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Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Health The members of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) have elected Karen E. Knudsen, PhD, executive vice president of Oncology Services and enterprise director of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Health, to its Board of Directors. Dr. Knudsen is one of five world-renowned cancer researchers elected to the board for the 2019-2022 term.   Read More

Henry Ciolino, PhD, director of the Office of Cancer Centers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), will participate in a panel session at the 11th Annual AACI CRI Meeting that will highlight the NCI's Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG) submission guidelines and best practices for preparing a CCSG application. Dr. Ciolino will present on defining a cancer center’s catchment area, community outreach and engagement, and the updated funding opportunity announcement (FOA) that will go into effect …

UK Markey Cancer Center UK HealthCare recently opened the Oncology Research Information Exchange Network’s (ORIEN) Total Cancer Care Protocol to pediatric patients, becoming the first cancer program in the country to do so. ORIEN is an alliance of 19 major cancer centers that shares information to allow its members to push forward evidence-based cancer care to patients. The University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center joined the network in 2017.   Read More

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center applauds the Texas Legislature for passing Senate Bill 21, which raises the minimum legal sale age for all tobacco products from 18 to 21. The policy, which will go into effect on September 1, 2019, is an important step toward protecting the health of future generations and reducing the burden of tobacco use in Texas.   Read More

Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health Fox Chase Cancer Center and Beijing Friendship Hospital in China have initiated a collaborative agreement that will provide both institutions with added capability in cancer clinical trials. Under the agreement, Fox Chase will provide consultative services intended to enhance Beijing Friendship Hospital’s existing clinical trial capabilities. In the future, the Chinese hospital hopes to expand its own trials, while serving as a site for Fox Chase to…

Cedars-Sinai Cancer A novel imaging technique that uses a synthesized form of scorpion venom to light up brain tumors has shown promise in a clinical trial. The imaging system enables neurosurgeons to better see malignant growths that often are difficult to fully eliminate. The multi-institutional clinical trial was led by investigators from Cedars-Sinai and sponsored by Blaze Bioscience, Inc.   Read More

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center Recently presented clinical trial results showed that a commercial blood test was as effective as tissue biopsies at detecting multiple genetic mutations in lung cancer patients. However, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center scientists caution that these liquid biopsies still have many challenges, like false positives. Researchers at Fred Hutch are developing a blood test to help detect lung cancer in high-risk adults whose imaging scans are inconclusive. …

UPMC Hillman Cancer Center UPMC Hillman Cancer Center has appointed Jason Luke, MD, FACP, to direct the newly established Cancer Immunotherapeutics Center. A medical oncologist and clinical investigator, Dr. Luke specializes in early phase drug development for melanoma and solid tumors. He has been the lead investigator for numerous immunotherapies over the past several years.   Read More

Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center On a night when Chuck Pagano returned to Indianapolis, Colts owner Jim Irsay pledged $1 million to cancer research in his former coach’s honor, helping to raise more than $1.8 million to support scientists at the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center.   Read More

AACI is among nine partner organizations that will co-host a congressional briefing from 12:00 to 1:30 pm on Thursday, June 27. "Let's End HPV-Related Cancers" will provide an overview of the global impact of cancers related to human papillomavirus (HPV) and opportunities to reduce the burden of these cancers, both in the U.S. and worldwide.  Read More

University of Virginia Cancer Center University of Virginia Health System is joining a coalition of health care organizations to improve vaccination rates in western Virginia for human papillomavirus (HPV). Virginia Center for Health Innovation is partnering with 40 pediatric and family medicine sites from UVA, Ballad Health, and Carilion Clinic to boost HPV vaccinations with the support of a $225,000 grant from Merck.   Read More

Stanford Cancer Institute Stanford University School of Medicine researchers have invented a computational technique called CIBERSORTx that can analyze the RNA of individual cells taken from whole-tissue samples or data sets. Aaron Newman, PhD, and Ash Alizadeh, MD, PhD, are co-authors of the paper.   Read More

Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital announce a five-year grant awarded by The Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation to establish The DeLuca Center for Innovation in Hematology Research. The gift will help translate groundbreaking research discoveries into practice-changing improvements in clinical care for blood cancer patients. It will also ensure detailed genetic characterization of each patient’s cancer and advance the next generation of …

GW Cancer Center The George Washington University (GW) Cancer Center has established the Dr. Cyrus Katzen Family Director of the GW Cancer Center, thanks to a gift from GW alumnus and former Board of Trustees member Jay Katzen, MD. The gift will support the ongoing growth and expansion of the GW Cancer Center in strategic areas of clinical care, research, and education.   Read More

UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute Physician-scientist Donald J. Johann Jr., MD, has been awarded a $1.47 million grant from the Food and Drug Administration to continue a clinical trial to determine if new approaches can be developed to monitor and screen for lung cancer with a blood test.   Read More

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has affirmed its support for Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, renewing its status as one of 50 Comprehensive Cancer Centers and awarding a $22.5 million Cancer Center Support Grant to fund core research and education programs — the largest such award and highest application score in Roswell Park’s history. Roswell Park has held this NCI designation continuously since it became one of the nation’s first …

City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center City of Hope has revealed plans to invest more than $1 billion to develop and support a new comprehensive cancer campus at FivePoint Gateway in Orange County, accelerating highly specialized cancer care, Phase I-III clinical trials, and precision medicine and early detection to the nation’s sixth most populous county.   Read More

Siteman Cancer Center A multicenter team led by investigators at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has taken a big step toward identifying pancreatic cysts that are likely to become cancerous. Testing fluid from cysts for a biomarker—an antibody called mAb Das-1—the researchers were able to identify those likely to become cancerous with 95 percent accuracy. Koushik K. Das, MD, is first author on the study.   Read More

VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center Researchers at VCU Massey Cancer Center were awarded $5.4 million from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to investigate the potential for novel therapies to treat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common type of liver cancer. Devanand Sarkar, PhD, received two R01 grants to identify key genetic players that regulate HCC and translate that knowledge into effective targeted therapies.    Read More

The University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center Treatment with the drug olaparib significantly reduced the risk of disease progression or death from metastatic pancreatic cancer, according to findings from the recently completed, international, Phase III POLO (Pancreas cancer OLaparib Ongoing) trial.   Read More

UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center UC San Francisco has opened a pioneering cancer center to provide adult patients with genetic counseling, immunotherapy, molecular profiling of tumors, fully integrated clinical trials, and advanced imaging. The UCSF Bakar Precision Cancer Medicine Building places patients and families at the center of a university commitment to deliver a new generation of precision medicine. Read More

Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University In a novel study of cancer genetics using fallopian tube tissue from 15 women, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center say they have found evidence that the most common and lethal type of ovarian cancer arises not from a uniform group of precancerous lesions, but from individual growths found in groups genetically unrelated to each other.   Read More

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center Forty years ago, a team of scientists at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center published the first unequivocal report in humans that immune cells called T cells have the power to cure cancer. The finding emerged from patients who’d received a bone marrow transplant at the Hutch. The donated cells did not simply rescue patients from high doses of radiation and chemotherapy — they were key to the potential cure.   Read More

University of Virginia Cancer Center An unhealthy, inflamed gut causes breast cancer to become more invasive and spread more quickly to other parts of the body, new research from the UVA Cancer Center suggests. Melanie Rutkowski, PhD, found that disrupting the microbiome of mice caused hormone receptor-positive breast cancer to become more aggressive. Altering the microbiome, the collection of microorganisms that live in the gut, primed the cancer to spread.    Read More

Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center On a questionnaire aimed at assessing how well community oncologists understand "molecular profiling" results from tumor specimens, 69 percent of participants either said they don’t know the answers, or they responded incorrectly. In six different clinical scenarios, the oncologists were asked to match a genetic alteration to the targeted therapy designed to attack those cancer-causing aberrations — information that is key to effective pers…

USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center Researchers at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center found that identifying a metastatic colorectal cancer patient’s Consensus Molecular Subtype (CMS) could help oncologists determine the most effective course of treatment. CMS also had prognostic value, meaning each subgroup was indicative of a patient’s overall survival, regardless of therapy. Heinz-Josef Lenz, MD, was the lead author on the study.   Read More

UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute A University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences research team led by Vladimir Zharov, PhD, DSc, has demonstrated the ability to detect and kill circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the blood using a noninvasive device called Cytophone that integrates a laser, ultrasound, and phone technologies. This device is 1,000 times more sensitive than other methods at detecting of CTCs in the blood of patients with melanoma.   Read More

Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Health A new colorectal cancer vaccine showed positive results in the Phase I clinical trial to demonstrate that the approach is safe. The patients treated had no signs of serious adverse events and samples of their blood contained markers of immune activation – an early indication that the vaccine could trigger immune cells to fight colorectal tumors and metastases. Further tests to determine if the vaccine is effective at slowing tumor growth ar…

UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center Li-Wen Huang, MD, received the 2019 Conquer Cancer Foundation of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Endowed Young Investigator Award in Geriatric Oncology in honor of Arti Hurria, MD, FASCO. Dr. Huang, a hematology oncology fellow at UC San Francisco, credits mentorship within a close-knit community with driving interest in geriatric oncology.   Read More

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center Michael Kuettel, MD, MBA, PhD, FASTRO, professor and Barbara C. & George H. Hyde Chair in Radiation Medicine at Roswell Park, has been appointed to the Advisory Panel on Hospital Outpatient Payment. The panel provides expert guidance to the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on issues affecting outpatient medical care.  Read More

Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center Duke University Hospital’s NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Program recently earned a three-year accreditation rating, with commendation, from the Commission on Cancer (CoC). Established in 1922 by the American College of Surgeons, the CoC is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival and quality of life for cancer patients through standard-setting, prevention, research, education, and the monitoring…

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center A common genetic deficiency summons macrophages that nurture glioblastoma instead of attacking it, researchers at MD Anderson Cancer Center report. Their work in mouse models that lack functional cancer-suppressor gene PTEN points to new potential treatment targets for the lethal brain tumor, said senior author Ronald DePinho, MD, past president of MD Anderson.   Read More

The University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center Researchers at the University of Chicago Medicine have discovered a new way to identify potentially high-risk pediatric neuroblastoma tumors. Tissue samples from consenting patients were used with a relatively new technology developed at the University of Chicago. Called Nano-hmC-Seal, this low-cost, genome-wide technology requires minimal amounts of tissue input to analyze the DNA profiles.   Read More

University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center Using a new approach that combines data from human tumors grown in mice with data from The Cancer Genome Atlas, a team led by University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center researchers has uncovered several previously unknown biomarkers for glioblastoma, the most common malignant brain tumor.   Read More

Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center A combination of elevated symptoms of depression along with modifications in a gene responsible for dopamine activity, important to the brain’s pleasure and reward system, appear to influence an addiction to indoor tanning in young, white, non-Hispanic women. That finding comes from a new study, reported by researchers at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.   Read More

Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University The standard of care for women with stage III/IVA endometrial cancer following surgery has been chemotherapy and radiation. But in a surprising new finding, the combination did not increase recurrence-free survival. The findings were the result of a National Cancer Institute-sponsored Gynecology Oncology Group study led by Daniela Matei, MD.   Read More

Stanford Cancer Institute Up to 80 percent of metastatic colorectal cancers are likely to have spread to distant locations in the body before the original tumor has exceeded the size of a poppy seed, according to a study of nearly 3,000 patients by Christina Curtis, PhD, and colleagues at the Stanford University School of Medicine.   Read More

Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center Researchers from Indiana University and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center have been awarded a $4.1 million National Cancer Institute "Cancer Moonshot" grant to develop immunotherapy treatments for pediatric cancers. Sophie Paczesny, MD, PhD, a researcher at the IU Simon Cancer Center, will collaborate with Nai-Kong Cheung, MD, PhD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering.   Read More

The University of Kansas Cancer Center A new program led by The University of Kansas Cancer Center seeks to improve community oncology providers’ knowledge of genetic testing in breast cancer patients, as well as provide tools to allow genetic counseling and testing to be incorporated in their clinical practice. Called "ePOST BC" (Efficacy of Point of Service Testing in Breast Cancer), the program is based on the Project ECHO model, which links specialists at academic institutions with p…

Stanford Cancer Institute In 2012, Teresa Purzner, MD, PhD, and her husband, Jamie Purzner, MD, both neurosurgery residents, traded their scrubs for lab coats in an effort to understand, at the most basic level, what causes medulloblastoma, the most common pediatric brain cancer.   Read More

Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah A new study outlines findings from the largest-ever prospective genomic analysis of advanced prostate cancer tumors. Using comprehensive genomic profiling to analyze thousands of tumor samples from men with advanced prostate cancers, the researchers identified that 57 percent of the samples evaluated had genomic characteristics that suggested the tumors were candidates for targeted therapies.   Read More

University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center A large, randomized immunotherapy clinical trial continues to show improved overall survival and progression-free survival in advanced lung cancer patients. An update on the KEYNOTE-189 trial provides nearly two years of data on use of the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy as a first-line treatment for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.   Read More

Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Health A combination of nanatinostat (VRx-3996), an oral histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, and the oral antiviral valganciclovir appears to be well tolerated and effective in patients with Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)-associated lymphomas, according to data from a Phase Ib/II study. Pierluigi Porcu, MD, was the global study lead.   Read More

Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina Michelle Hudspeth, MD, is the new medical director of the Blood & Marrow Transplant (BMT) Program at Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina. Dr. Hudspeth has served as medical director of the pediatric oncology program since 2007 and director of quality for the adult and pediatric BMT program since 2008.   Read More

The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute The National Cancer Institute has awarded a $2.2 million, five-year grant to help OSUCCC – James researchers led by principal investigator Bhuvaneswari Ramaswamy, MD, address cancer disparity by defining the molecular link between breastfeeding and triple-negative breast cancer.   Read More

Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center Shannon J. McCall, MD, has received a grant of over $3.4 million from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to support the Duke BioRepository & Precision Pathology Center (BRPC). The BRPC will join the NCI’s Cooperative Human Tissue Network, which was established in 1987 to accelerate the pace of cancer research through improved access to human tissue and tissue processing services.   Read More

Douglas R. Lowy, MD, acting director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), will receive the AACI Distinguished Scientist Award on October 21, during the 2019 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting, in Washington, DC. AACI is recognizing Dr. Lowy for his long-term research on the molecular biology of tumor viruses and growth regulation, his role in enabling the development of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines, and his exploration of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes and their signaling pathways.   Rea…

Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health Fox Chase Cancer Center has earned a 2019 HAP Achievement Award from The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP). The award recognizes the center’s outstanding effort to enhance its processes for managing patient discharge planning and care transitions. Mary Pat Winterhalter, MS, BSN, RN, NE-BC, and Tricia Heinrichs, BS, RRT, PMP, submitted the center’s entry, "Optimizing Care Transitions: Reimagining Case Management."   …

VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center Scientists at VCU Massey Cancer Center have identified key biological pathways that regulate the spread of tumor cells to vital organs. These findings may have a significant influence on the development of new therapies that slow or prevent breast cancer metastasis. The concept of cancer metastasis has long been supported by the “seed and soil” proposal, in which it is theorized that cancer cells (seeds) are dependent upon the tissue of organs (soil…

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Pre-surgical treatment with nivolumab plus ipilimumab resulted in an overall major pathologic response rate of 33 percent of treated patients with early-stage, resectable non-small cell lung cancers. The combination immunotherapy met the pre-specified efficacy endpoint of the Phase II NEOSTAR trial at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Tina Cascone, MD, PhD, is principal investigator.   Read More

Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health Fox Chase Cancer Center has earned CEO Cancer Gold Standard re-accreditation for satisfying the latest comprehensive requirements of the Gold Standard. Founded by President George H.W. Bush, the CEO Roundtable on Cancer created the Gold Standard to recognize employers for taking exceptional health and wellness measures on behalf of their employees. Richard I. Fisher, MD, is president and CEO of Fox Chase. Read More

The AACI Clinical Research Innovation (CRI) Steering Committee and CRI Education Committee have selected three abstracts from 66 submissions for formal presentation at the 11th Annual AACI CRI Meeting, July 9-11, in Chicago. Winning abstract authors represent Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina; and Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota.   Read More

Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center Manmeet Ahluwalia, MD, director of the Brain Metastasis Research Program at Cleveland Clinic, is helping lead a clinical trial of a new glioblastoma vaccine. SurVaxM works by stimulating the body to kill brain tumor cells that contain survivin, a protein that helps those cells resist traditional treatments. Patients in the Phase II clinical trial have seen slowed tumor progression and improved overall survival after treatment with the vaccine.   Rea…

UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute Alan Tackett, PhD, a cancer researcher at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), has received a five-year, $1.75 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to identify new tumor targets in the treatment of metastatic melanoma. In 2016, Dr. Tackett received funding from the National Institutes of Health to provide a biomarker discovery platform to researchers.   Read More

Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative has announced that a team of Indiana University School of Medicine researchers is joining a select group of scientists, computational biologists, software engineers and physicians as winners of the CZI Seed Networks for the Human Cell Atlas awards.   Read More

On Wednesday, June 26,  the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) approved S. 1541, the Tobacco-Free Youth Act. The bill, introduced by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), would raise the national age for purchasing tobacco products to 21. S. 1541 was included in the manager’s amendment of a larger Senate HELP package, S. 1895, the Lower Health Care Costs Act, authored by Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Ranking Member …

On June 27, AACI joined the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), Biden Cancer Initiative, and Moffitt Cancer Center to host a congressional briefing titled "Let’s End HPV-related Cancers" in Washington, DC. In conjunction with the briefing, leading health organizations, patient advocates, and AACI cancer centers issued a call to action urging policymakers and other stakeholders to help eliminate cervical cancer and other cancers caused by human papillomavirus (HPV).    Read More

American Society for Radiation Oncology The National Cancer Institute Radiation Research Program has released a draft update of its guidelines for the use of proton radiation therapy in cooperative group settings. Comments are being accepted through July 15 and may be directed to [email protected].   Read More

The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute The OSUCCC – James has announced formation of the Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology, a comprehensive bench-to-bedside research initiative focused on harnessing the body’s immune system to fight cancer at all levels, from prevention to treatment and survivorship. Pelotonia, a grassroots cycling event that has raised more than $190 million for cancer research initiatives at the…

In the July AACI Commentary, Karen E. Knudsen, MBA, PhD, and Leonidas C. Platanias, MD, PhD, shared the recommendations of AACI’s Conflict of Interest (COI) Task Force, which convened in response to mounting concerns about the complex relationships between academic medicine, private industry, and foreign entities. The COI Task Force reviewed polices at AACI cancer centers and established basic guidelines to ensure that all conflicts are fully disclosed, maintaining patients’ trust and allowing …

University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center For oncologists in the beginning of their career, scientific conferences present an opportunity for them to network, share their research, gain new knowledge, and advance in their field. But many women find themselves skipping these conferences due to family obligations, a new study finds.   Read More

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center A study at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center discovered a cellular pathway tied to cancer that may be beneficial in reducing side effects and extending duration of immunotherapy in some patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Researchers looked at a cellular pathway formed when a protein known as interleukin-6 (IL-6) activates an enzyme called Janus kinase 1 (JAK1), and the potential for anti-IL-6 antibodies and anti-T-cel…

Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, has received designation from the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Sylvester joins a highly select group as one of only two NCI-Designated Cancer Centers in the state of Florida, and one of just 71 across the United States. "This is a testament to the incredible focus and teamwork of every single member of our center," said Stephen D. Nimer, MD, who was named director of Sylvester in 201…

UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center Using advanced technology, scientists at Chan Zuckerberg (CZ) Biohub, Mayo Clinic, and UC San Francisco, have discovered an autoimmune disease that appears to affect men with testicular cancer. The results point the way to using a protein biomarker as a diagnostic test for men with testicular cancer-associated paraneoplastic encephalitis.   Read More

Ellen and Ronald Caplan Cancer Center of The Wistar Institute The Wistar Institute announces the appointment of Rahul Shinde, DVM, PhD, as the first Caspar Wistar Fellow. Dr. Shinde’s research focuses on the role of macrophages, specialized cells that act as a front-line defense system for our immune systems. He investigates how these cells alter the tumor microenvironment, which is a key determinant of whether cancer is able to develop, progress, and resist therapies.   Read More

Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University has named Lawrence Boise, PhD, as its new associate director for education and training. Dr. Boise is professor and vice chair for basic research in the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology. A multiple myeloma researcher, Dr. Boise serves as interim leader of Winship's Cancer Genetics and Epigenetics Research Program.    Read More

UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC, supported by a $19.2 million National Institutes of Health grant, will lead the largest clinical trial of its kind to test a technique called red cell exchange transfusion in prolonging life and slowing or reversing organ damage. Mark Gladwin, MD, is principal investigator.   Read More

The Provincial Health Services Authority of British Columbia has selected Kim Nguyen Chi, MD, as vice president and chief medical officer of BC Cancer. An internationally recognized expert in prostate cancer, Dr. Chi began his career at BC Cancer 20 years ago with a fellowship in medical oncology. He has a special interest in developing biomarkers and new treatments for advanced prostate cancer, and recently led a four-year international trial testing a new treatment involving more than 1,000 m…

From July 9-11, AACI’s Clinical Research Innovation (CRI) convened its 11th annual meeting in Chicago. The 2019 meeting introduced a new three-day format, including poster discussions. A record-breaking 431 clinical research office leaders, medical directors, cancer center administrators, patient advocates, and representatives from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and industry attended the meeting, titled "Strategies to Maximize Innovation to Advance Cancer Clinical Research." Read More

Stanford Cancer Institute For decades, breast cancer was believed to be a disease that was purely genetic in origin. However, recent science is upending this notion by showing that the surrounding microenvironment plays a major role in tumorigenesis. Now, researchers at Stanford University say they can explain why. In experiments, they introduced mammary cells into what they term "high-stiffness environments" and showed that even healthy cells begin to proliferate and to migrate when sti…

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center The statistics are grim: for patients with high-risk acute myeloid leukemia (AML), more than 60 percent will relapse within two years of a bone marrow transplant. The return of their cancer is the leading cause of death for these patients. But results from a small trial of genetically modified immune cells hint at a way of protecting these patients. Scientists at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center used engineered T cells to prevent relapse in 12 AML pati…

Devon Still, an advocate for childhood cancer awareness and a former professional athlete, will deliver the keynote address during the 2019 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. Still will speak about his and his daughter’s experiences overcoming cancer. Their fight has inspired many cancer patients, along with their families and friends; now, through the Still Strong Foundation, Still has raised more than $2 million and is influencing the global cancer conversation.   Read More

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have discovered how an aggressive form of prostate cancer called double-negative prostate cancer metastasizes by evading the immune system. The investigators also reported on the pre-clinical development of a new therapy, which, when given in combination with existing immunotherapies, appears to stop and even reverse metastasis in mouse models.   Read More

VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center Drug discovery, design and development expert Saïd M. Sebti, PhD, has been named associate director for basic research and the Lacy Family Chair in Cancer Research at Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center. Dr. Sebti joins VCU from H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute.   Read More

AACI, in collaboration with the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC), will host a CAR T symposium on Monday, October 21, during the 2019 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting. Participants will identify the key challenges to patient access and delivery of CAR T, and discuss potential solutions to address barriers to care. The 2019 CAR T Symposium is free to all attendees, but space is limited. Priority will be given to AACI and SITC members. Those who wish to attend the AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting in add…

Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center Results from a new study led by Cleveland Clinic show that an artificial intelligence framework can provide individualized radiation dose delivery based on data from patient computerized tomography scans and electronic health records. This AI framework is the first to use medical scans to inform radiation dose delivery, moving the field forward from using generic dose prescriptions to more personalized treatments.   Read More

UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Researchers at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center have discovered a hyperactive cell signal that contributes to tumor growth in an aggressive blood cancer. They also developed an experimental therapeutic to block the signal and slow tumor growth. The researchers reported they have identified a novel therapeutic target for primary effusion lymphoma, a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma caused by …

Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University has been awarded a five-year, $9.7 million Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant from the National Cancer Institute to study new approaches for lung cancer treatment. It's one of only four SPORE grants in the U.S. dedicated to lung cancer.   Read More

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center One of Roswell Park’s most distinguished researchers has been recognized again for his contributions to advance the fight against ovarian cancer. Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance will award its Rosalind Franklin Prize for Excellence in Ovarian Cancer Research to Roswell Park Deputy Director Kunle Odunsi, MD, PhD, FRCOG, FACOG, during the 2019 Ovarian Cancer National Conference in Seattle.   Read More

Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, in partnership with New Brunswick Development Corporation have announced the development of a new, state-of-the-art, freestanding cancer pavilion in New Brunswick. The initial estimated project cost is $750 million.   Read More

Moffitt Cancer Center Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T) therapy has shown pronounced activity in certain cancers, and two CAR T therapies, Kymriah® and Yescarta®, have received approval from the Food and Drug Administration to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia and large B-cell lymphoma. However, despite the progress being made, scientists have not been completely certain of how CAR T cells function mechanistically. A team of Moffitt Cancer Center researchers addressed this uncert…

GW Cancer Center A research team led by Yanfen Hu, PhD, a member of the GW Cancer Center, is studying the role of the tumor suppressor BRCA1 in the homologous recombination pathway of DNA double-strand break repair. BRCA1 facilitates recruitment of the nucleases required for end resection, a vital step in DNA double-strand break repair, yet it also has been shown to inhibit the nuclease activity in vitro. It is unknown how the recruiting and inhibiting activities of BRCA1 can be reconcil…

VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center VCU Massey Cancer Center scientists have discovered that the loss of a protein called DBC1 in breast cancer cells leads to the dysregulation of normal anti-cancer functions, contributing to cancer cell growth and resistance to therapies. The study’s lead author is Steven R. Grossman, MD, PhD, deputy director of VCU Massey Cancer Center.   Read More

Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health Inflammation plays an instrumental role in tumor development, affecting the tumor microenvironment, mediating immune responses, and influencing tumor growth and spread. However, with the current excitement around the growing field of cancer immunotherapy, the critical role of inflammation in cancer may be getting a bit lost, according to Sergei Grivennikov, PhD.   Read More

Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah A personalized prognosis for patients diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer was the goal of a new study by Katherine Varley, PhD, a researcher at Huntsman Cancer Institute. She worked closely on the study with Rachel Stewart, DO, PhD, assistant professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at the University of Kentucky.    Read More

Case Comprehensive Cancer Center A novel gene therapy clinical trial at University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center and the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center is showing promising results. A $2.7 million grant to further the gene therapy study was awarded to Andrew E. Sloan, MD, director of the Brain Tumor & Neuro-Oncology Center and the Center of Excellence for Translational Neuro-Oncology at UH Cleveland Medical Center and UH Seidman Cancer Center, and Stanton Gerson, MD, director of …

UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center Steven Dubinett, MD, a researcher in the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, has been honored by the American Lung Association for his work on the treatment of lung cancer. Dr. Dubinett was honored at the association’s Lung Force Gala for advancing partnerships designed to accelerate scientific and clinical breakthroughs to improve the health of people worldwide.   Read More

In October 2018, AACI President Roy A. Jensen, MD, introduced his presidential initiative, a library of public policy resources, to positively advance policy that will ultimately impact public health. Now AACI is calling on members to submit materials for the AACI Public Policy Resource Library. AACI encourages members to share resources pertaining to the priority issues of state funding for cancer research, elimination of HPV-related cancers, and tobacco control. Read More

UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center Use of medical imaging during pregnancy increased significantly in the United States, a new study has found, with nearly a four-fold rise over the last two decades in the number of women undergoing computed tomography CT scans, which expose mothers and fetuses to radiation. Pregnant women are warned to minimize radiation exposure. This is the first large, multi-center study to assess the amount of advanced imaging occurring during preg…

Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center A research team, led by investigators from Georgetown University Medical Center and Fudan University in China, has devised a promising non-invasive and individualized technique for detecting and treating bladder cancer. The method uses a "liquid biopsy"—a urine specimen—instead of the invasive tumor sampling needed today, and a method developed and patented by Georgetown to culture cancer cells that can reveal the molecular underpinnings of…

Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health The biliary microbiome was altered in patients who received neoadjuvant therapy prior to undergoing surgery for pancreatic cancer, according to new research from Fox Chase Cancer Center. Additionally, more bacteria in patients who underwent surgery after neoadjuvant therapy were resistant to cephalosporins, a form of broad spectrum antibiotics, compared with patients who were treated with surgery alone.   Read More

UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Norman Wolmark, MD, FACS, has been recruited to the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine where he will serve as director of National Cancer Institute cooperative group clinical trials. Dr. Wolmark has spent decades conducting groundbreaking research and early clinical trials in the treatment of breast and bowel cancers.    Read More

Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey More than $2 million in grants awarded to Rutgers Cancer Institute researcher Daniel Herranz Benito, PhD, will support examination of potential treatment targets for T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). Expanding on previous research related to mutations in the NOTCH1 gene, Dr. Herranz is examining the role of a metabolic master regulator known as Sirt1 that affects a number of cellular processes.    Read More

Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine Yale Cancer Center’s Frederick Wilson, MD, PhD, has won a 2019 Clinical Scientist Development Award from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Dr. Wilson’s research focuses on targeted therapies for the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung carcinoma and melanoma.    Read More

Representatives Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) are seeking cosponsors for H.R. 913, the CLINICAL TREATMENT Act, a bill to guarantee coverage of routine care costs associated with clinical trial participation for Medicaid enrollees. Today, as many as 42.2 million Medicaid patients risk missing out on lifesaving treatment due to financial burden. AACI supports the CLINICAL TREATMENT Act. We encourage you to demonstrate your support by writing your representatives.   Read More

UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center A team of researchers from UCLA and the University of Toronto have identified a new biomarker found in urine that can help detect aggressive prostate cancer, potentially saving hundreds of thousands of men each year from undergoing unnecessary surgeries and radiotherapy treatments.   Read More

University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center After thyroid cancer surgery, many patients should be in the position of deciding with their doctors whether to pursue treatment with radioactive iodine to help ease long-term follow-up and offer reassurance that the cancer is gone. A new survey by researchers at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center and U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation suggests many patients are receiving the treatment when there’s no strong indicatio…

Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah Researchers at Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah discovered in laboratory studies that an experimental drug called selinexor may block a crucial survival pathway exploited by myelofibrosis cells. Based on their findings, they designed a clinical trial now open at HCI to examine this drug’s effectiveness in patients with myelofibrosis.   Read More