancer therapy.
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Some Breast Cancer Patients Facing Radiation after a Mastectomy May Be Over-Treated
Fox Chase Cancer Center
A new study suggests standard radiation therapy for some breast cancer patients may not be medically required and may, therefore, be causing unnecessary serious side effects such as lymphedema and pulmonary problems. The research conducted at Fox Chase Cancer Center involved women who got a mastectomy, but whose lymph nodes were negative.
“When a woman has a tumor greater than 5 centimeters and negative lymph nodes, a mastectomy followed by radiation is recommended,” said Dr. Penny Anderson, attending physician in the radiation oncology department at Fox Chase. “We typically irradiate the chest wall because it’s been shown to improve survival. Out of an abundance of caution, many radiation oncologists also treat the surrounding lymph nodes, but there is little evidence that this improves outcome.”
Irradiation of axillary (under arm) and supraclavicular (above the collarbone) lymph nodes can lead to lymphedema, a swelling of the extremities caused by fluid build up because the nodes which allow the fluids to drain have been damaged by radiation. There are also pulmonary radiation risks including pneumonitis, inflammation, scarring and fibrosis.
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Research on Canine Cancer may Benefit Humans
Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute
A new study jointly conducted by the OHSU Cancer Institute and Oregon State University College of Veterinary Medicine may one day help both canines and humans with cancer. Brian Druker, M.D., director of the OHSU Cancer Institute, and OSU veterinary oncologist and researcher Stuart Helfand, D.V.M., have secured a three-year, $200,000 Morris Animal Foundation grant to study hemangiosarcoma in dogs. Imatinib (Gleevec) has recently been found to have activity in mast cell cancer, another tumor commonly seen in dogs. Helfand, the principal investigator, was one of the first to discover abnormalities in hemangiosarcoma growth pathways similar to those responsible for CML in humans. Reasoning that what is learned about human tumors may be applied to animal tumors and vice versa, the two cancer experts decided to collaborate. The Druker laboratory is now studying a cell line developed in Helfand’s laboratory from a German Shepherd that died of hemangiosarcoma. In turn, this research may ultimately benefit people with similar cancers. "This could be a pilot for treatment in humans. The hope is that we can use this drug screening in the future for personalized cancer therapy," said Jeff Tyner, Ph.D., a research fellow in hematology/ medical oncology, OHSU School of Medicine.
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Starting Hormone Therapy Sooner May Benefit Some Prostate Cancer Patients
Fox Chase Cancer Center
A new Fox Chase Cancer Center study suggests men with early stage prostate cancer treated with radiation therapy should begin hormone therapy immediately if their PSA level rises quickly and doubles within six months at any time after treatment. The study also supports foregoing hormones if the PSA doesn’t rise as quickly. Both findings suggest a change in the practice of prescribing hormones is warranted.
After treatment for prostate cancer, many men will experience fluctuations or bounces in their PSA level, but for some the PSA continues to rise and doesn’t return to its lowest point immediately after treatment. Knowing if or when to recommend hormone treatment (androgen deprivation therapy) depends on how much and how quickly the PSA rises – called the PSA doubling time. Hormone therapy has been shown to kill cancer cells and improve survival, but it carries a risk of side effects.
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Age Alone Should Not Determine Prostate Cancer Treatment with Hormones
Fox Chase Cancer Center
Concerns regarding the association of hormone therapy used to treat prostate cancer with cardiovascular disease in some older men may lead doctors to forgo hormone treatment solely on the basis of age. But a new study by physicians at Fox Chase Cancer Center shows that men over age 70 with high-risk prostate cancer lived longer and experienced increases in PSA less frequently when treated with long-term androgen deprivation therapy. The benefit of long-term (i.e. 2-3 years) androgen deprivation therapy has been established in high-risk prostate cancer patients in several prospective, randomized clinical trials. However, concern that androgen deprivation therapy may result in cardiovascular disease, particularly in older patients with certain risk factors for cardiovascular disease, has led investigators to question its role in older men.
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Early Form of Breast Cancer No More Likely to Recur in Young Women than in Older Women
Fox Chase Cancer Center
Young women with DCIS, a common form of early breast cancer that arises in and is confined to the mammary ducts, are presumed more likely to have recurrences than older women with the same diagnosis. But a new study from Fox Chase Cancer Center rebuffs this conventional thinking. "There are discrepancies among past studies that looked at the outcomes of very young women with DCIS treated with radiation, but many suggested a less favorable outcome than for older women," explains Dr. Aruna Turaka, a fellow in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Fox Chase. "Because each of these studies reflects diverse factors, including how the cancer was managed by the surgeons and radiation oncologists, we wanted to look at our institution’s experience in treating DCIS in this population."
Ductal carcinoma in situ, or DCIS, is generally treated with breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy) and radiation.
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Study of Kidney Cancer Patients Shows Aggressive, Personalized Therapy Improves Survival
Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCLA
A study of nearly 1,500 patients treated for kidney cancer at the University of California at Los Angeles in the last 15 years shows that an aggressive, tailored treatment approach results in better survival rates and uncovered subsets of kidney cancer that behave differently and need to be treated accordingly. The study will allow doctors to better predict which patients will do well and select those who may respond to targeted therapies.
The one-size-fits-all approach traditionally used in kidney cancer treatment should be changed based on the results of the study, the longest to date to analyze kidney cancer patients and their outcomes, said Dr. Arie Belldegrun, senior author of the study, a professor of urology and a researcher at UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.
“This is the most important work that we’ve done out of the kidney cancer program at UCLA,” Belldegrun said. “We outline the foundation for personalized kidney cancer therapy. We have shown that not all kidney cancer patients are the same, not all localized kidney cancers are the same and not all metastatic kidney cancers are the same.”
The study appeared in the Nov. 1, 2008 issue of Cancer, the peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.
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Researchers Target Key Proteins in Neurofibromatosis Type 2
The Wistar Institute
There is no effective treatment for neurofibromatosis type 2, a rare cancer that results in devastating nerve cell tumors in children and young adults. Researchers at The Wistar Institute, however, have zeroed in on key molecules activated in the cancer, and have successfully shut them down in laboratory experiments. They say this approach, with further testing, might form the basis of the first targeted treatment of the disease in humans. In the October 1 issue of the Journal Cancer Research, the scientists describe the importance of a family of proteins known as p21-activated kinases to survival of the cancer, which they then “turned off” in a series of experiments. The result was a significant reduction of growth in cancer cells in laboratory cultures, and animals with the disease could not form new tumors.
“This work opens the door to a new approach for treating this tragic disease,” said the study’s lead author, Joseph L. Kissil, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis Program at The Wistar Institute. “Surgery is the only option today, yet the results are only temporary. The tumors always grow back.”
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Study Highlights Benefits of End-Of-Life Conversations For Patients, Caregivers
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Despite many doctors’ long-held belief that discussing end-of-life issues with patients increases the patients’ emotional distress, such conversations can actually lead to improved quality of life — both for patients and their loved ones, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers and colleagues have found. In a study published in the Oct. 8 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, investigators show that patients who reported having end-of-life discussions with their physicians did not feel more depressed, worried, or sad than those who did not. Patients who recalled such talks were more likely to accept that their illness was terminal and prefer comfort care over life-extending therapies. They received less aggressive medical treatment, such as resuscitation or admission to an intensive care unit, and they were more apt to enroll earlier in hospice programs.
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City of Hope Awarded $3 million Challenge Grant for Unique Patient Resource Center
City of Hope National Medical Center
Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation announces $3 million challenge grant to support patient and family resource center at City of Hope.
More than 100 guests and dignitaries attended the October 5 dedication ceremony of City of Hope’s Sheri & Les Biller Patient and Family Resource Center, including City of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Los Angeles District 5 Councilmember Jack Weiss and Michael A. Friedman, M.D., City of Hope’s president and chief executive officer. During the dedication ceremony, Les Biller announced that the foundation will continue its support with a $3 million challenge grant to endow the center, matching every dollar donated with two of their own.
The innovative facility uniquely integrates a variety of support services for patients and their caregivers during and following treatment. The 2,845-square-foot space houses public rooms for workshops, presentations and support groups as well as private areas for consultations with supportive care staff. It was made possible by a generous $2 million gift from the Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation in 2006.
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Vanderbilt-Ingram Breast SPORE Renewal Rewards Research
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center’s Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE) in Breast Cancer has received a new round of grant funding from the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The NCI will provide $12 million over the next five years to support and expand Vanderbilt-Ingram’s translational research efforts in breast cancer.
"We are grateful that the NCI has recognized the high quality of our research program and rewarded our team for the novel and promising avenues of research we are pursuing," said Carlos L. Arteaga, M.D., professor of Medicine and Cancer Biology and Director of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Breast Cancer Research Program. "We received an outstanding priority score from our peers, which provides validation of the research directions and quality of our translational program."
The NCI initiated organ-specific SPORE grants in 1992 to encourage translational research which is designed to speed discoveries from the laboratory into treatment options in the clinic. This patient-centered research platform encompasses work by basic scientists, epidemiologists and clinicians and encourages collaboration.
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New Website Helps Cancer Patients Explore Fertility Preservation
The Robert H. Lurie Comrehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University
When a woman, man or teenage girl or boy is diagnosed with cancer, there is only a brief window of time to learn about options for preserving his or her fertility before treatment. Cancer therapy often has irreversible effects on a patient’s fertility.
But it hasn’t been simple for patients and their families to get information. Oncofertility -- the intersection of oncology and reproductive medicine -- is a new, rapidly advancing field, and many physicians aren’t familiar with the latest developments.
Northwestern University has launched a new interactive Web site, http://www.MyOncofertility.org, to meet that growing need. The Web 2.0 style site teaches patients about the potential effect of cancer and treatments on their fertility, options to preserve their fertility and offers resources for discussing these issues with their doctors.
"It’s overwhelming for cancer patients to have to make urgent decisions about fertility preservation at the same time that they are struggling to come to terms with their recent cancer diagnosis and imminent treatment plan," said Kemi Jona, architect of the new web site and a research associate professor in learning sciences and computer sciences at Northwestern’s School of Education and Social Policy. "This offers them a critical resource that is easy to use and understand."
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Vanderbilt-Ingram Sees Spike in Bilateral Mastectomies
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
From 2003 through 2007 Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center recorded a fivefold increase in the number of women choosing to undergo a bilateral mastectomy following a diagnosis of breast cancer in one breast. More than one-third of those patients had no known risk factors for cancer in the second breast, other than their current cancer diagnosis. This data indicates that Hollywood actress Christina Applegate isn’t alone in choosing to undergo a bilateral mastectomy following a diagnosis of breast cancer in one breast. Applegate has said her decision was influenced by her increased risk of developing a second breast cancer due to an inherited mutated gene (BRCA1). In the United States, only 5 percent to 10 percent of breast cancers are due to a hereditary mutation, whereas 80 percent have no known identifiable cause.
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Good Morning America Co-Anchor Receives Gilda Radner Courage Award
Roswell Park Cancer Institute
Robin Roberts, co-anchor of ABC’s Good Morning America and a breast cancer survivor, received the Gilda Radner Courage Award tonight at Roswell Park Cancer Institute’s All Star Night gala. Roberts has served as a highly visible advocate for breast cancer screening and early detection since being diagnosed with the disease in 2007.
More than 400 guests attended the sold-out white-tie affair, featuring the theme “On Stage for a Cure,” and presented by HSBC and the Roswell Park Alliance Community Advisory Board at Shea’s Performing Arts Center. Approximately $250,000 is expected to be raised from the event to support innovative new cancer research at Roswell Park, America’s first cancer center and upstate New York’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Over the course of her career, Roberts, an Emmy Award-winning journalist, has covered major topics including Hurricane Katrina, the AIDS crisis in Africa and the war in Iraq. By continuing to work during the course of her treatment, Roberts provided Good Morning America viewers a first-hand account of her breast cancer journey.
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Lurie Cancer Center Member Develops Nanodiamond Drug Device
Lurie Cancer Center
A Northwestern University research team led by Dean Ho, Assistant Professor in the Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, has developed a promising nanomaterial-based biomedical device that could be used to deliver chemotherapy drugs locally to sites where cancerous tumors have been surgically removed. The flexible microfilm device, which resembles a piece of plastic wrap and can be customized easily into different shapes, has the potential to transform conventional treatment strategies and reduce patients’ unnecessary exposure to toxic drugs. The device takes advantage of nanodiamonds, an emergent technology, for sustained drug release. The researchers demonstrated that the device releases the chemotherapy agent Doxorubicin in a sustained and consistent manner -- a requirement of any implanted device for localized chemotherapy. The results of the study are published online by the journal ACS Nano.
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Dana-Farber Names Papola as Vice President of Facilities Management and Real Estate
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute announced today the appointment of Maria E. Papola as vice president for facilities management and real estate. She will join Dana-Farber on Nov. 17, 2008.
Papola currently is the vice president of Real Estate Development at Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers of New York, where she is the project executive for the development of its $835 million, 360-bed hospital in Manhattan. She has also served as director of Facilities Planning, Real Estate, and Construction, and as vice president of Corporate Real Estate Services at Saint Vincent, a network that included eight hospitals and four nursing homes and a real estate portfolio of more than 5.5 million square feet.
Prior to joining St. Vincent in 2002, Papola held a number of administrative positions at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, including administrator for space planning.
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Kaufman Receives American Cancer Society Cancer Control Award
The Wistar Institute
Russel E. Kaufman, M.D., President and CEO of The Wistar Institute has received the Cancer Control Award from the American Cancer Society, Southeast Region in honor of his exemplary individual achievements in the field of cancer control. The Cancer Control Award celebrates the spirit of volunteerism and recognizes key American Cancer Society (ACS) volunteers whose work advances cancer research, patient care and advocacy. Since 1987, Kaufman has served on various scientific advisory committees for the ACS, chairing the Scientific Advisory Committee on Cell Cycle and Growth Control from 1997 – 1999. He currently chairs the Council for Extramural Grants, an advisory body he has served on since 2004, with responsibility for determining which cancer research proposals merit funding from the Society. “I am honored by this recognition from the American Cancer Society,” Kaufman said. “Advances in cancer research are improving survival rates and the quality of life for cancer survivors. The nation must continue to make cancer a national priority and advocate for cancer control.”
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Changes in Diet and Exercise Help Breast Cancer Survivors
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center
When women are diagnosed with breast cancer, along with the fear and uncertainty comes the opportunity for physicians to educate and encourage patients to eat better and exercise more, in an effort to help reduce the long-term side effects associated with breast cancer and treatment. Researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center found that healthier diets and increased exercise can help lessen fatigue and improve overall quality of life in women with a diagnosis of breast cancer who often have an increased risk of cancer-related fatigue and overall poor physical functioning. The findings are published online in the Journal of Psycho-Oncology. “Not all breast cancer survivors in the study made these changes in terms of exercise and dietary changes, but among those who made changes and increased their exercise, we saw lower levels of reported fatigue,” said Electra Paskett, senior author of the study and associate director for Population Sciences at Ohio State’s Comprehensive Cancer Center.
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Scientists Unlock Secret of Death Protein’s Activation
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have identified a previously undetected trigger point on a naturally occurring "death protein" that helps the body get rid of unwanted or diseased cells. They say it may be possible to exploit the newly found trigger as a target for designer drugs that would treat cancer by forcing malignant cells to commit suicide.
Dr. Loren Walensky, pediatric oncologist and chemical biologist at Dana-Farber and Children’s Hospital Boston, and colleagues report in the Oct. 23 issue of the journal Nature that they directly activated this trigger on the "executioner" protein BAX, killing laboratory cells by setting in motion their self-destruct mechanism.
The researchers fashioned a peptide (a protein subunit) that precisely matched the shape of the newly found trigger site on the killer protein, which lies dormant in the cell’s interior until activated by cellular stress. When the peptide docked into the binding site, BAX was spurred into assassin mode.
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NCI Funds Study of Genetic Effects of Vitamin D and Bone Marrow Transplantation Response
Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota
Kim Robien, Ph.D., assistant professor and cancer epidemiologist with the University of Minnesota’s Masonic Cancer Center and School of Public Health, has been awarded a $339,750 grant from the National Cancer Institute. She will use the grant to conduct the first comprehensive investigation of how the genetic makeup of some patients affects the way they metabolize vitamin D and consequently, respond to bone marrow transplantation.
Bone marrow transplantation is one of the most significant advances in the past 40 years for treatment of patients diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma, and other cancers of the blood and bone marrow. More than 40,000 children and adults worldwide each year receive bone marrow transplantations, and the University’s Masonic Cancer Center is one of the world’s leading research sites on bone marrow transplantation.
This lifesaving treatment is strenuous to undergo and not without risks. It is associated with about a 25 percent death rate, prolonged hospitalizations, and long-term health problems.
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OHSU Cancer Institute Appoints Associate Director of Regional Cancer Control Strategies
Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute
Lisa Domenico, M.B.A., has been appointed associate director of regional cancer control strategies, a newly created position at the OHSU Cancer Institute. In this role, Domenico will provide leadership for the Institute’s efforts to reduce the burden of cancer on individuals living in the region. Specifically, she is responsible for galvanizing the cancer community’s activities to reduce the mortality rate of cancer in the region, with an initial focus on breast cancer. This knowledge and experience will then be applied to address other cancer types in the future. Her focus will be on building outcome-based alliances to address specific barriers to quality breast health for all who live in the region but most specifically the under- and uninsured populations. Domenico will work to garner increased financial resources, legislatively and from grant support, to increase access to health care that would lead to improved mortality statistics. Domenico also serves as president of the board of the Oregon & SW Washington affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. She has a B.A. in Business Economics from the University of California Santa Barbara, and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Oregon.
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Yee Appointed to Kersey Chair in Cancer Research
Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota
Dr. Douglas Yee, director of the Masonic Cancer Center at the University of Minnesota, has been appointed to the University’s John H. Kersey Chair in Cancer Research. The newly-endowed chair was established in recognition of John Kersey, M.D., founding director, to support the current director and continuity of strong leadership at the cancer center, designated a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute.
“John Kersey and Douglas Yee are extraordinary cancer researchers, physicians, and leaders,” said Robert Bruininks, president of the University of Minnesota. “Dr. Kersey’s considerable contributions to the Masonic Cancer Center have provided a strong foundation for continued success under Dr. Yee. The diverse and distinct talents of both of these remarkable men represent the best of our University aspirations.”
A breast cancer researcher and clinician, Yee joined the University of Minnesota in 1999 and was named director in 2007, succeeding Kersey. In addition to being the director, Yee is co-leader of the Women’s Cancer Research Program and a professor in the Department of Medicine.
Kersey served as the founding director of the cancer center for more than 15 years. A pediatric oncology researcher and physician, Kersey also directed the Bone and Marrow Transplant Program and led the team that conducted the world’s first successful bone marrow transplant for malignant lymphoma. Under his leadership, the cancer center achieved NCI designation as a Comprehensive Cancer Center in 1998.
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