In the past decade, cancer survivorship has matured into its own cancer discipline addressing the complex and changing needs of the growing population of cancer survivors, which now exceeds 17 million individuals in the United States alone. Cancer survivorship care requires innovative collaboration among experts from multiple healthcare disciplines.
During this two-day virtual symposium on the needs and care for cancer survivors, attendees will hear from clinicians and researchers on the ongoing chronic conditions of cancer survivors, areas of research, as well as ways to improve clinical care.
This symposium will address the entire spectrum of cancer survivorship care: monitoring and management of the late and long term effects ranging from cardiotoxicity to cognitive changes, screening for other malignancies, and promotion of healthy lifestyles.
The event is intended for researchers in epidemiology and medicine who conduct research in the area of cancer survivorship. Additionally, it is intended for primary care providers and medical specialists who are interested in learning more about the ongoing needs of cancer survivors.
AACI Update | April 2021
Headlines
AACI Launches Cancer Health Disparities Podcast
A new podcast from AACI aims to expand the dialogue about cancer health disparities and to identify strategies to mitigate them. Accelerating Equity: Cancer Care for All is hosted by AACI President Karen E. Knudsen, MBA, PhD. Her first guest was Norman E. Sharpless, MD, director of the National Cancer Institute.
AACI Issues Statement Condemning Racism, Violence
Prompted by a recent mass shooting targeting Asian-American women, AACI issued a formal statement urging the cancer community, policymakers, and other stakeholders to address racism, discrimination, and gun violence as public health crises. In the statement, the association highlighted the responsibility of its Board of Directors, staff, and cancer center leaders to improve health outcomes for all people — not just as they relate to cancer, but in all facets of public health.
2021 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting Shifts to Virtual Format
To prioritize the health and well-being of AACI meeting attendees, supporters, and cancer center patients, AACI's Board of Directors and the 2021 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting Program Committee have decided not to move forward with an in-person meeting in Kansas City. Instead, the annual meeting will take place October 19-21 in a virtual format. The meeting was previously scheduled for October 17-19.
Register Today for the 2021 AACI/AACR Virtual Hill Day
Registration is now open for the 2021 AACI/AACR Hill Day, scheduled for Wednesday, June 9. The virtual advocacy day will consist of video and conference call meetings organized by Soapbox, a firm that specializes in coordinating advocacy days. Hill Day is open to all AACI and AACR members who wish to participate.
Cancer Care at Network Sites Survey Results Published
In a survey of the status of care across cancer center networks, AACI has found that many opportunities exist for such networks to increase patient satisfaction and outcomes and decrease treatment delays and risks. A report based on the survey’s findings has been published by the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. AACI Past President Stanton L. Gerson, MD, is the lead author.
Promote Your Cancer Center With a CRI Meeting Program Ad
AACI invites you to promote your cancer center by purchasing an ad in the 13th Annual AACI CRI Meeting program. Slated to be held virtually July 13-15, the 2021 CRI meeting is expected to draw more than 700 clinical research office leaders, medical directors, cancer center administrators, and representatives from the National Cancer Institute and industry to discuss issues related to the conduct of cancer clinical trials at academic cancer centers.
Write Your Representatives to Support the TREAT Act
News from the Centers
American Psychosocial Oncology Society Recognizes Work with Cancer Survivors
The University of Arizona Cancer Center
Outstanding professional dedication to the needs of cancer survivors and their caregivers has earned a lifetime achievement award for Terry Badger, PhD, RN, PMHCNS-BC, FAPOS, FAAN, from the American Psychosocial Oncology Society.
National Organization for Rare Disorders Honors Sicklick
UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center
Jason Sicklick, MD, FACS, a surgical oncologist at Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health, was recently announced as an award honoree by the National Organization for Rare Disorders.
Yoshida Honored for Increasing Colorectal Cancer Screenings
University of Virginia Cancer Center
Cynthia M. Yoshida, MD, is one of six winners of a national award recognizing health care providers and institutions for their work to increase colorectal cancer screening rates. Dr. Yoshida is medical lead of UVA Cancer Center’s Colorectal Cancer Screening Program.
Carpten Elected Fellow of AACR Academy
USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center
John D. Carpten, PhD, founding chair for the Department of Translational Genomics in the Keck School of Medicine of USC, has been named to the 2021 class of fellows of the American Association for Cancer Research’s AACR Academy.
Miaskowski Recognized as Champion of Supportive Care Science
UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
In commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the National Cancer Act, the National Cancer Institute's Division of Cancer Prevention honors Christine Miaskowski, RN, PhD, FAAN, as a champion and changemaker of cancer prevention, early detection, and symptom science.
Greco Named New Councilor for Association for Academic Surgery
Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health
Stephanie Greco, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Surgical Oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center, was recently named a new councilor for the Association for Academic Surgery.
Hampel Named to Leadership Position for National Society of Genetic Counselors
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute
Heather Hampel, MS, LGC, has been elected secretary/treasurer-elect for the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC). Her two-year term began in January 2021. Founded in 1971, the NSGC is the only professional organization that promotes the professional interests of genetic counselors.
System of Excellence Recognition for Hidden Scar Breast Cancer Surgery
UK Markey Cancer Center
UK HealthCare, home to the UK Markey Cancer Center, has officially been recognized as a System of Excellence for Hidden Scar breast cancer surgery, the highest level of Hidden Scar designation.
Researcher Gets Early Career Award
University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center
Ichiko Kinjyo, MD, PhD, was recently named a 2021 recipient of the Liz Tilberis Early Career Award. She was recognized for her work with Sarah Adams, MD, in exploring how a combination of a PARP-inhibitor and immunomodulation via immune checkpoint blockade can improve ovarian cancer treatment.
Nursing Team Honored With Achievement Award
Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health
A nursing team at Fox Chase Cancer Center has been honored as a recipient of the 2021 I AM Patient Safety award from the Patient Safety Authority. The third floor surgical nursing team was recognized for reaching the significant milestone of one year with no patient falls on their three south unit.
Researchers Receive $6 Million to Explore New Pancreatic Cancer Therapies
UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
A team of researchers from the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center has been awarded two research grants totaling $6 million from the National Institutes of Health to identify new ways to treat pancreatic cancer.
$4.2 Million Awarded for Breast Cancer Chemoprevention Study
The University of Kansas Cancer Center
The University of Kansas Cancer Center researchers have received a $4.2 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to study bazedoxifene and low-dose conjugated estrogen in women who are at increased risk for developing breast cancer and are experiencing menopausal symptoms. Carol Fabian, MD, is principal investigator.
$1.47 Million Awarded to Study DNA Damage Regulation
UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute
A five-year, $1.47 million National Cancer Institute grant has been awarded to researcher Justin Leung, PhD, at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) to study DNA damage regulation. Dr. Leung’s project is a collaboration with Robert Eoff, PhD.
Researchers Receive PCF Challenge Award
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Jefferson
The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) recently announced that a multi-institutional team led by Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center researcher Veda N. Giri, MD, has been awarded the 2020 Janssen-PCF Challenge Award.
Tackett Named Deputy Director
UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute
Cancer researcher Alan Tackett, PhD, has been named deputy director of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). He previously served as associate director of basic research for the UAMS Cancer Institute.
New Director of Neuro-Oncology Named
Rutgers Cancer Institute
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey has named Michael E. Salacz, MD, as director of its neuro-oncology program. He joins Rutgers from the University of Kansas Medical Center, where he directed the brain and spine tumor program.
Community Outreach and Engagement Team Expands
Duke Cancer Institute
Tomi Akinyemiju, PhD, MS, has been named Duke Cancer Institute’s new associate director of community outreach and engagement. Before joining Duke in 2019 she was assistant dean for inclusive excellence at Markey Cancer Center at the University of Kentucky.
Hawley to Oversee Education, Training Programs
University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center
The University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center has named Sarah Hawley, PhD, MPH, associate director for training, education and career development. She will lead the center’s efforts to coordinate and enhance robust resources that support faculty, trainees, and students interested in cancer research.
Associate Director for Mentoring and Career Development Announced
Wilmot Cancer Institute, UR Medicine
In January, breast oncologist Ruth O’Regan, MD, officially joined the University of Rochester Medical Center from the University of Wisconsin. Now she will have significant involvement with Wilmot Cancer Institute, serving as associate director for mentoring and career development.
New Leadership Appointments
Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University
The Lurie Cancer Center announces several new leadership appointments, effective April 1, 2021: Marcelo Bonini, PhD, associate director for education and training; Devalingam Mahalingam, MBBCh BAO, director of the clinical trials office; and Priya Kumthekar, MD, co-chair of the scientific review committee.
Cracking the Case of a Deadly Type of Kidney Cancer
Duke Cancer Institute
A research team led by Andrew Armstrong, MD, MSc, has identified new targets in metastatic non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma that could lead to the development of innovative therapies in this disease.
Study Finds Lower Costs, Better Outcomes in Prostate Cancer Therapy
The University of Vermont Cancer Center
An interdisciplinary team of Vermont researchers and a partner at Yale's Smilow Cancer Center conducted an economic evaluation to establish an overall cost-effectiveness comparison of two approaches to the treatment of low-volume metastatic prostate cancer. Lead author is Nataniel Lester-Coll, MD.
Novel Drug Combo Shows Promise Against Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center
City of Hope scientists have combined a checkpoint inhibitor with an anti-parasitic drug, ivermectin, to successfully treat triple-negative breast cancer in preclinical research, according to a new study led by Peter P. Lee, MD. (Ivermectin is also currently being used in clinical trials to treat and prevent COVID-19.)
Cancer Tricks Immune Cells, Immunotherapy Can Take Advantage
UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
A study conducted by a team of scientists at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, led by Greg Delgoffe, PhD, shows how chemicals in the tumor microenvironment subvert the immune system and enable cancer to evade attack.
Researchers Illuminate Potential Precursors of Blood Cancers
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah
Utah researchers report significant new insights into the development of blood cancers. In recently published work scientists describe an analysis of published data from more than 7,000 patients diagnosed with leukemia and other blood disorders.
Response to Cancer Immunotherapy May Be Affected by Genes We Carry From Birth
UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
A new study finds that inherited genetic variation plays a role in who is likely to benefit from checkpoint inhibitors. The study also points to potential new targets that could help even more patients unleash their immune systems' natural power to fight off malignant cells.
Studies Support Updated USPSTF Lung Cancer Screening Guidelines
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute
Two new studies published by investigators at The Ohio State University and the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center provide important evidence review and predictive modeling data to inform updated lung cancer screening guidelines implemented by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).
Cancer Immunotherapy Approach Targets Common Genetic Alteration
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University
A new cancer immunotherapy prototype uses engineered T cells to target a genetic alteration common among all cancers. The approach, which stimulates an immune response against cells that are missing one gene copy, was developed at the Ludwig Center, Lustgarten Laboratory and the Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center.
Collagen Plays Protective Role During Pancreatic Cancer Development
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Contrary to long-held beliefs, Type I collagen produced by cancer-associated fibroblasts may not promote cancer development but instead plays a protective role in controlling pancreatic cancer progression, reports a new study from researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Raghu Kalluri, MD, PhD, is senior author.
Earlier Colonoscopies Reduce Subsequent Cancer Risk by Half
Stanford Cancer Institute
Stanford researchers have found that initiating colonoscopy screening between the ages of 45 and 49 halves the risk of subsequent development of colorectal cancers.
A Measure of Cleanliness
University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center
Michelle Ozbun, PhD, and her team developed a way to measure how many infectious human papillomavirus particles are left on a surface after it has been disinfected. They used sophisticated microscopic techniques developed at the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center to count how many cells are infected and how many virus particles were present.
Marine Natural Product Discovered Off Florida Coast Could Help Fight Cancer
University of Florida Health Cancer Center
From cyanobacteria blooms found off the Florida coast near Fort Lauderdale, University of Florida researchers have discovered a novel marine natural product that binds to a new site of tubulin, an important target for cancer drugs.
Abundance of Iron Drives Cell Death, Could Be Key to Novel Neuroblastoma Treatments
VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center
Anthony Faber, PhD, and a team of researchers at VCU Massey Cancer Center are studying how the gene MYCN and an abundance of iron can drive cancer cell death in neuroblastoma and potentially be targeted with novel treatments.
Cancer Patients Most Worried About Finances Have Worse Outcomes
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
New research from Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center provides the first evidence that a cancer patient’s level of financial worry as they begin treatment predicts how likely it is that their treatment will be successful. The study's senior author is Anurag Singh, MD.
Current Liver Cancer Screenings May Leave African Americans at Greater Risk
The Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai
Mount Sinai researchers found that nearly one-third of Black patients in their study would not have qualified for liver cancer screening using common cirrhosis measures. The study also found that at the time of diagnosis, the tumors in Black patients tended to be larger, more numerous, more aggressive, and more invasive.
New Barrett's Esophagus Monitoring Method Could Aid in Easier, More Precise Prognoses
Case Comprehensive Cancer Center
A new technique for sampling and testing cells from Barrett's esophagus patients could result in earlier and easier identification of patients whose disease has progressed toward cancer or are at high risk of progressing toward cancer, according to investigators at Case Western Reserve University and Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center.
Proteomics Analysis Identifies Potential Drug Targets for Aggressive Human Cancers
Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine
Historically, researchers have mostly generated transcriptomic data from cancer tissues, seeking clues about altered cellular pathways that might drive cancer behavior and represent novel therapeutic targets. While this approach has been useful, Baylor College of Medicine researchers think that transcriptomic data alone might not tell the whole story behind cancer.
Researchers Study Role of Zinc in Cancer
Wilmot Cancer Institute, UR Medicine
An essential mineral used to boost the immune system and block sunburns, zinc—in a different form—can also stabilize a protein that helps to prevent most cancers, according to a Wilmot Cancer Institute study led by Darren Carpizo, MD, PhD.
Study Incorporates Genetics, Smoking History to Identify High-Risk Smokers for Lung Cancer Screening
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
A study by Vanderbilt researchers that analyzed both smoking history and genetic risk variants for lung cancer supports modifying current guidelines to include additional smokers for lung cancer screening.
Fecal Transplant Boosts Cancer Immunotherapy
UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
Researchers at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and the National Cancer Institute demonstrate that changing the gut microbiome can transform patients with advanced melanoma who never responded to immunotherapy—which has a failure rate of 40 percent for this type of cancer—into patients who do.
Fundamental Proteins That Guide Embryo Development Are Co-Opted by Cancer
Fred Hutch Cancer Center
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center scientists have identified a new protein that provides insights into a fundamental biological process and may also lead to new cancer treatments. A second study demonstrated that cancer co-opts these unusual proteins to further its growth and development.
High Tumor Mutation Burden Predicts Immunotherapy Response in Some Cancers
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
A high rate of genetic mutations within a tumor, known as high tumor mutation burden, was only useful for predicting clinical responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors in a subset of cancer types, according to a new study led by researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Multisystem Failure Regarding Frailty Necessitates Multisystem Intervention
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University
Gaining a better understanding of physical frailty could eventually help people age more healthfully, suggests a Johns Hopkins research team led by Ravi Varadhan, PhD, and Linda Fried, MD, MPH.
Promising Role for Whole Genome Sequencing in Guiding Blood Cancer Treatment
Siteman Cancer Center
Whole genome sequencing is a potentially viable approach for determining the best treatment regimen for individual patients with acute myeloid leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome, according to a new study from Washington University researchers at Siteman Cancer Center. David H. Spencer, MD, PhD, is senior author of the study.
Stopping Mutant KRAS Could Enhance Therapies for Pancreatic Cancer
Stony Brook Cancer Center
A collaborative study by Stony Brook University scientists takes an initial step toward better understanding how KRAS drives immune evasion and demonstrates a lowering of the KRAS activity resulting in a more favorable immune environment to fight cancer.
New Biomarker of Response to Checkpoint Inhibitors Identified
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
A team of Roswell Park researchers has identified a new biomarker that could predict response to immune checkpoint inhibitors shortly after patients with non-small cell lung cancer initiate therapy.
Therapy Sneaks Into Hard Layer of Pancreatic Cancer Tumor, Destroys From Within
UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center
Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center, in collaboration with Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute and Columbia University, have demonstrated that a new tumor-penetrating therapy, tested in animal models, may enhance the effects of chemotherapy, reduce metastasis, and increase survival.
Vital Player Identified in Graft-Versus-Host Disease and Organ Transplant Rejection
University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center
A long noncoding RNA whose function was previously unknown turns out to play a vital role in mobilizing the immune response following a bone marrow transplant or solid organ transplantation, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center and Michigan Medicine.
Forty-Three Percent of Melanoma Patients Have Chronic Complications From Immunotherapies
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
Chronic side effects among melanoma survivors after treatment with anti-PD-1 immunotherapies are more common than previously recognized, according to a new study. Senior author is Douglas Johnson, MD, MSCI, clinical director of melanoma at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.
First Lady Jill Biden Visits Massey to Discuss Cancer Disparities, Community Engaged Research
VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center
Jill Biden, EdD, the First Lady of the United States, met with scientists, doctors, and community leaders at Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center to learn how they are working together to address cancer disparities. She toured several Massey labs and learned about the cutting-edge cancer research being conducted.
Virtual Human Intervention Allows for Colorectal Cancer Screening at Home
University of Florida Health Cancer Center
A new University of Florida Health intervention gives patients who qualify access to colorectal cancer screening information and tests from the comfort of their own homes. Two recent UF studies examine new ways to effectively reach patients with a new communication tool using a virtual health assistant.
Cancer Research Pioneer Jose Baselga Dies at 61
American Association for Cancer Research
José Baselga, MD, PhD, who was a major force in the development of molecularly targeted therapies, died March 21 at age 61 from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. He was a past president of the American Association for Cancer Research, former chief medical officer of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and executive vice president for R&D oncology at AstraZeneca.
Program Develops Cancer Education Curriculum for Appalachian Schools
UK Markey Cancer Center
After conducting a study to assess the need for cancer education materials in Appalachian Kentucky, members of UK Markey Cancer Center’s Appalachian Career Training in Oncology program worked with faculty from the UK College of Education to create a three-part cancer education curriculum for middle and high school teachers in the region.
Brain Tumor Center Established
Siteman Cancer Center
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Barnes-Jewish Hospital have established the Brain Tumor Center. The multidisciplinary practice of physicians and scientists will provide leading-edge, patient-centric care for brain tumor patients while developing transformative basic, translational, and clinical research on new therapies. Albert H. Kim, MD, PhD, is inaugural director.
Reimagining Palliative Care Learning During a Pandemic
Stanford Cancer Institute
Kavitha Ramchandran, MD, and her team have drawn on their knowledge of both online and in-person environments to develop a virtual palliative medicine clerkship to provide Stanford medical students the training they need during the pandemic.
Community Engagement in HIV Trials Guides Equity for COVID-19 Vaccine Studies
Fred Hutch Cancer Center
Last spring, as COVID-19 began to tear through American cities and was disproportionately affecting communities of color, a Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center scientist pivoted to the vital work of engaging these same communities in trials of coronavirus vaccines.
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Meeting Announcements
Cancer Center Survivorship Research Forum
Timing for Transplantation Consultation Guidelines: Implications to Your Practice
There is a narrow window of opportunity to proceed to hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) for many patients. Delays may preclude transplant or impair patient outcomes. That’s what makes HCT consultation timing so important. And why the National Marrow Donor Program® (NMDP)/Be The Match® and the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT) jointly develop and release HCT Consultation Timing Guidelines for community hematologists/oncologists. On Thursday, April 15, at 11:00 am central time (12:00 pm eastern), join experts from the NMDP/Be The Match and ASTCT for an interactive discussion on the 2021 release of the guidelines and the implications for your practice.
The panelists will explore:- What has changed in the 2021 guidelines and how it could impact your practice
- How early HCT referral is a critical factor for optimal patient outcomes
- The expansion of age guidelines, which allows more older adults to safely undergo HCT
- How to use the guidelines in your practice