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Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center Four top teams of ovarian cancer researchers are uniting efforts in an unprecedented collaboration aimed at enabling early detection and perhaps prevention of many ovarian cancers. Funded by a developmental grant from the U.S. Department of Defense, the initiative will bring together researchers from both government and academic centers to apply emerging technologies to this pressing challenge to discover biomarkers for early detection of ovarian …

UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center Davide Ruggero, PhD, has accomplished the rare feat of receiving two of the most competitive awards available to cancer scientists. In September, the American Cancer Society awarded Dr. Ruggero a prestigious ACS Professorship Award; and in October, he received an Outstanding Investigator Award (R35) from the National Cancer Institute (NCI).   Read More

WVU Cancer Institute Ivan Martinez, PhD, is exploring how HPV produces and modifies tiny molecules of RNA—called "non-coding RNAs"—in infected human cells. Using cell lines from cervical and head and neck cancers that test positive for HPV, he’s investigating how the virus uses these RNAs to trick the human cells into multiplying too fast and forming tumors.   Read More

The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute A new clinical trial at OSUCCC - James and three other leading cancer centers aims to reduce malnutrition among patients with lung cancer by offering nutritional counseling and medically tailored meals. Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation awarded $2.3 million to Colleen Spees, PhD, RD, and Carolyn Presley, MD, MPH to fund the project.   Read More

Siteman Cancer Center Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have received a $3.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to support an open-source database aimed at boosting personalized approaches to cancer treatment. The database is designed to help doctors match cancer mutations—found in patients’ tumors—with drugs that target such genetic errors.   Read More

In October 2018, AACI’s Clinical Research Innovation (CRI) formed the Regulatory File Management Working Group. The working group has established recommendations for implementing and working with eRegulatory systems, which will be discussed in an upcoming webinar. AACI will present "Perspectives on Implementing an eRegulatory System" at 3:00 pm ET on Tuesday, December 10. The webinar will provide two case studies from cancer centers that have successfully implemented a hybrid, home-grown applic…

Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center Brian Rini, MD, a leader in genitourinary oncology, kidney cancer, and clinical drug development, will join Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in January 2020 as the inaugural chief of clinical trials. Dr. Rini was recruited from the Cleveland Clinic, where he currently serves as director of the Genitourinary Cancer Program and professor of medicine at the Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University.   Read More

Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center An initiative to establish a streamlined process for collection of family health histories could set the stage for a standardized system to make the information easily accessible. The project is supported by a $5.3 million grant from the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Moonshot program. This is the second large Cancer Moonshot grant awarded to Vanderbilt researchers. Another team received an $11 million grant last year for colorectal cancer research.   …

Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center Peter Ubel, MD, has been elected to the prestigious National Academy of Medicine. Dr. Ubel, a member of the Duke Cancer Institute, is a behavioral scientist recognized for his exploration of controversial issues about the role of values and preference in health care and decision making.   Read More

Nominations are now being accepted for the AACI Physician Clinical Leadership Initiative (PCLI) Steering Committee. The PCLI Steering Committee helps guide the activities of the initiative and identify opportunities for AACI cancer center clinical leaders to share solutions and best practices. Committee members also identify ways AACI can collaborate with like-minded organizations. All AACI cancer center members are welcome to submit nominations until 5:00 pm PT on Friday, December 13.   Read …

Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center Jennifer Kennedy-Stovall has been named director of patient access at Duke Cancer Institute. She previously served as director of patient access support services at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, where she provided strategic direction for the institution’s main centralized contact centers.   Read More

Last month, AACI, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the American Cancer Society announced the winners of this year’s HPV Vaccine Is Cancer Prevention Champion Award. This award was established in 2017 to recognize clinicians, clinics, practices, groups, and health systems who are going above and beyond to foster HPV vaccination in their communities. This year, champions from 25 states were honored for their efforts to achieve high HPV vaccination rates.    Read More

University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center Researchers at Rogel Cancer Center have taken a promising new approach to targeting STAT3 — developing a small-molecule compound that harnesses the power of a natural cellular "cleanup" system to get rid of it entirely, rather than traditional methods that have tried to block its action. The U-M compound was able to achieve a long-lasting and nearly complete elimination of tumors in mouse models of leukemia and lymphoma.   Read More

University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center Celina Kleer, MD, has been honored by the American Association for Cancer Research for her work in generating key insights into the development of aggressive forms of breast cancer and for advancing the characterization of clinical biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets for them.   Read More

The United States House of Representatives and Senate came together to pass another continuing resolution for government funding on November 21. With President Trump’s signature, a government shutdown was avoided as we headed into the Thanksgiving holiday. This four-week continuing resolution will fund the government at 2019 budget-year levels and allow Congress until December 20 to come up with a Fiscal Year 2020 budget deal.   Read More

University of Florida Health Cancer Center In a new kind of real-world study, a "pragmatic" clinical trial, University of Florida researchers found that hepatitis C patients who previously did not respond to oral drug therapy were cured by a recently approved drug regimen. The study showed that the fixed-dose combination of glecaprevir/pibrentasvir, marketed as Mavyret™ by the manufacturer, AbbVie, cured hepatitis C in patients who previously did not respond to sofosbuvir plus an NS5A in…

Case Comprehensive Cancer Center A new study could explain why drugs will often work for some cancer types, but not others. "We’ve been targeting the cancer-causing gene for therapy, but it turns out we should also think about targeting the switches that are carried along with it," said co-senior author Peter Scacheri, PhD.   Read More

Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah Cellular machines that control chromosome structure, such as the RSC complex, are mutated in about one-fifth of all human cancers. Now, for the first time, scientists have developed a high-resolution visual map of this multi-protein machine, elucidating how the RSC complex works and what role it has in healthy and cancer cells. The study was co-led by HCI cancer researcher Bradley Cairns, PhD, along with Ning Gao, PhD, at Peking Univers…

Your cancer center's news doesn't take a break—and now, neither does AACI Update. The submission deadline for our January 2020 issue is Wednesday, December 18. Many thanks for your cancer center's contributions throughout the year. Please keep the good news coming about the inspiring work and dedicated faculty and staff at your AACI cancer center in 2020. Read More

Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Health The Prostate Cancer Foundation has awarded the 2019 PCF VAlor Challenge Award to a team of Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Health researchers led by Veda N. Giri, MD. The $1 million grant will support the development of technology-based tools that will enhance engagement of physicians, patients, and the public regarding prostate cancer genetics and genetic testing.  Additionally, Raffaella Pippa, PhD, has been recognized with the 2…

University of Illinois Cancer Center Jan Kitajewski, PhD, director for basic research at the University of Illinois Cancer Center, is serving as the cancer center's interim director. Dr. Kitajewski replaces Robert Winn, MD, who was recently named director of VCU Massey Cancer Center. Before joining UIC in 2016, Dr. Kitajewski was co-director of the Cancer Signaling Networks program at Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center.   Read Mo…

Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Health Thomas Jefferson University has received a $70 million gift from Sidney and Caroline Kimmel. The Caroline Kimmel Biomedical Research Building will provide Jefferson scientists with leading-edge technology and laboratories. AACI Vice President/President-elect, Karen E. Knudsen, MBA, PhD, is Enterprise Director of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Health. Read More

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center A research team led by a Roswell Park scientist has identified the molecule LRIG1 as an important endogenous tumor suppressor in prostate cancer. The team's findings come from preclinical studies showing that overexpression of the LRIG1 protein inhibits prostate cancer development, while reducing naturally occurring LRIG1 promotes prostate tumor development. Dean Tang, PhD, is senior author of the study.   Read More

Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center Researchers have identified a cell surface receptor that is essential for the function and survival of resistant prostate cancer cells, and showed in laboratory studies that this receptor can be targeted to halt tumor growth. A clinical trial is underway using a drug originally intended for lung diseases. Jiaoti Huang, MD, PhD, is senior author on the study.   Read More

Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Stephen D. Nimer, MD, director of the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, which recently received designation from the National Cancer Institute, has been named the inaugural holder of the Oscar de la Renta Endowed Chair in Cancer Research.   Read More

The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute Together with two state legislators, OSUCCC – James has announced new legislation that would ensure immediate access to treatment for stage IV cancer patients in Ohio. Under the proposed bill, Ohio insurance providers would be required to eliminate "fail first" provisions that require patients to first try an insurer’s preferred and often generic alternative drug prior to receiving…

Moffitt Cancer Center Edmondo Robinson, MD, MBA, FACP, has joined Moffitt Cancer Center as the new senior vice president and chief digital innovation officer. With more than 16 years of clinical and technology experience, Dr. Robinson will be responsible for expanding Moffitt’s ecosystem from within and outside of health care to support growth and competitive advantage.   Read More

Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health Erica Golemis, PhD, leader of the Molecular Therapeutics Program at Fox Chase Cancer Center, has been named a 2019 fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Dr. Golemis and her colleagues study tumor-associated defects in protein structure and interactions that underlie the errors in cell signaling that cause aggressive tumor growth.    Read More

City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center Kidney cancer patients who had already tried two or three different treatments had improved chances of preventing cancer progression with an experimental drug called tivozanib compared to an alternative approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), according to a City of Hope-led study.   Read More

UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center A study led by UCLA researchers found that adding ribociclib to standard hormone therapy significantly improves overall survival in postmenopausal women with advanced hormone-receptor positive/HER2- breast cancer. Senior author of the study is Dennis Slamon, MD, PhD, director of clinical and translational research at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.   Read More

The University of Kansas Cancer Center A team comprising members of the SWOG Cancer Research Network, a cancer clinical trials network funded by the National Cancer Institute, has identified two new markers to predict which triple-negative breast cancer patients may benefit from AC chemotherapy, a combination of doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide. Priyanka Sharma, MD, is principal investigator on the project.   Read More

AACI welcomes its newest and 100th member, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) Cancer Center, one of seven National Cancer Institute-designated basic laboratory cancer centers. Directed by David Tuveson, MD, PhD, the CSHL Cancer Center is committed to exploring the fundamental biology of human cancer. Research at the center covers a broad range of cancer types, including breast, prostate, leukemia, brain, pancreatic, sarcoma, lung, and melanoma. Three scientific research programs provide focus…

Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center Indiana University School of Medicine researchers have discovered how to predict whether triple-negative breast cancer will recur, and which women are likely to remain disease-free. Milan Radovich, PhD, and Bryan Schneider, MD, found that women whose plasma contained genetic material from a tumor—referred to as circulating tumor DNA, or ctDNA—had only a 56 percent chance of being cancer-free two years following chemothe…

University of Florida Health Cancer Center University of Florida researchers have found mutation hot spots in a unique class of proteins that could drive cancer progression. "Many of these mutations inactivate the functions of important proteins that prevent tumor formation and cause proteins to stimulate cancer growth," said Jonathan Licht, MD,director of the UF Health Cancer Center and study co-author.   Read More

AACI and the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) will co-host the 2020 Hill Day in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, May 13. AACI is encouraging its U.S. members to send at least one representative to Washington to advocate on your center’s behalf. All faculty and staff of AACI cancer centers are invited to attend and bring patient advocates to share their impactful stories. More details will be provided in the coming months, including information about registration and patient advocate…

AACI cancer center directors are invited to submit nominations for the 2020 Champion for Cures Award by Friday, January 31. AACI established the award in 2018 to recognize an individual or individuals who, through direct financial support of an AACI cancer center, demonstrate exceptional leadership in advancing cancer research and care and in inspiring others to do the same. Selected by the AACI Board of Directors, the awardee will have gained distinction through their visionary approach to pro…

The AACI Clinical Research Innovation (CRI) Steering Committee is currently soliciting abstracts for the 12th Annual AACI CRI Meeting that will be held July 7-9 in Chicago. This year’s meeting will focus on the future of cancer clinical research. The purpose of the abstracts is to inform meeting attendees about clinical trials office challenges and solutions implemented at AACI cancer centers.   Read More

After several weeks of uncertainty, Congress united to pass a budget deal for Fiscal Year 2020. The budget allocates $41.7 billion to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and $6.44 billion to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), including $212.5 million targeted toward competitive NCI grants. The boost in funding is a positive development for the cancer community at large.   Read More

Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University The immune system establishes "forward operating bases," or lymph node-like structures, inside the tumors of some patients with kidney and other urologic cancers, researchers at Winship Cancer Institute have discovered. Patients with well-supported immune cells in their tumors are more likely to control their cancers’ growth for a longer time — findings that could guide treatment decisions after surgery for kidney cancer.   Read More

Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center Duke Cancer Institute researchers have observed how stem cell mutations quietly arise and spread throughout a widening field of the colon until they eventually become a malignancy. Using an innovative modeling system in mice, the researchers visually tagged colon cancer mutations by causing stem cells to glow. Mutations found in colon cancer were then visualized in the animals, illuminating a sort of tournament-to-the-death underway i…

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center After receiving acupuncture treatment three days a week during the course of radiation treatment, head and neck cancer patients experienced less dry mouth, according to study results from researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The study's principal investigator is Lorenzo Cohen, PhD.   Read More

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center Research led by pediatric oncologist Kara Kelly, MD, at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center has confirmed what several earlier studies showed: that overall survival is significantly lower for nonwhite children and adolescents with Hodgkin lymphoma than for white patients with the same disease.   Read More

University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center The University of Michigan led the nation with 22 faculty members elected as 2019 fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), including six members of the U-M Rogel Cancer Center: Maria G. Castro, PhD; Jun Li, PhD; Linda C. Samuelson, PhD; Emily Scott, PhD; Shaomeng Wang, PhD; and Weiping Zou, MD, PhD.   Read More

Stanford Cancer Institute A new approach to programming cancer-fighting immune cells called CAR T cells can prolong their activity and increase their effectiveness against human cancer cells grown in the laboratory and in mice, according to a study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Crystal Mackall, MD, is senior author of the study.   Read More

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have found that a protein involved in immune response to microbes also can fuel cancer development and suppress immune response to the disease. Working in mouse models of lung cancer, the team found TANK-binding kinase 1 and its adaptor protein TBK-binding protein 1 contribute to tumorigenesis when they are activated by growth factors rather than by innate immune mechanisms.…

Siteman Cancer Center Washington University researchers are developing a new imaging technique that can provide accurate, real-time, computer-aided diagnosis of colorectal cancer. Using deep learning, a type of machine learning, they used the technique on more than 26,000 individual frames of imaging data from colorectal tissue samples to determine the method’s accuracy. Compared with pathology reports, they identified tumors with 100-percent accuracy in this pilot study.   Read …

University of Florida Health Cancer Center Consuming a seaweed found near the Florida Keys may offer health benefits in preventing colon cancer and inflammatory diseases of the digestive tract, according to researchers in the University of Florida College of Pharmacy. A comprehensive multiyear study identified seaweed compounds responsible for anti-inflammatory activities and their mechanism of action.    Read More

UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center A new study from scientists at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center helps explain why some people with advanced cancer may not respond to one of the leading immunotherapies, PD-1 blockade, and how a new combination approach may help overcome resistance to the immunotherapy drug.   Read More

Moffitt Cancer Center In a new study,  Moffitt Cancer Center scientists describe a community-based program called the Rapid Tissue Donation protocol. It enables patients to consent to donating tumor tissue and blood samples for research purposes after their death. The samples provided by patients postmortem enable researchers to study the genetic and molecular makeup of primary and metastatic tumors after the patient failed treatment, and to compare those finding with what was known abou…

University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center A new study makes a case for getting a mammogram every year instead of every other year. Women diagnosed with breast cancer after receiving yearly mammograms had smaller tumors and less advanced disease than women who had mammograms every other year, researchers from the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center found.   Read More

Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health Jeffrey Peterson, PhD, has been awarded a $1.4 million grant by the U.S. Department of Defense as part of its mission to address important challenges and issues in breast cancer treatment and survival. The goal of this project is to evaluate and exploit the mechanisms of inducing programmed cell death using polyunsaturated fatty acids in triple-negative breast cancer.   Read More

Stanford Cancer Institute Neighborhoods with high proportions of gay and bisexual men are twice as likely to have an indoor tanning salon as neighborhoods with fewer sexual minority men, according to a study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Eleni Linos, MD, MPH, is senior author of the study.   Read More

The University of Kansas Cancer Center A preclinical study led by researchers at KU Cancer Center has identified a potential new target in the treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, the most common type of pancreatic cancer. According to principal investigator Animesh Dhar, PhD, a protein called histone lysine demethylase 3A, plays a role in pancreatic cancer tumor development and regulates DCLK1, a well-known pancreatic cancer stem cell marker.   Read More

AACI has launched three new leadership listservs for administrative directors and medical directors of clinical trials offices and for members of the Physician Clinical Leadership Initiative (PCLI), to allow for greater engagement among AACI members who want to share best practices, challenges, and solutions related to their specific roles. The new listservs are open only to AACI members who hold leadership roles in these areas at their institution. The listservs will be maintained and monitore…

Stanford Cancer Institute In a speech at Stanford University, National Cancer Institute Director Norman Sharpless, MD, reported promising cancer mortality trends and described an encouraging landscape for research funding and drug approval. Dr. Sharpless and Steven Artandi, MD, PhD, director of the Stanford Cancer Institute, are pictured.   Read More

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center has announced that Thomas J. Lynch Jr., MD, is the center’s new president and director. Dr. Lynch, a well-known cancer leader with expertise in solid tumor research, precision medicine, and immuno-oncology, joined Fred Hutch February 1. Dr. Lynch was most recently chief scientific officer at Bristol-Myers Squibb and has served as chairman and CEO of Massachusetts General Physicians Organization and director of Yale Cancer Center, among other leadership pos…

University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center Richard L. Eckert, PhD, has been named deputy director of the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center (UMGCCC). Dr. Eckert, a preeminent scientist and investigator with continuous funding from the National Institutes of Health, has served as the UMGCCC associate director for basic sciences since 2013.   Read More

Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina Gustavo Leone, PhD, director of the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, has announced that he has accepted a position as director of the Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Center. He will work with the interim director, Denis C. Guttridge, PhD, to ensure a smooth transition. Dr. Leone plans to leave the university on April 15.   Read More

UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center An $18 million commitment from the Simms/Mann Family Foundation, led by Dr. Victoria Mann Simms and Ronald Simms, will support UCLA’s expansion of integrative psychosocial care for people with cancer and their families throughout Southern California. The gift to UCLA Health will fund an endowment to sustain and grow the Simms/Mann–UCLA Center for Integrative Oncology.   Read More

Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine Yale Cancer Center (YCC) has launched the Center for Community Engagement and Health Equity. Building on YCC’s longstanding commitment to high-quality, expert, and patient-centered cancer care, screening, and prevention across the state of Connecticut, the new center is dedicated to ensuring cancer health equity and improving outcomes with an emphasis on traditionally underserved neighborhoods.    Read More

Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted accelerated approval to the drug enfortumab vedotin (EV) to treat adult patients with advanced urothelial or bladder cancer. The approval is the direct result of a multi-institutional clinical trial led by Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital researchers demonstrating EV as an effective treatment for this deadly disease.  Read More

Registration is now open for the AACI/AACR Hill Day on Wednesday, May 13 in Washington, DC. Hill Day will bring cancer center directors, researchers, physician-scientists, cancer survivors, and other advocates to Capitol Hill to build support for a strong federal investment in biomedical research—and cancer research in particular—through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI). AACI is encouraging its U.S. members to send at least one representative to Wa…

In 2019 AACI grew its membership, awarded patient advocate scholarships for its annual Hill Day, hosted its first CAR T therapy symposium, and increased the publication frequency of the Update newsletter and Commentary editorial series. AACI also provided opportunities throughout the year for patient advocates to share their inspiring stories. AACI recaps these achievements and more in its 2019 Report.   Read More

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center In 2013, a research team from Roswell Park, led by Elizabeth Repasky, PhD, reported that chronic stress can encourage the development and proliferation of tumor cells by suppressing natural immunity against cancer. In a new study, the same laboratory has revealed that chronic stress weakens immunity against cancer through its effect on a specific cell type known as the myeloid-derived suppressor cell.   Read More

The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute New research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in collaboration with OSUCCC – James, strengthens prior findings on the link between vitamin E acetate and EVALI (e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury). Peter Shields, MD, led the study.   Read More

Moffitt Cancer Center Most patients with advanced melanoma who develop metastases in the leptomeninges only survive for 8-10 weeks after diagnosis. One reason for this poor prognosis is that very little is known about the molecular development of leptomeningeal melanoma metastases (LMM), making it difficult to develop effective therapies. Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center sought to change this by performing an extensive analysis of the molecular characteristics of the cerebrospinal fl…

Siteman Cancer Center Cancer patients who receive proton therapy experience similar cure rates and fewer serious side effects compared with those who undergo traditional X-ray radiation therapy, according to a study led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine and Siteman Cancer Center in St. Louis and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.   Read More

Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins researchers report that a type of biodegradable, lab-engineered nanoparticle they fashioned can successfully deliver a "suicide gene" to pediatric brain tumor cells implanted in the brains of mice. The poly(beta-amino ester) nanoparticles, known as PBAEs, were part of a treatment that also used a drug to kill the cells and prolong the test animals’ survival.   Read More

Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) and University of Utah (U of U) Health Hospitals and Clinics have announced that Don Milligan, MBA, will serve as the new executive director of the HCI Cancer Hospital. Milligan has more than 25 years of management experience in health care, 22 of which have been in leadership roles at U of U Health and HCI. Read More

VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center VCU Massey Cancer Center researchers Bernard Fuemmeler, PhD, MPH, and David Wheeler, MPH, PhD, received a $2.1 million R01 grant from the National Cancer Institute to examine the impact of tobacco retail outlets and neighborhoods on maternal smoking during pregnancy as well as secondhand smoke exposure among children.   Read More

Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health Elizabeth Plimack, MD, MS, professor and chief of the Division of Genitourinary Medical Oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center, has been elected to the American Society of Clinical Oncology Board of Directors for a term of four years. She will begin her appointment in June 2020 and is eager to represent Fox Chase as she works to encourage collaboration and methods of sharing information in oncology.   Read More

Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center Mice given a new drug targeting a key gene involved in lipid and glucose metabolism could tolerate a high-fat diet regimen (composed of 60 percent fat from lard) without developing significant liver damage, becoming obese, or disrupting their body’s glucose balance. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, or NAFLD, can evolve to inflammatory steatohepatitis, or NASH, which can lead to chronic inflammation, scarring of the liver, and cirrhosis, an…

University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center By continuously monitoring the body temperature of mice that had undergone bone-marrow transplants, researchers were able to detect early warning signs of graft-versus-host disease in a simple, non-invasive way. If similar temperature patterns can be detected in human patients, University of Michigan researchers are optimistic that wearable temperature monitors could offer a practical, low-cost method for quickly identifying patients who are dev…

Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center The Kidney Cancer Association is recognizing the research accomplishments and leadership achievements of W. Kimryn Rathmell, MD, PhD, with its top honor, the Eugene P. Schonfeld Award. The Schonfeld Award recognizes highly respected health care professionals who have made significant contributions in the treatment of renal cell carcinoma.   Read More

University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center Sara Piccirillo, PhD, has received the 2019 Gianni Bonadonna prize for new drug development, which she will use to fund her research on glioblastoma treatment. Dr. Piccirillo thinks the way to fight glioblastoma lies in its extreme heterogeneity. Her research will focus on creating a catalog of cellular alterations and then using that catalog to suggest a menu of treatments.   Read More

2019 was a landmark year in the longstanding effort to federally raise the age for purchasing tobacco products from 18 to 21. The movement’s origins can be traced to 1996 when the Preventing Tobacco Addiction Foundation was established with the goal of reducing the toll of smoking and tobacco through preventive efforts.

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center National guidelines recommend that men with prostate cancer eat a vegetable-rich diet, suggesting it might decrease cancer progression and death. But in a Phase III randomized clinical trial, patients with prostate cancer assigned to eat seven or more servings of vegetables and fruits daily saw no extra protection from the increased consumption of micronutrients. The Men’s Eating and Living (MEAL) study is led by investigators from UC San Diego Mo…

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center A study at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center demonstrated a potential new approach to treating two of the most common subtypes of lymphoma through manipulation of molecular programs controlled by the cAMP-response element binding protein (CREBBP). Mutations of CREBBP are frequently found in follicular lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphomas, and allow malignant cells to hide from the immune system.   Read More

GW Cancer Center The Cutaneous Oncology Program at GW Cancer Center was selected as the first global site for a clinical trial for patients with high-risk cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. The study, sponsored by Regeneron, will examine outcomes for patients treated with Libtayo® (cemiplimab)—an immunotherapy treatment—prior to surgery and radiation therapy. Vishal A. Patel, MD, FAAD, FACMS, is principal investigator of the study.   Read More

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) has appointed Roxanne Taylor as chief marketing and communications officer, effective February 3. Taylor will be responsible for shaping and enhancing the MSK brand and will be accountable for building the long-term equity of the brand with all stakeholders.   Read More

Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health Fox Chase Cancer Center has announced the results of its Pilot Project Competition for Junior Investigators, which was held last fall. The competition is funded through an American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant.   Read More

Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University For adult patients with brainstem high-grade gliomas, surgically removing the entire tumor may add months or even years of survival beyond that offered by radiation and chemotherapy, according to results of a medical records study led by researchers at Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. Debraj Mukherjee, MD, MPH, is study leader.   Read More

The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute A study led by researchers at OSUCCC – James reveals how a clotting protein and blood platelets can promote cancer progression and suppress immune responses to cancer. The findings show how thrombin causes blood platelets to release transforming growth factor-beta 1, which is known for promoting disease progression in certain cancers, and for suppressing immune-system responses to …

University of Florida Health Cancer Center Many viruses are master manipulators, hijacking cellular functions to propagate, spread and avoid elimination by their host's immune system. Now, University of Florida researcher Sumita Bhaduri-McIntosh, MD, PhD, has discovered how the common, cancer-causing Epstein-Barr virus does just that by using a complex of proteins to emerge from a dormant state and begin replicating.   Read More

City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center The benefits of a daily aspirin may extend to colorectal cancer treatment, say City of Hope researchers who have found aspirin appears to reduce tumor growth and inhibit recurrence of the disease. The trick, they say, is to determine the right dosage of aspirin that can be used as a daily prophylactic without triggering dangerous side effects such as stomach and brain bleeds. Ajay Goel, PhD, is senior author of the study.   Read More

Siteman Cancer Center Gynecologic oncologist Dineo Khabele, MD, noted for her expertise in ovarian cancer research and treatment, has been named head of the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Washington University School of Medicine and Siteman Cancer Center. Dr. Khabele, whose appointment becomes effective June 1, also will be installed as the Mitchell and Elaine Yanow Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology.   Read More

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center Supercharged immune cells called CAR T cells have the potential to eradicate even the nastiest blood cancers. But CAR T-cell therapy is still new, with many unknowns. In adult patients, the cells sometimes don’t work to keep these aggressive cancers at bay. If they lose in round one, should doctors give these microscopic fighters another chance? And, if so, how can they improve their odds of success?   Read More

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center The likelihood of a patient responding to immune checkpoint blockade may depend on B cells in the tumor, located within specialized immune-cell clusters known as tertiary lymphoid structures, according to researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.   Read More

University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center The University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center has named two new associate directors. Bhramar Mukherjee, PhD, will be the associate director for quantitative data sciences, and Christopher Friese, PhD, RN, was named associate director for cancer control and population sciences.   Read More

University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center The University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center announces the appointment of Cheryl L. Knott, PhD, as associate director of community outreach and engagement. Dr. Knott has more than 20 years of experience in community-based cancer control research, with a strong focus on eliminating cancer disparities.  Read More

Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Health The Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Health welcomes Usama Gergis, MD, MBA, as director of the Bone Marrow Transplant and Immune Cellular Therapy Program. His areas of expertise include high-risk myeloid malignancies, graft-versus-host disease, and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for patients who lack matched donors (alternative donor transplantation).   Read More

Case Comprehensive Cancer Center The Case Comprehensive Cancer Center welcomes Jennifer Cullen, PhD, MPH, as its new associate director for cancer population sciences, following an extensive search after the departure of Li Li, MD, PhD in January 2019. Dr. Cullen joins Case from the U.S. Department of Defense Center for Prostate Disease Research.   Read More

Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center Steven Bender, MBA, FHFMA, formerly senior director of finance for Florida Atlantic University College of Medicine in Boca Raton, has been named director of finance of Duke Cancer Institute (DCI). Bender assumed his new role January 6. He serves as the architect of financial reports and models, which support DCI as a blended school of medicine and health system operation.   Read More

The University of Kansas Cancer Center Researchers at The University of Kansas Cancer Center have received a three-year, $900,000 grant from the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance to better understand why epithelial ovarian cancers take decades to develop as well as identify methods for early detection. Epithelial ovarian cancer accounts for about 90 percent of all ovarian cancer cases. Andrew Godwin, PhD, is principal investigator.   Read More

Last month the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published a letter to the editor authored by AACI President Roy A. Jensen, MD, and AACI Conflict of Interest (COI) Task Force Co-chairs Karen E. Knudsen, MBA, PhD, and Leonidas C. Platanias, MD, PhD, in response to a JAMA article published in August regarding industry payments to physician directors of NCI-Designated Cancer Centers.   Read More