Headlines

Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center Earns NCI Designation

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…

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…

Three Day CRI Meeting Focuses on Innovation Collaboration

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

Former NFL Player Devon Still to Keynote AACICCAF Annual Meeting

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

Register Today for the 2019 CAR T Symposium

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…

Help AACI Build a Library of Public Policy Resources

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

Ask Your Representative to Cosponsor the CLINICAL TREATMENT Act

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

HPV Vaccine Is Cancer Prevention Nominate a Champion

AACI is partnering with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Cancer Society (ACS) to recognize leaders in health care who have demonstrated a strong commitment to preventing cancers caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) through timely vaccination of 11- and 12-year-olds. Now in its third year, the HPV Vaccine Is Cancer Prevention Champion Award recognizes clinicians, practices, and health systems that go above and beyond to foster HPV vaccination among adolescent…

Odunsi Receives Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance Award

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

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

Wilson Wins 2019 Clinical Scientist Development Award

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

Demark-Wahnefried Selected for Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Award

O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham University of Alabama professor Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, PhD, RD, has been selected to receive the 2018 Mary P. Huddleson Award from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She is being honored for her article, "Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of a Home Vegetable Gardening Intervention Among Older Cancer Survivors Shows Feasibility, Satisfaction, and Promise in Improving Vegetable and Fruit Consumption, Reassurance …

Hogan Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center Brigid L. M. Hogan, PhD, chair emeritus of Duke’s Department of Cell Biology, has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. Dr. Hogan was one of the first scientists to isolate members of the Hox gene complex in mammals and highlight their role in controlling anterior-posterior patterning in embryos across evolution. Read More

Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology Launched With $102 Million Investment

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…

$19.2 Million Trial Will Test Red Cell Exchange to Treat Advanced Sickle Cell Disease

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

Winship Awarded Lung Cancer SPORE Grant

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

Researchers Test Novel Gene Therapy for Glioblastoma

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 …

2 Million in Grants Drives Exploration of Rare Blood Cancer

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

DOD Awards 1 6 Million to Study Health Disparity in Prostate Cancer

Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center A group of researchers led by Daniel George, MD, of Duke Cancer Institute, were recently awarded $1,609,691 from the Department of Defense Prostate Cancer Research Program to study health disparity in metastatic prostate cancer. The project is called "Race-Related Germline Genetic Variation and Response to Secondary Hormonal Therapy in Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer." Read More

Associate Director Named for Education and Training

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

Shinde Appointed Inaugural Wistar Fellow

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

Sebti Named Associate Director for Basic Research

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

Breast Cancer Researcher Takes Leadership Role at University of Pittsburgh

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

Darr Named Associate Director of Administration

Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center Following a national search, David Darr has been named associate director of administration and senior director for research strategy and operations for Duke Cancer Institute (DCI). As part of this role, Darr will serve as the direct administrator for DCI's Cancer Center Support Grant. Read More

Hematologists Appointed to New Positions

City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center Larry Kwak, MD, PhD, has been appointed the deputy director of City of Hope’s Hematologic Malignancies and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute, and Tanya Siddiqi, MD, has been appointed director of the Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Program within the Toni Stephenson Lymphoma Center, one of the seven disease and modality centers within the Hematologic Malignancies and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute. Read More

New Biomarker-Guided Strategy Has Potential for Liver Cancer Treatment

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…

Scientists Discover Autoimmune Disease Associated With Testicular Cancer

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

Immunotherapy Prevents Relapse in Small Leukemia Trial

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…

Research Finds That a New Culprit Can Cause Breast Cancer to Spread

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…

Discovery Shows How Difficult-to-Treat Prostate Cancer Evades Immune System

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

Experimental Compound Unveiled to Block Therapeutic Target in Blood Cancer

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 …

Using Artificial Intelligence to Deliver Personalized Radiation Therapy

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

Determining Risk of Recurrence in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

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

Increased Understanding of Inflammations Role in Cancer Should Shape Basic Discoveries Clinical Trials and Drug Development

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

New Process for P53 Gene Regulation Sheds Light on How to Make Cancer Therapies More Effective

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

Researcher Investigates Role of BRCA1 in DNA Repair

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…

Researchers Characterize Mechanism of Action of CAR T Cells

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…

Biliary Microbiome Altered After Neoadjuvant Therapy for Pancreatic Cancer

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

Technique Using Urine Suggests Individualized Bladder Cancer Treatment Possible

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…

Worrisome Increase in Some Medical Scans During Pregnancy

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…

Discovery Leads to New Clinical Trial for Myelofibrosis Patients

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

Many Thyroid Cancer Patients Say They Had No Choice About Radioactive Iodine

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…

Noninvasive Test Improves Detection of Aggressive Prostate Cancer

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

Sports Playbook Helps Doctors Predict Cancer Patient Outcomes

Stanford Cancer Institute Statisticians refer to the technique of incorporating a variety of continuously generated information—who is on the bench, who was injured in the first half of the match, who polled well in Iowa yesterday—as calculating in-game win probability, and it’s been used for decades to predict the outcome of ongoing sports matches or elections. Now researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have taken a page from this playbook to generate more accurate pr…

Researchers Identify Health Conditions Likely to Cause Serious Harm When Misdiagnosed

Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University A research team, led by a Johns Hopkins Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality expert, reports it has identified three major disease categories— vascular events, infections and cancers—that account for nearly three-fourths of all serious harms from diagnostic errors. Read More

Study Examines Disparities in Prostate Cancer Survival in Appalachian Kentucky

UK Markey Cancer Center A new study by University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center researchers shows a higher mortality rate for prostate cancer among men from Appalachian Kentucky compared to men from non-Appalachian Kentucky. Researchers used data from the Kentucky Cancer Registry to characterize the survival disparities of prostate cancer between Appalachian and non-Appalachian Kentucky. The study showed a significant difference in survival that was not related to geographic location…

Study Highlights Need for Tailored Skin Cancer Prevention Programs

GW Cancer Center Sun safety practices for attendees at skin cancer screening events differ from the general public, according to findings published by researchers from the George Washington University (GW) Cancer Center. Through a survey randomly administered at six locations in Washington, DC, and to attendees of a free skin cancer screening event at GW, a research team found that respondents from the screening group were significantly more likely to always wear sunscreen, always seek s…

New Study Probes How to Tell Elderly Patients Not to Bother With Cancer Screening

Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins researchers have studied the perspectives of both clinicians and older adults on how to communicate about stopping cancer screening. In a separate study, other Johns Hopkins researchers also show that primary care doctors and specialists are equally likely to continue to order mammograms in women with less than 10 years’ life expectancy. Read More

AACI COI Task Force Invites Comments

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 …

Female Physicians Report Skipping Scientific Conferences Because of Child Care

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

New $750 Million State-of-the-Art, Freestanding Cancer Pavilion in New Jersey

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

Three Siblings Share Cancer Diagnosis Due to Rare Genetic Mutation

O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham At first glance, Kevin, Kiala, and Keaira Perkins may seem like typical 17-, 14-, and 11-year-old children. But all three have suffered from thyroid cancer. The siblings, from Madison, Alabama, all have a rare genetic condition called multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN2A), which occurs in roughly one in 35,000 people in the United States. It is caused by a mutation in the RET gene, which provides instruction for…

Headlines

Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center Earns NCI Designation

BC Cancer Names New Leader

Three-Day CRI Meeting Focuses on Innovation, Collaboration

Former NFL Player Devon Still to Keynote AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting

Register Today for the 2019 CAR T Symposium

Help AACI Build a Library of Public Policy Resources

Ask Your Representative to Cosponsor the CLINICAL TREATMENT Act

HPV Vaccine Is Cancer Prevention: Nominate a Champion

News from the Centers