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GW Cancer Center The OncoMX knowledgebase will improve the exploration and research of cancer biomarkers in the context of related evidence, according to a recent article from the George Washington University. OncoMX, a knowledgebase and web portal for exploring cancer biomarker data and related evidence, was developed to integrate cancer biomarker and relevant data types into a meta-portal, enabling the research of cancer biomarkers side by side with other pertinent multidimensional dat…

Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Health In the largest retrospective population-based study to date, Jefferson researchers showed that hospitalization increased by as much as 114 percent in patients battling breast, prostate, and lung cancers, when those patients took 15 or more medications prior to chemotherapy treatment. Read More

Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health Carolyn Fang, PhD, a researcher at Fox Chase Cancer Center, has been elected as a fellow to the Society of Behavioral Medicine. Much of Dr. Fang’s research focuses on understanding how behavioral, biological, and psychosocial factors may contribute to increased risk for cancer or other chronic diseases. Some of her work is focused specifically on underserved Asian American populations. Read More

Thank you to the communications professionals who consistently provide AACI with news from their cancer centers — especially during the COVID-19 crisis. The May 2020 issue of AACI Update will be published on Friday, May 1. The deadline to submit your cancer center news is Tuesday, April 28. Please send your cancer center news to [email protected].   Read More

University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center Based on early results from a clinical trial at UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) is testing a drug combination uncovered by Sarah Adams, MD, in a group of women with recurrent ovarian cancer. Now, using a five-year $1.2 million NCI grant, Dr. Adams hopes to discover a predictive biomarker that will help guide treatment.   Read More

Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center A multidisciplinary team of investigators at Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center has received a program project grant from the National Cancer Institute to explore extracellular RNA in colorectal cancer. The five-year, $9 million award will support multiple projects that aim to define fundamental biological principles about extracellular RNA signaling and the development and aggressiveness of colorectal cancer. Read More

John Cleveland, PhD, has been named center director and executive vice president of Moffitt Cancer Center, one of 51 National Cancer Institute-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the country. Dr. Cleveland joined Moffitt in 2014 as associate center director of basic science. He stepped into the interim center director role in December 2019. Read More

Prioritizing the health and safety of meeting attendees, AACI has shifted the 12th Annual AACI CRI Annual Meeting (July 7-8) from an in-person event to a virtual format. Registration is now free for AACI cancer center members and sustaining members. AACI is working to ensure that the online meeting will still deliver the innovative, quality education that its members have enjoyed at prior CRI annual meetings. Read More

Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health A group of Fox Chase clinicians shared their expertise in an article that advised physicians on the best approach to take with patients who have been diagnosed or are currently under treatment for cancer during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The article was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Read More

Siteman Cancer Center Washington University scientists at Siteman Cancer Center have developed a new imaging agent that could let physicians identify not only multiple types of tumors but the surrounding normal cells that the cancer takes over. Samuel Achilefu, PhD, directs the university’s Optical Radiology Lab at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology and is co-leader of the Oncologic Imaging Program at Siteman.   Read More

City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center Larry Kwak, MD, PhD, vice president and deputy director of City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, was inducted into the 2020 class of American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) Fellows. Dr. Kwak's latest research is on the first CAR T cell therapy targeting the B cell-activating factor receptor on cancerous cells with the goal of using it in patients who have relapsed after CD19 immunotherapy treatments. Read More

In an April 24 letter, AACI called upon congressional leaders to consider the needs of academic cancer centers in any new COVID-19 supplemental response legislation. Priorities include supplemental appropriations for major research agencies, additional funding for hospitals and health systems, oral chemotherapy parity, requiring insurers to provide a 90-day supply of retail medications, a special enrollment period for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, increasing funding for stat…

VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center Massey Cancer Center researchers began two clinical trials this week on a potential, experimental treatment for COVID-19, the novel coronavirus rapidly spreading across the globe. The trials will be led by Arun Sanyal, MD, a member of the Cancer Cell Signaling and Cancer Prevention and Control research programs at the cancer center. Read More

UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center Researchers from the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center received a $2.8 million, five-year grant from the National Cancer Institute to help develop a blood-based test to improve the selection and prioritization for patients with liver cancer who need liver transplantation. The work is led by Vatche Agopian, MD, and HR Tseng, PhD. Read More

WVU Cancer Institute Richard M. Goldberg, MD, retired in December 2019 as director of the WVU Cancer Institute. OncLive®, a multimedia resource focused on providing oncology professionals with patient care information, in conjunction with The Ruesch Center for the Cure of Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancers, honored Dr. Goldberg with a 2020 Luminary Award in GI Cancers for his commitment to the GI cancer community. Read More

UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center David Solomon, MD, PhD, and colleagues shared a comprehensive genomic and epigenomic analysis of bithalamic glioma, identifying gene alterations and a unique epigenetic signature that distinguish this rare tumor type as a distinct tumor entity with potential sensitivity to a genomically-guided treatment strategy. Read More

The University of Kansas Cancer Center Researchers from The University of Kansas Cancer Center, the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, and Children’s Mercy Kansas City have identified a novel approach to overcome drug resistance in leukemia, using a tried-and-true chemotherapy drug. The researchers found that low doses of doxorubicin inhibit two molecular pathways, Wnt/beta-catenin and PI3K/Akt, which work closely together to promote tumor growth and resistance to therapy. …

Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey is offering a clinical trial as a potential treatment for patients diagnosed with COVID-19. The trial is not limited to cancer patients. Researchers at Rutgers are exploring if azithromycin combined with hydroxychloroquine is better than hydroxychloroquine alone for treatment of patients with COVID-19.  Read More

VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center Xiang-Yang (Shawn) Wang, PhD, has been appointed as the co-leader of the developmental therapeutics research program at VCU Massey Cancer Center. He will serve in this role alongside Steven Grant, MD, who has co-led the program since 2011, and Anthony Faber, PhD, who has co-led the program since 2018.   Read More

Siteman Cancer Center Washington University scientists at Siteman Cancer Center have received a $2.5 million NCI grant to continue research into pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, which accounts for about 90 percent of all pancreatic cancer cases. The researchers seek to understand the impact that fibrosis has on immune microenvironment and radiation treatment response. Read More

The University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center A University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center researcher calls a new clinical study a "historic" step in the treatment of an aggressive form of metastatic colorectal cancer. The Phase III Beacon CRC Trial features a life-extending targeted drug trio and duo as an alternative to current therapies. Blase Polite, MD, is principal investigator on the study. Read More

Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center If his mother, sisters, and daughters have a history of breast and ovarian cancers, possibly stemming from mutations in genes like BRCA1/2, a man's risk for prostate cancer is also significantly increased, according to a a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The study, led by Kathleen Cooney, MD, suggests that this information could help guide screening, testing, and treatment. Read More

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center While it has long been thought that locally-delivered radiation therapy typically does not help to shrink tumors outside the field of irradiation, new preclinical research from a team at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, led by Elizabeth Repasky, PhD, suggests a strategy for significantly increasing both the local and distant, or "abscopal," effects of radiation. Read More

UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill In a realignment of the division of hematology and oncology that will form two divisions from one, Jonathan Serody, MD, has been appointed chief of hematology, and Ethan Basch, MD, chief of oncology. Melba Ribeiro, MPH, will serve both divisions as associate chief for administration. Read More

Wilmot Cancer Institute, UR Medicine Darren Carpizo, MD, PhD, has joined UR Medicine as the new chief of surgical oncology, vice-chair of basic/translational research, and co-leader of the Hallmarks of Cancer research program at Wilmot Cancer Institute. An expert in hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery, Dr. Carpizo served on the faculty at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey since 2008. Read More

WVU Cancer Institute Abraham Kanate, MD, recently led the consensus guidelines from the American Society of Transplant and Cellular Therapy on indications for transplant and cellular therapy. The guidelines committee established a multi-stakeholder task force to provide guidance on indications for transplantation and cellular therapy to patients, transplant physicians, payers, and policymakers.   Read More

Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota Jenny Poynter, MPH, PhD, and Daniel Harki, PhD, have been appointed to the leadership team of Masonic Cancer Center. Dr. Poynter will serve as the cancer center’s first associate director for community outreach and engagement. Dr. Harki will become a co-leader of the center's Cellular Mechanisms Program.  Read More

Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey As part of the SWOG Cancer Research Network and ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group, investigators collaborated on a randomized Phase II clinical trial examining the targeted therapy drugs dabrafenib and tremetinib in both continuous and intermittent treatment of patients with BRAF-mutated melanoma and found continuous dosing yields superior progression-free survival. Read More

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center In a first-time disclosure of IPN60090, a small-molecule inhibitor of the metabolic enzyme glutaminase, researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Therapeutics Discovery division and Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals reported the preclinical discovery and early-stage clinical development of this novel drug. IPN60090, now under investigation in a Phase I trial, may hold benefit for certain patients with lung and ovarian ca…

Case Comprehensive Cancer Center J. Alan Diehl has been appointed deputy director and chief operating officer of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, a collaboration of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Clinic, and University Hospitals. This newly created role will provide substantive oversight of the cancer center to pursue its mission to advance cancer research, training, community outreach, and local and national impact. Read More

High-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) strains cause the majority of oropharyngeal (throat), cervical, anal, vulvar, penile, and vaginal cancers. Over 33,000 cancers caused by HPV are diagnosed annually among men and women in the United States alone.

The University of Kansas Cancer Center A historical review authored by Joseph McGuirk, DO, and Anurag Singh, MD, of KU Cancer Center chronicles decades of immune-based research leading to a new frontier in cancer treatment, chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T) therapy. The cancer center is among the world’s first providers of FDA-approved CAR T-cell therapy and offers several related clinical trials. Read More

Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health A recently published protocol paper by Fox Chase researchers describes a new trial evaluating an intervention program designed to improve sexual relationships for breast cancer survivors. Jennifer Barsky Reese, PhD, the study’s chief investigator, said the goal of the study is to see whether a four-session, couple-based intervention program done over the phone can help improve sexual function for breast cancer survivors. Read More

Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University In a study to evaluate the safety of a type of immunotherapy before surgery in patients with an aggressive form of skin cancer, researchers report that the treatment eliminated pathologic evidence of cancer in nearly half of the study participants undergoing surgery. The Merkel cell cancer trial is directed by investigators at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy and the Johns Hopkins K…

UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center A UC San Francisco team has advanced a technique to power a high-throughput platform to evaluate the specificity and potency of many different potential cell therapies simultaneously – comparable to the approach already widely used in industry to quickly screen large batches of small molecules to assess whether they would make effective drugs. Read More

The University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center An over-active immune response may contribute to the severity of illness experienced by some COVID-19 patients. In this era of fighting cancer with immunotherapy, cancer clinicians are applying their understanding of the immune system to the battle against the coronavirus. These physician-scientists have been ushered to the frontline and are using their knowledge to launch COVID-19 clinical trials in record time. Rea…

Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Health Breast surgeon Kristin L. Brill, MD, has joined Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Health as enterprise director of breast oncology. Dr. Brill joins SKCC from Cooper University Health Care, in New Jersey, where she was head of the Division of Breast Surgery and director of the Janet Knowles Breast Cancer Center at MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper. Read More

University of Florida Health Cancer Center A leading expert in the search for ways to treat aggressive adult and pediatric brain tumors, Duane A. Mitchell, MD, PhD, will direct the University of Florida’s efforts to speed research discoveries to improve health, as well as UF’s expanded Clinical and Translational Science Award partnership with Florida State University. Read More

Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Health Andrew Chapman, DO, is being honored with the 2020 B.J. Kennedy Award for Scientific Excellence in Geriatric Oncology from the American Society of Clinical Oncology for his leadership and achievement in the field. Dr. Chapman is co-director of the Jefferson Senior Adult Oncology Center and chief of cancer services at Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Health. Read More

Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center The National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health has awarded a $1.4 million R38 grant to support research by Duke Radiation Oncology and Radiology resident-investigators, beginning in July 2020. Each resident-investigator will complete 12 to 24 months of in-depth mentored research in cancer biology, radiation biology, imaging, or medical physics. Read More

Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center The Department of Defense’s Prostate Cancer Research Program has awarded Nima Sharifi, MD, who directs the Cleveland Clinic Genitourinary Malignancies Research Center, a three-year, $1.2 million Translational Science Award. It will enable Dr. Sharifi and his collaborator, Shaun Stauffer, PhD, to continue investigating how an individual patient’s genetics can guide clinicians in treatment decision making. Read More

Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center A study by Vanderbilt researchers has identified genomic alterations in early stage adenocarcinomas of the lung that may indicate whether the lesions develop into aggressive tumors. The study is the largest analysis of in situ and early adenocarcinomas lesions using targeted sequencing. Pierre Massion, MD, led the research team. Read More

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center A new analysis led by physicians at Roswell Park shows that some patients with small node-negative breast tumors that test positive for both the hormone receptor (HR) and ERBB2, also known as HER2/neu, proteins could benefit from chemotherapy in addition to surgery, radiation, and endocrine therapy, also known as hormone therapy. Read More

University of Virginia Cancer Center By mining a vast trove of genetic data, researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine are enhancing doctors’ ability to treat cancer, predict patient outcomes, and determine which treatments will work best for individual patients. The researchers have identified inherited variations in genes that affect how well a patient will do after diagnosis and during treatment. Doctors will be able to use this information to examine a patient’s ge…

The University of Kansas Cancer Center Ronald Chen, MD, MPH, has been named a Fellow of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (FASCO) in honor of his extraordinary volunteer service, dedication, and commitment to ASCO. The distinction of FASCO is given to those who have carried out efforts that benefit ASCO, the specialty of oncology, and the patients they serve. Dr. Chen is a leading genitourinary radiation oncologist and a renowned health services researcher. Read More

UK Markey Cancer Center A study led by UK Markey Cancer Center researchers suggests that implementing cancer education curricula in middle and high schools may improve cancer literacy and ultimately help reduce cancer rates. The study included 349 middle and high school students in Kentucky. Students were given a baseline test to determine their cancer literacy, followed by a cancer education presentation and another test. Scores for all individual items increased after the intervention,…

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center New data from the Phase III EMBRACA trial led by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center found the PARP inhibitor talazoparib did not demonstrate a statistically significant overall survival benefit for patients with metastatic HER2-negative breast cancer and mutations in the BRCA1/2 genes. Most patients included in the study went on to receive subsequent systemic therapies, which may have affected the survival ou…

UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Lower-income Americans are more likely to smoke cigarettes than those who are more affluent. While the federal government and most states have set goals to reduce income-based disparities in tobacco use, only one state has lessened the gap, researchers at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer and UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health report. Read More

University of Florida Health Cancer Center Tanmay Lele, PhD, has been awarded a National Cancer Institute U01 grant to examine the physical and molecular mechanisms of the cancer nucleus. Research in the Lele Lab is focused on how the cell nucleus is shaped and positioned, and how these functions become abnormal in disease conditions. A recent discovery from the Lele Lab is that nuclei are shaped by mechanical stresses generated internally in cytoskeletal structures. Read More

Thank you to the communications professionals who consistently provide AACI with news from their cancer centers — especially during the COVID-19 crisis. The May 2020 issue of AACI Update will be published on Monday, June 1. The deadline to submit your cancer center news is Wednesday, May 27. Please send your cancer center news to [email protected]. Read More

Moffitt Cancer Center In a new study, Moffitt researchers reveal how protein-signaling pathways associated with cellular stress processes turn myeloid cells into tumor-promoting players and suggest that targeting the PERK protein may be an effective therapeutic approach to reactivate the immune system and boost the effectiveness of immunotherapy. Read More

The AACI Clinical Research Innovation (CRI) Steering Committee, with the assistance of peer reviewers from the CRI community, have selected three abstracts from 77 submissions for formal presentation at the 12th Annual AACI CRI Meeting, July 7-8. Winning abstract authors represent Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center; University of Hawai'i Cancer Center, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa; and Mays Cancer Center, UT Health San Antonio. The three winning abstracts will be presented individually during a v…

Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center Sixteen physicians, researchers, and educators from Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center have collaborated with the Tennessee Cancer Coalition, Tennessee Department of Health, and other statewide partners to create the Tennessee State Cancer Plan 2018-2022. Jennifer Pietenpol, PhD, is executive vice president for research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and director of the cancer center. Read More

Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health The Pennsylvania Medical Society released its list of this year’s Top Physicians Under 40. Two Fox Chase Cancer Center doctors were honored: Sanjay S. Reddy, MD, FACS, associate professor in the Department of Surgical Oncology, and Namrata "Neena" Vijayvergia, MD, assistant chief of gastrointestinal medical oncology in the Department of Hematology/Oncology.   Read More

VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center To prevent domestic shortages of critical medications, the Medicines for All Institute, based in the Virginia Commonwealth University College of Engineering and led by VCU Massey Cancer Center researcher B. Frank Gupton, PhD, has joined forces with pharmaceutical industry leaders to bring manufacturing of vulnerable pharmaceuticals and their ingredients back to the United States. Read More

Meagan Johnson will deliver the keynote presentation, "Zap the Generational Gap," at 1:35 pm eastern time on Tuesday, July 7 during the 12th Annual AACI CRI Meeting. Johnson, a "generational humorist," challenges audiences to think differently and act decisively when working across generations. Since 1997, she has worked with a variety of organizations and associations to help employees find common ground and build on the unique strengths and values of each generation.  Read More

Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University Researchers in the Ludwig Center at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center report they have identified a drug treatment that could—if given early enough—potentially reduce the risk of death from the most serious complication of COVID-19. Prazosin, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved alpha blocker that relaxes blood vessels, may specifically target an extreme inflammatory process often referred to as cytokine s…

The University of Kansas Cancer Center During the pandemic, cancer patients undergoing treatment or participating in clinical trials at The University of Kansas Cancer Center don’t have to worry about whether they can get a test for the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The research arm of KU Cancer Center stepped up to allow patients to opt in to a study that provided the test and also covered its cost. Roy Jensen, MD, is director of KU Cancer Center and president of AACI. …

Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina Shikhar Mehrotra, PhD, and Sophie Paczesny, MD, PhD, have been named co-leaders of the Cancer Immunology program at Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina. Dr. Mehrotra’s appointment began March 2. Dr. Paczesny’s appointment begins July 1.  Read More

Cancer Center at Illinois Timothy M. Fan, DVM, PhD, professor of veterinary oncology, has been appointed as program leader of the Cancer Center at Illinois research program in Cancer Discovery Platforms Across the Engineering-Biology Continuum. Dr. Fan will co-lead this research program with Brendan Harley, ScD, and he is is the current president of the Veterinary Cancer Society. Read More

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center announces the appointment of new leaders in three key areas of clinical care: Mary Ann Long, RN, MS, returns as senior vice president of nursing; Laurie J. Smith, MA, is the new vice president of clinical research services; and Timothy Quinn, MD, has been promoted to chief of critical care. Read More

Stanford Cancer Institute Roeland Nusse, PhD, professor of developmental biology, is the recipient of Canada’s Gairdner International Award for his work on understanding the role of the Wnt signaling pathway in normal development and in cancer. Nusse plans to donate his award to UNICEF to help provide protective equipment for health care workers caring for children amid the global COVID-19 pandemic. Read More

University of Virginia Cancer Center Richard J. Price, PhD, of UVA’s School of Medicine and School of Engineering, is using focused soundwaves to overcome the natural "blood-brain barrier," which protects the brain from harmful pathogens. Gene therapy introduced via focused ultrasound would essentially reprogram faulty cells. Read More

UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute A five-year grant of more than $1.86 million from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences will fund research aimed at reducing long-term neurological damage caused by a common cancer treatment regimen. Fen Xia, MD, PhD, received the grant for her project titled "The Novel Role of Sirtuin 2 in Regulation of Transcription-Associated DNA Damage Repair." Read More

Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center Currently available immunotherapies in most cases either don’t work at all, or work, then stop working. The various mechanisms driving why this happens are not fully understood. The Hanks Lab at Duke Cancer Institute, led by Brent Hanks, MD, PhD, is directed at figuring out why this "immunotherapy resistance" is happening. Read More

Ellen and Ronald Caplan Cancer Center of The Wistar Institute The Wistar Institute announces the appointment of Italo Tempera, PhD, as associate professor in the Gene Expression & Regulation Program of The Wistar Institute Cancer Center. Dr. Tempera is a molecular virologist with special expertise in the study of the Epstein Barr virus and how it regulates expression of its genes in the host cell during infection.  Read More

UK Markey Cancer Center UK Markey Cancer Center announces that medical sociologist Pamela Hull, PhD, will join the center and serve as its associate director of population science and community impact. Dr. Hull’s expertise is in the development, testing and dissemination of behavioral interventions to promote cancer prevention behaviors, and she has more than 15 years of experience conducting community-engaged research.  Read More

For a joint virtual day of action on Friday, June 5, AACI and the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) have drafted a letter for our associations' members to share with their representatives. The letter builds on AACI's previous request for increased funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in fiscal year (FY) 2021, with additional requests related to COVID-19.  Read More

Stanford Cancer Institute Stanford scientists have taken important steps toward figuring out how to use immune therapy for a group of severe pediatric brain tumors known as atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors. A new study identifies a molecular target that enables engineered, cancer-fighting immune cells to recognize and attack the tumors while leaving healthy brain tissue alone. Crystal Mackall, MD, is senior study author. Read More

Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center An ongoing, multicenter clinical trial involving Cleveland Clinic has found that a new blood test can accurately detect more than 50 types of cancer while still in the early stages – before any clinical signs or symptoms of the disease. In cases where the test detected cancer, the test determined where it was located in the body with 93 percent accuracy.  Read More

University of Colorado Cancer Center The University of Colorado Cancer Center announces that Christopher Lieu, MD, is now associate director of clinical research. Dr. Lieu was interim associate director for eight months. For the past nine years Dr. Lieu has been an investigator on numerous CU Cancer Center studies, including taking the lead on early-onset colorectal cancer research. Read More

Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah Hunter Underhill, MD, PhD, a Huntsman Cancer Institute brain cancer researcher, was awarded a special National Cancer Institute grant to advance his research in brain tumor detection. Dr. Underhill's award will provide approximately $1.75 million over five years to pursue new ways to detect glioblastoma, a type of aggressive and deadly brain tumor. Read More

The University of Kansas Cancer Center Joan Weliky Conaway, PhD, an investigator at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research and member of The University of Kansas Cancer Center’s Cancer Biology research program, has been elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences for her distinguished and continuing achievements in original scientific research. Read More

AACI's Clinical Research Innovation (CRI) will host "Implementing the Shared Investigator Platform" at 2:00 pm eastern on Thursday, June 18. Members of AACI's Shared Investigator Platform (SIP) Task Force will share experiences and suggested workflows for the successful implementation of the SIP. For members who may have questions about the utilization of the SIP platform, a representative from Cognizant will address technology solutions and ways centers can move forward with SIP implementation…

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center A unique two-drug immunotherapy combination first evaluated at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center as an approach for treating some cancers will soon be available to cancer patients with COVID-19 through a clinical trial at Roswell Park. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized clinical researchers at the center to conduct a study assessing the safety and effectiveness of giving both rintatolimod and interferon alfa to cancer pati…

Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami A collaborative study between laboratories of Ramin Shiekhattar, PhD, and Stephen D. Nimer, MD, director of Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the Miller School of Medicine, has developed a new anti-cancer approach called "targeted chemotherapy," which encourages tumor cells to commit suicide but does not trigger dormancy. Read More

Siteman Cancer Center Children with the genetic condition neurofibromatosis type 1 can develop brain and nerve tumors that may lead to vision loss. New research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis indicates that the growth of these tumors is driven by nearby noncancerous neurons and immune cells, and that targeting immune cells slows tumor growth in mice. David H. Gutmann, MD, PhD, is the study's senior author. Read More

Case Comprehensive Cancer Center A study led by Justin D. Lathia, PhD, identified sex differences in anti-tumor immune response, which served as the basis for a new therapeutic strategy against glioblastoma (GBM). While previous research has shown that males are predisposed to GBM, the findings uncover sexual dimorphism in immune-suppressing myeloid cell subset, prevalence, and localization as a contributor of disease pathology. Read More

University of Florida Health Cancer Center A group of graduate students working on a class project at the University of Florida developed a critical review of what’s known—and unknown—about the effects of certain cancer drugs on aquatic ecosystems. Their conclusion: studies are lacking that characterize these impacts, and more research is needed to inform future regulations. Read More

Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Electronic health (eHealth) applications can effectively deliver care to cancer patients and survivors, according to Frank J. Penedo, PhD, director of cancer survivorship at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.    Read More

VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center Glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive form of cancer in the brain, is typically fatal. But new findings by VCU Massey Cancer Center and VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine researchers could help increase the effectiveness of the most common current treatments with the addition of lumefantrine, an FDA-approved drug used to treat malaria. Paul B. Fisher, MPh, PhD, FNAI, is principal investigator of the study. Read More

Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center Zhijun Yin, PhD has received the National Cancer Institute’s Method to Extend Research in Time (MERIT) Award for Early Stage Investigators. The award will help Dr. Yin continue his work using machine learning methods to automatically stratify risk across the electronic health record population, based in part on messages sent by patients to the health care team via patient portals such as My Health at Vanderbilt. Read More

Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center G. David Roodman, MD, PhD, has been awarded a five-year, $1.6 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to study ways to build bone and decrease tumor growth in multiple myeloma bone disease. Previously, Dr. Roodman and colleagues had shown the importance of the marrow microenvironment on the growth of the tumor cells in the bone destructive process.  Read More

In recent years there has been an increase in the number of social engineering attacks across the nonprofit industry. The attacks range from email phishing to ransomware attacks and can cost organizations significant resources. This is especially relevant now, when many individuals are working remotely and defenses may be lowered due to a focus on COVID-19 pandemic.  Read More

Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center A group of researchers, including Duke Cancer Institute’s Andrew Armstrong, MD, MSc, FACP, has published patient-reported outcomes on the ARCHES study. The study evaluated the efficacy and safety of enzalutamide, an androgen-receptor inhibitor, in conjunction with androgen deprivation therapy in men with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, as compared to ADT alone. Read More

Thank you to the communications professionals who consistently provide AACI with news from their cancer centers — especially during the COVID-19 crisis. The July 2020 issue of AACI Update will be published on Wednesday, July 1. The deadline to submit your cancer center news is Friday, June 26. Please send your cancer center news to [email protected]. Read More

Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center A collaboration between IU School of Medicine cancer researchers Xiongbin Lu, PhD, and Sophie Paczesny, MD, PhD, has identified ST2 as a novel checkpoint molecule that could help T cells become more effective. The finding could provide additional treatments for a larger number of colorectal cancer patients via a new immunotherapy pathway. Read More

University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center Two University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center members were recently elected to the National Academy of Sciences. Arul Chinnaiyan, MD, PhD, is a molecular pathologist and physician at the leading edge of translational cancer research and precision oncology. Janet L. Smith, PhD, focuses on understanding biological processes through knowledge of the structures of key protein molecules.  Read More

University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center David Peabody, PhD, and Bryce Chackerian, PhD, at the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center, are creating vaccines from particles that are the opposite of Trojan horses: they look deadly on the outside but are harmless on the inside. The spherical virus-like particles can be engineered to display viral epitopes on their surfaces, inciting the immune system to produce antibodies against the epitope. The technology has been used to create vacc…

University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center A team of data scientists and cancer doctors from the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center and the U-M School of Public Health have developed a free, web-based application—the OncCOVID app—which draws on large, national cancer data sets to help assess the risk from of immediate treatment versus delayed treatment, depending on a patient’s individual characteristics, as well as on COVID’s impact on their local community. Read More

GW Cancer Center Enrollment in a supportive oncodermatology program is associated with a significantly improved quality of life score, according to a recent survey from GW Cancer Center. Supportive oncodermatology is a growing field that provides treatment and preventive care to oncology patients who experience adverse dermatologic events associated with their cancer treatments. Read More

UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center Scientists have found a first-line treatment that improves survival for people with hepatocellular carcinoma. A combination of atezolizumab, an immunotherapy drug, and bevacizumab, an anti-angiogenesis drug that inhibits the growth of tumors’ blood vessels, improved overall survival and reduced the risk of death by 42 percent. Richard Finn, MD, is principal investigator. Read More

Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine Yale Cancer Center announces the appointment of Robert Bona, MD, as professor of medicine (hematology) and inaugural director of the Benign Hematology Program at Smilow Cancer Hospital. He will also join as medical director of Smilow's Hemophilia Treatment Center for the Pediatric Hematology & Oncology Program. Read More

UK Markey Cancer Center Clinical leaders from the University of Kentucky’s Markey Cancer Center, College of Medicine, and College of Pharmacy have launched a clinical trial for experimental therapies to treat patients infected with COVID-19. The trial will investigate the effectiveness of azithromycin, ivermectin, and camostat mesylate —drugs that could inhibit replication of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease. The three will be tested either as stand-alone therapies or in com…

City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center For years, surgeons have operated on pancreatic cancer patients to remove what they thought was a localized tumor only to discover that the disease had spread to other, inoperable parts of the body. Now, Ajay Goel, PhD, MS, AGAF, a City of Hope molecular scientist, may have found a way to prevent ineffective surgeries and prolong the lives of these patients. Read More

Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health Christian Koch, MD, PhD, FACP, MACE, director for the Division of Endocrinology at Fox Chase Cancer Center, was recently named a review editor for Frontiers in Cancer Endocrinology, a specialty section in the journal Frontiers in Endocrinology.    Read More

Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine Anne Chiang, MD, PhD, has been named a fellow of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). Dr. Chiang is an associate professor of medicine (medical oncology) at Yale Cancer Center and chief network officer and deputy chief medical officer at Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven.   Read More

Ellen and Ronald Caplan Cancer Center of The Wistar Institute The Wistar Institute announces the appointment of molecular systems biologist Bin Tian, PhD, as professor in the cancer center. Dr. Tian focuses on RNA biology and understanding how gene expression is regulated at the post-transcriptional level. His research involves interdisciplinary approaches, including molecular biology, genomics and computational biology, to study RNA biogenesis and metabolism. Read More