Luckenbaugh Elected Chair for Society of Women in Urologic Oncology
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
The Society of Women in Urologic Oncology (WUO) has named Amy Luckenbaugh, MD, to chair its executive board until November 2025. She is the inaugural chair of the WUO, whose core objective is to advance the recruitment, retention, and promotion of women in urologic oncology with the goal of fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion within the Society of Urologic Oncology.
Read More
Radiation Oncologist Receives Emerging Investigator Award
Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health
Rebecca Shulman, MD, was recently recognized with the American Society for Radiation Oncology-Breast Cancer Research Foundation Emerging Investigator Award to Build a Diverse Scientific Workforce. Her project, "Combination Therapy with Radiotherapy, Immune Checkpoint Blockade, and Curaxin Enhances Tumor Regression in Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer," is a collaborative undertaking with Siddharth Balachandran, PhD.
Read More
Challen Receives Scholar Achievement Award
Siteman Cancer Center
Grant Challen, PhD, a Washington University researcher at Siteman Cancer Center, has received a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Career Development Program Scholar Achievement Award, which will provide funding for two to five years.
Read More
Merad Named Fellow of AACR Academy
The Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai
Miriam Merad, MD, PhD, was elected as a Fellow of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Academy, for her contributions in elucidating the roles of myeloid cells in inflammation and tumorigenesis and paving the way for the advancement of targeted therapies focusing on myeloid cells in both cancer and inflammatory diseases.
Read More
Chang Recognized by the American Urological Association
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
The American Urological Association has announced that Sam S. Chang, MD, MBA, is one of its 2024 award recipients who will be recognized at the organization’s annual meeting in May in San Antonio. He has been chosen for the Hugh Hampton Young Award, which is presented annually to an individual for outstanding contributions to the study of genitourinary tract diseases.
Read More
Hanks Elected to the American Society for Clinical Investigation
Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center
Duke Cancer Institute physician scientist Brent Hanks, MD, PhD, has been elected to the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI), one of the nation's oldest medical honor societies. The ASCI supports the scientific efforts, educational needs, and clinical aspirations of physician-scientists to improve health.
Read More
Researchers Join Translational Scholar Ranks
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah
Huntsman Cancer Institute and the University of Utah have named Umang Swami, MD, MS, and Matthew Covington, MD, as members of The Society of Huntsman Translational Scholars. This institutional initiative recognizes excellence in translational science and allows researchers to apply fundamental scientific findings to address clinical challenges in patient care.
Read More
Pierce Elected AACR Academy Fellow
University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center
Lori J. Pierce, MD, was one of 30 cancer scientists elected to the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) class of Fellows of the AACR Academy. Dr. Pierce is professor of radiation oncology at Michigan Medicine and vice provost for academic and faculty affairs at the University of Michigan.
Read More
Thoracic Chair Earns National, Local Accolades
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
In recognition of his dedication toward advancements in lung cancer care as well as his contributions as a valued mentor, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center chair of thoracic surgery, Sai Yendamuri, MD, MBA, FACS, has recently been honored with prestigious leadership roles, awards, and grant funding from both local and national organizations.
Read More
Jagsi Receives AAWR 2023 Marie Sklodowska-Curie Award
Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University
The American Association for Women in Radiology (AAWR) awarded the 2023 AAWR Marie Sklodowska-Curie Award to Winship Cancer Institute researcher Reshma Jagsi, MD, DPhil, Lawrence W. Davis professor and chair of radiation oncology at the Emory University School of Medicine.
Read More
Back to News From the Centers
WVU Making Investments in Cancer Care, Research With $50 Million Commitment From State
WVU Cancer Institute
The WVU Cancer Institute continues to work toward National Cancer Institute designation as it begins making investments in cancer care and research utilizing the $50 million commitment from the State of West Virginia announced last summer. Two new School of Medicine departments—the Department of Hematology and Oncology and the Department of Cancer Prevention and Control—will have a unique mission and focus that leaders say will set WVU apart from peer institutions.
Read More
Martin Receives $4.6 Million CIRM Grant
UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
UC San Francisco’s Thomas G. Martin, MD, a leading expert in blood cancers, has received a grant of nearly $4.6 million from the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) to produce a CAR T-cell therapy for multiple myeloma, the second most common malignancy among blood cancers.
Read More
$3 Million Grant for Breast Cancer Surgery Technology
Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine
Researchers in the Eberlin Lab for Medical Mass Spectrometry at Baylor College of Medicine will receive $3 million in funding from The Marcus Foundation to further develop MasSpec Pen technology in breast cancer surgeries. The MasSpec Pen is a breakthrough device, developed by Livia Eberlin, PhD, and colleagues, for intraoperative use and surgical guidance.
Read More
Markey Researcher Awarded $2.6 Million to Study New Metastatic Lung Cancer Target
UK Markey Cancer Center
A UK Markey Cancer Center researcher has received a $2.6 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to study LH2b, a newly discovered enzyme linked to lung cancer progression. Houfu Guo, PhD, an assistant professor in the UK College of Medicine’s Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, aims to understand how LH2b contributes to metastasis.
Read More
Researchers Awarded $2.23 Million for Myeloma Precursor Study
UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute
Researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) recently received two awards totaling $2.23 million for the continuing examination of therapies to treat multiple myeloma. The projects are funded by a $1.73 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) U54 grant and a $500,000 Myeloma Solutions Fund award. Baylor College of Medicine and Duke University are collaborating on the NIH grant. The Myeloma Solutions Fund award includes a collaboration between UAMS, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and the Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center.
Read More
Researchers Receive $1.5 Million Grant for Melanoma Clinical Trial
Siteman Cancer Center
Four Washington University physician-scientists at Siteman Cancer Center, including Todd A. Fehniger, MD, PhD, have received $1.5 million from the Rising Tide Foundation for Cancer Research and the Melanoma Research Alliance. The funding will support a Phase I clinical trial of a novel cell-based immunotherapy developed at Washington University against melanoma.
Read More
$1.2 Million Grant Awarded to Help Break Down Barriers to Cervical Cancer Prevention
LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center
A research team from LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center has been awarded more than $1.5 million to eliminate barriers from cervical cancer prevention. The five-year program combines a $1.2 million grant from the American Cancer Society and an investment of $75,000 a year for five years from LSU Health New Orleans.
Read More
Pediatric Cancer Researcher Awarded Grant to Understand Medulloblastoma Relapse
Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina
Jezabel Rodriguez Blanco, PhD, who has a dual appointment at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center and the Darby Children’s Research Institute at MUSC, will receive $800,000 over four years from Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer to continue her pursuit of the causes of medulloblastoma relapse.
Read More
Back to News From the Centers
New Leadership Roles for Werner, Agarwal
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah rang in the new year with new leadership roles for Theresa L. Werner, MD, and Neeraj Agarwal, MD, FASCO. Dr. Werner is the new deputy director of Huntsman Cancer Institute and Dr. Agarwal is the new senior director for clinical research.
Read More
Surgical Oncologist Named CEO of University of Rochester Medical Center
Wilmot Cancer Institute, UR Medicine
David Linehan, MD, is the new CEO of the University Rochester Medical Center (URMC), dean of the School of Medicine and Dentistry, and senior vice president for health sciences. Prior to this appointment, the surgical oncologist, internationally renowned for his clinical innovation and research into new treatments for pancreatic cancer, guided URMC’s Department of Surgery through a period of tremendous growth.
Read More
Gillette Named Associate Director for Training and Education
University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center
Jennifer Gillette, PhD, has been named the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center associate director for training and education. Dr. Gillette is a professor and senior director for research for the UNM Department of Pathology. Angela Wandinger-Ness, PhD, formerly held this role through the most recent Cancer Center Support Grant competitive renewal.
Read More
Karmanos Cancer Network Appoints New VP
Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University
Karmanos Cancer Institute has appointed Doris Ranski-Zazula, RN, MSA, as the vice president of the Karmanos Cancer Network, part of McLaren Health Care. The network has 15 locations anchored by the Karmanos freestanding cancer hospital headquartered in Detroit.
Read More
Mehrotra Named Co-Leader of Cancer Biology and Immunology Research Program
Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina
Shikhar Mehrotra, PhD, will take on the role of co-leader of the cancer biology and immunology research program at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center alongside Philip Howe, PhD. As co-leader, Dr. Mehrotra anticipates seeing more collaborative projects that take a holistic view of the mechanisms of cancer growth.
Read More
Roswell Park Welcomes New Chief Digital & Information Officer
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Following a national search, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center has selected George T. "Buddy" Hickman as its new chief digital & information officer. Hickman succeeds Tom Furlani, PhD, who retires this month. Hickman comes to Roswell Park with 30 years of experience in health care senior leadership. He was most recently with First Health Advisory, where he served as chief strategy officer.
Read More
Teshome Named Chief of Breast Surgery
UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
UCLA Health has appointed leading breast surgical oncologist Mediget Teshome, MD, as the new chief of breast surgery and director of breast health. Before joining UCLA, Dr. Teshome was an associate professor at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in the department of breast surgical oncology.
Read More
Back to News From the Centers
High-Dose Radiotherapy With Chemotherapy Effective in Treating People With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
A new study led by researchers from the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center shows that using high doses of radiation while integrating an ablative radiotherapy technique called stereotactic ablative radiotherapy concurrently with chemotherapy is safe and effective in treating people with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer that is not suitable for surgery.
Read More
Natural Compounds From Soy, Other Plants Reduce Breast Cancer Recurrence and Improve Survival, Research Shows
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University
Soy compounds called isoflavones are among the plant-derived compounds that may significantly reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence or death, according to a new meta-analysis co-directed by investigators from the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center.
Read More
Survey Finds Link Between Drug/Cannabis Use During Pregnancy and Certain Childhood Cancers
Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center
While the risks of drug use, smoking, and drinking during pregnancy are widely accepted, a new survey of parents has identified clear associations between certain types of childhood cancers and gestational substance use, notably cannabis. The study, which appears in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, and Prevention, was led by Duke Cancer Institute member Kyle Walsh, PhD, associate professor in the departments of Neurosurgery, Pathology, Pediatrics and Population Health Sciences at Duke.
Read More
Could Two Drugs Be Better Than One for Treating Prostate Cancer?
UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
A UCSF-led clinical trial shows improved benefit of combination drug therapy without worse side effects. Combining testosterone-blocking drugs in patients with prostate cancer relapse prevents the spread of cancer better than treatment with a single drug, a multi-institution, Phase III clinical trial has found.
Read More
Study Shows Some Postmenopausal Patients May Safely Omit Radiotherapy for HR+ Breast Cancer
Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University
Results of the IDEA clinical trial suggest that omitting radiation may be safe in certain postmenopausal patients aged 50-69 years with stage I hormone receptor (HR)-positive breast cancer. The five-year follow-up of the IDEA clinical trial, presented at the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium and simultaneously published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, reveals that almost all patients who opted out of adjuvant radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery were disease-free five years post-surgery.
Read More
A Report From the Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium
Stanford Cancer Institute
Stanford Cancer Institute member Michelle Monje, MD, PhD, is the lead author on a study finding that the maximum tolerated dose of panobinostat in children is 10 mg/m2/dose 3 times a week for 3 weeks on/3 weeks off in children with progressive DIPG/DMG and 22 mg/m2/dose administered 3 times per week for 1 week on/1 week off when administered in a similar population preprogression.
Read More
Researchers Identify Why Cancer Immunotherapy Can Cause Colitis
University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center
Researchers at the University of Michigan Health Rogel Cancer Center have identified a mechanism that causes severe gastrointestinal problems with immune-based cancer treatment. They also found a way to deliver immunotherapy’s cancer-killing impact without the unwelcome side effect.
Read More
Two Common Biomarkers Predict Heart Risk in Asymptomatic Childhood Cancer Survivors
Comprehensive Cancer Center St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
A recent study revealed two common biomarkers of cardiac function and damage that could better predict cardiomyopathy within five years compared to routine clinical exams in certain childhood cancer survivors. Utilizing these two biomarkers may lead to earlier treatment to prevent and protect against further heart damage.
Read More
A Type of Allergy Medicine Might Help Treat Lung Cancer, Research Suggests
The Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai
Researchers have identified an allergy pathway that, when blocked, unleashes antitumor immunity in mouse models of non-small cell lung cancer. And in an early parallel study in humans, combining immunotherapy with dupilumab—an Interleukin-4 (IL-4) receptor-blocking antibody widely used for treating allergies and asthma—boosted patients' immune systems, with one out of the six experiencing significant tumor reduction.
Read More
Research Reveals an Immune Cell That Can Attack Cancer
City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center
According to preclinical research, scientists have discovered that a type of immune cell in the human body known to be important for allergy and other immune responses can also attack cancer. Furthermore, these cells, called human type 2 innate lymphoid cells, can be expanded outside of the body and applied in larger numbers to overpower a tumor’s defenses and eliminate malignant cells in mouse models with cancer.
Read More
Genetic Score Advances Personalized Treatment Strategies With Promising AML Drug
University of Florida Health Cancer Center
In the latest development in precision medicine approaches to treating pediatric leukemia, UF Health researchers have developed a genetic score to predict patient outcomes with a promising targeted drug treatment.
Read More
Community Cancer Care Linked With Poorer Outcomes for Some Head and Neck Cancers
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University
Care for patients with human papillomavirus-related squamous cell cancers of the oropharynx is shifting toward community cancer centers, but patients treated in this setting may be less likely to survive, according to new research by investigators from the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and its Head and Neck Cancer Center.
Read More
Metastatic Breast Cancer Treatments Have Aided Decline in Deaths
Stanford Cancer Institute
Stanford Cancer Institute members Jennifer Caswell-Jin, MD, Sylvia Plevritis, PhD, and Allison Kurian, MD, MSc, are senior authors on an analysis published in the Journal of the American Medical Association finding that treatment of metastatic disease is responsible for nearly one-third of the decrease in annual deaths from breast cancer from 1975 to 2019.
Read More
Study Finds Novel Mechanism for Making Small Cell Lung Cancer Tumors Vulnerable to Attack by Immune System
Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health
Researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center have identified a genetic mechanism that can make small cell lung cancer tumors vulnerable to attack by the immune system. The discovery could be used to develop drugs that would make immunotherapy effective in small cell lung cancer for the first time.
Read More
AI Tools See Beyond the Human Eye to Better Diagnose Cancer
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute
Digital pathology has both sped up and increased the accuracy of cancer diagnosis over the past 10 years, and now artificial intelligence (AI) could improve these tools even more. Most people think of AI as someone teaching a computer to recognize and respond to perform a specific task automatically (known as "supervised learning"); "unsupervised learning" involves teaching the computer to recognize and respond to certain things but then allowing it to evolve to learn beyond what it was taught.
Read More
SKCC Researchers Investigate Tumor-Immune Cell Crosstalk in Aggressive Form of Prostate Cancer
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Jefferson
Researchers at Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Health (SKCC) are working to better understand neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC), a particularly aggressive form of the disease that arises after the initial treatment of prostate cancer. The team was led by Lucia R. Languino, PhD, professor of cancer biology, director of the Genetics, Genomics, and Cancer Biology PhD program at Thomas Jefferson University, and member of SKCC’s Translational and Cellular Oncology (TaCO) Program. The study was published in Matrix Biology.
Read More
Study Provides Clinician Guidance on Follow-up for Ovarian Cysts
UK Markey Cancer Center
About 15 to 20 percent of women will develop an ovarian cyst during their lifetime. They are usually non-cancerous and about 85 percent resolve within five years. Recent UK Markey Cancer Center research reveals patient characteristics associated with cysts that resolve on their own and suggests that the time it takes can vary depending on several variables. The findings, published in Obstetrics & Gynecology, provide valuable guidance for doctors regarding how long and how often to monitor ovarian cysts.
Read More
Method Improves Detection of Potential Therapeutic Tumor Targets in Human Biopsies
Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine
In a new study, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and collaborating institutions report the development of a kinase inhibitor pulldown assay (KiP) that can optimally enrich and quantify the small amounts of kinases present in biopsy samples in combination with mass-spectrometry techniques.
Read More
Chronic Inflammation Combined With Poverty Significantly Raises Risk of Dying From Cancer
University of Florida Health Cancer Center
A new study led by a University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions researcher finds that people with chronic inflammation living in poverty have more than double the risk of dying from heart disease and nearly triple the risk of dying from cancer within the next 15 years. The findings are based on data representing 95 million Americans ages 40 and over.
Read More
Simple Blood Protein Tests Predict Which Lymphoma Patients Are Most Likely to Have Poor CAR T Outcomes
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
In work newly published in Blood Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, a team of collaborators from Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and Moffitt Cancer Center report the first strategy for identifying before treatment which patients are at risk for poor outcomes from CAR T-cell therapy, pointing to opportunities to improve the safety and efficacy of this fast-growing class of cancer immunotherapies.
Read More
Back to News From the Centers
New in 2024: CARDS Webinar Series
Association of American Cancer Institutes
AACI and the Catchment Area Research Data Science (CARDS) listserv community announce a series of webinars dedicated to discussions around cancer center data collection, analysis, and utilization. The CARDS listserv and webinars are aimed at individuals at AACI cancer centers working in community outreach, biostatistics, and cancer informatics. The first CARDS webinar, "Unveiling Insights: Using Data to Guide Catchment Area Strategy," will be held Wednesday, February 21 at 1:00 pm eastern time.
Read More
ACS Offers New Navigation Training and Credentialing Program
American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society Leadership in Oncology Navigation (ACS LION) is a standardized training and credentialing program that helps patient navigators deliver essential nonclinical support to individuals, caregivers, and families facing cancer. The goal of the program is to help build a standardized professional knowledge base and positively impact oncology patients by expanding access to high-quality navigation programs and services. Standardized training will also help reduce barriers and health disparities among various patient groups.
Read More
ASCO Issues Call to Expand Access to Clinical Trials
American Society of Clinical Oncology
A new call-to-action published in the journal Cancer details practical steps for the oncology research and clinical care communities to expand access to clinical trials and enable patients to participate closer to their homes. The paper, authored by members of an American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Task Force, illuminates the importance of enabling patients to receive trial related testing and care near their homes, rather than requiring patients to travel to major research institutions hours from where they live.
Read More
Innovative Treatment Uses Radio Frequency to Target and Reduce Cancerous Tumors
Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University
Karmanos Cancer Institute has announced that it will be the first provider in the country to offer patients the new FDA-approved TheraBionic P1 device for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. The TheraBionic P1 emits low levels of radio-frequency electromagnetic fields that block the growth of tumor cells without affecting healthy tissue.
Read More
A Game Changer for Blood Cancer Treatment in New Mexico
University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center
The UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center completed the first allogeneic stem cell transplant in the state. The team also recently completed a haploidentical transplant. Such transplants make treatment possible for many New Mexican patients, who may not find matched donors in the registries of unrelated donors. Matthew Fero, MD, leads the stem cell transplantation team.
Read More
Central Ohio's First Proton Therapy Center Opens to Treat Children and Adults
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute
The OSUCCC – James, in collaboration with Nationwide Children’s Hospital, recently celebrated the opening of a $100 million, 55,000-square-foot Proton Therapy Center, the first treatment facility in central Ohio to offer this highly targeted radiation therapy for treating complex tumors.
Read More
Place an Ad in the AACI Newsletter
Association of American Cancer Institutes
AACI invites you to promote your cancer center or business by purchasing an ad in the AACI Update. Your newsletter ad may highlight a conference or a new initiative. Supporters may include links to their website and any upcoming events. Ads can be purchased monthly or in one of several packages.
Read More
Back to News From the Centers