AACI Update | March 2019
Headlines
USC Norris Names Lerman as New Director
Cortes Named New Director of Georgia Cancer Center
Perlmutter Earns NCI Comprehensive Status
Registration Open for 11th Annual AACI CRI Meeting
AACI Congressional Briefing: Breaking Down Barriers to a Cure
CMS Releases CAR T National Coverage Analysis
Register Today for PCLI Telemedicine Webinar
Join Us at Hill Day to Advocate for Cancer Research
News from the Centers
Lonial Honored with Gray Family Chair in Cancer
Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University
Sagar Lonial, MD, chief medical officer for Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, was honored with the Anne and Bernard Gray Family Chair in Cancer. The endowment honors the life of Mrs. Gray's sister, Karen Ammons Howell, who died of breast cancer.
Slamon Awarded Prize for Pioneering Research
UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
Dennis Slamon, MD, PhD, director of the Revlon/UCLA Women’s Cancer Research Program, has been named a co-winner of the 2019 Sjöberg Prize by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and Sweden’s Sjöberg Foundation. Honored for his groundbreaking research in targeted cancer therapies, Dr. Slamon shares the award with Brian Druker, MD, of Oregon Health & Science University.Levine, Raz, Shen Receive Honors
City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center
Three members of the faculty at City of Hope received awards in recognition of their contributions to the field of oncology: Alexandra Levine, MD, MACP, received the Margaret L. Kripke Legend Award for Promotion of Women in Cancer Medicine and Cancer Science; Dan Raz, MD, MAS, received a Global Lung Cancer Coalition Journalism Award; and Binghui Shen, PhD, was elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.Dhodapkar Awarded Inaugural Brock Chair
Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University
Madhav V. Dhodapkar, MBBS, director of Winship Cancer Institute's new Center for Cancer Immunology, has been honored as the inaugural holder of the Anise McDaniel Brock Chair. He was also named a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar in Cancer Innovation at a ceremony in February.$75 Million Gift to Establish Blood Cancer Center
Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Health
An anonymous $75 million gift to NYU Langone Health and its Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center will establish a Center for Blood Cancers housing a new, world-class program for multiple myeloma care and research. The new center will significantly expand the center’s capacity to study and treat blood cancers.$30 Million Gift Supports Next Expansion
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah
Peter Huntsman, CEO of the Huntsman Foundation and chairman and CEO of the Huntsman Cancer Foundation (HCF), has announced a $30 million gift from the family’s foundation. This donation allows Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah to better plan for and address the future needs of cancer patients in the Mountain West. The gift is in addition to the $40 million already raised by HCF to support the construction of the Kathryn F. Kirk Center for Comprehensive Cancer Care and Women’s Cancers at Huntsman Cancer Institute.$12 Million Gift to Advance Brain Tumor Research
University of Florida Health Cancer Center
The University of Florida has received a $12 million gift from Orlando hotel magnate Harris Rosen and The Harris Rosen Foundation to advance brain tumor immunotherapy research and care at UF Health and to launch an unprecedented partnership for the development of novel brain tumor treatments. The gift is the cornerstone of a $100 million fundraising commitment to support the ReMission Alliance Against Brain Tumors, a collaborative initiative led by UF that will unite neuro-oncology physicians and scientists in research and clinical trials.Patient Feedback Improves Cancer Treatments
Cedars-Sinai Cancer
A major new study now underway aims to better incorporate patient feedback into clinical trials that help determine which new cancer treatments will be approved for use. The project, supported by a five-year, $3.4 million grant from the National Cancer Institute, involves statisticians, clinicians, and patient advocates. The team is analyzing data from previous and ongoing clinical trials to design new statistical measurement criteria for assessing how well trial participants tolerate experimental therapies.NCI Awards Lymphoma SPORE Grant
City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center
City of Hope has received its third lymphoma Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), one of four current NCI-supported lymphoma SPORE grants. It covers a five-year period and totals $12.5 million. This interdisciplinary research is currently advanced in the Toni Stephenson Lymphoma Center, which is the foundation of City of Hope's Hematologic Malignancies and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute.Vogelbaum is New Chief of Neurosurgery
Moffitt Cancer Center
Moffitt Cancer Center has a new program leader of neuro-oncology and chief of neurosurgery. Michael Vogelbaum, MD, PhD, has stepped into the roles, working alongside Peter Forsyth, MD, Department of Neuro-Oncology chair. Dr. Vogelbaum was most recently the associate director of the Cleveland Clinic’s Brain Tumor and Neuro-Oncology Center and the director of its Center for Translational Therapeutics.Expanded Cord Blood Promising for Use in Adult Bone Marrow Transplants
Duke Cancer Institute
Umbilical cord blood stem cells that are cultured and expanded outside the body before being used for bone marrow transplant in adult blood cancer patients appear safe and restore blood count recovery faster than standard cord blood. The findings, led by Mitchell Horwitz, MD, are from a Phase I/II study of the biologic treatment, NiCord, at 11 clinical trial sites.Drug Target Identified for Chemotherapy-Resistant Ovarian, Breast Cancer
Siteman Cancer Center
Washington University researchers at Siteman Cancer Center may have found a path toward improving the effectiveness of chemotherapy in people with breast or ovarian cancer that is caused by BRCA defects. They have identified a pair of genes that operate in parallel to BRCA. Knocking down the genes increases tumor cells’ susceptibility to a toxic chemical – and potentially to chemotherapy drugs as well.Genetic, Metabolic Differences May Explain Diet, Cancer Study Variations
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
A new study led by Susan McCann, PhD, RD, examines how women of different backgrounds metabolize lignans. What scientists learned may help explain why associations between diet and breast cancer risk have been difficult to demonstrate consistently.Making Immune Cells Better Cancer Killers
University of Virginia Cancer Center
Scientists at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have discovered a defect in immune cells known as "killer T cells" that explains their inability to destroy cancer tumors. The researchers believe that repairing this defect could make the cells much better cancer killers. Further, they predict their discovery could be used within three to five years to help identify patients who will best respond to cancer therapies.Mimicking Metastasis in a Dish
The University of Kansas Cancer Center
Researchers at The University of Kansas Cancer Center have developed a first-of-its-kind organoid that mirrors the process of cancer spreading to the lung. Called a tumor-in-a-dish, the model gives researchers insight on what goes on inside a tumor and the drugs that may best kill it. Shrikant Anant, PhD, is lead author of the study.Risk-Adapted Approach to Assessing Kidney Tumor Complexity Recommended
Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health
By diving deep into data about more than 1,300 past kidney cancer cases, Fox Chase Cancer Center researchers, led by Robert G. Uzzo, MD, FACS, concluded that there is no compelling cancer-related reason to remove an entire kidney solely based on a tumor’s location in the hilum. Instead, other factors should provide more weight in risk-adapted decisions about whether to do a partial or a radical nephrectomy.Reducing Hospital Stay After Whipple Operation
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Jefferson
Pancreaticoduodenectomy, or the Whipple operation, is one of the most complex abdominal surgeries, and is commonly prescribed as a first line of therapy for cancer located within the pancreatic head. Clinicians at Jefferson have now shown that providing patients intensive care after surgery can help reduce hospital stay and reduce time to eligibility for adjuvant chemotherapy.How to Boost Cancer Clinical Trial Participation
Fred Hutch Cancer Center
How do you make cancer clinical trials available to more patients? A new study led by Joseph Unger, PhD, MS, at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center offers a tantalizing solution: loosen up the strict eligibility criteria. In a nutshell, the research found that physicians often don’t even discuss potential trial participation with patients who are ineligible due to having another disease.Lymph Nodes May Help Determine Course of Pleural Mesothelioma
University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of Maryland School of Medicine surgeons have identified a group of lymph nodes in the chest that appear highly significant in predicting the prognosis for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma. The researchers found that presence of cancer in these lymph nodes increased the risk of recurrence or death more than two-fold in patients undergoing mesothelioma surgery.Novel Strategy for Therapy-Resistant Melanoma with Mutations in the BRAF Gene
Ellen and Ronald Caplan Cancer Center of The Wistar Institute
Collaborative research by The Wistar Institute and Moffitt Cancer Center has demonstrated that BRAF-targeted therapies render resistant melanoma more sensitive to the attack of killer T cells. This result suggests that adoptive T cell therapy may benefit patients that have become resistant to BRAF inhibitors.Researchers Develop Urine Test for Bladder Cancer
Stanford Cancer Institute
Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have developed a highly sensitive urine test for diagnosing and monitoring bladder cancer. The test involves looking for fragments of cancer DNA in urine samples.Study: Survival Benefit for Black Men on New Prostate Cancer Drugs
Duke Cancer Institute
Recent research led by scientists at the Duke Cancer Institute shows better overall survival rates among black men with metastatic disease who are treated with abiraterone acetate or enzalutamide. Megan Ann McNamara, MD, presented the research at a meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in February.A Long Shot Could Bear Fruit
University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center
UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center's Jeffrey Arterburn, PhD, a medicinal chemist, and Eric Prossnitz, PhD, a molecular biologist, screened thousands of compounds to find two that interact with a receptor called GPER. A startup company, Linnaeus, has licensed one of those compounds to use in combination with an immunotherapy agent and will begin clinical trials in melanoma.Bioluminescent Deep-Sea Creatures Illuminate Effectiveness of New Cancer Therapies
USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center
Researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of USC have developed a new laboratory tool, which is poised to improve the development and effectiveness of a burgeoning group of therapies that use patients' immune systems to fight cancer with genetically-engineered CAR T cells. The Topanga assay, named after Topanga Beach in Malibu, uses genes originally isolated from bioluminescent marine organisms.Biomechanics of Phenylalanine Maintenance Illustrated in New Study
Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health
Fox Chase Cancer Center researchers have published a groundbreaking study that describes for the first time the mechanisms of how the amount of amino acid phenylalanine (Phe) is controlled in blood. Accumulation of Phe can cause phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare genetic condition that can result in permanent neurological damage as well as behavioral abnormalities if not properly managed.Shorter Course of Radiation Therapy Effective in Treating Prostate Cancer
UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
A new UCLA-led study shows that men with low- or intermediate-risk prostate cancer can safely undergo higher doses of radiation over a significantly shorter period of time and still have the same, successful outcomes as from a much longer course of treatment.Immunotherapy Looks Better Than Chemo for Merkel Cell Carcinoma
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University
The first study of the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab as the initial treatment for patients with a rare but aggressive form of skin cancer known as Merkel cell carcinoma reports better responses and longer survival than expected with conventional chemotherapy. The study is the longest observation to date of Merkel cell carcinoma patients treated with any anti-PD-1 immunotherapy drug used in the first line.Is It Possible to Prevent Breast Cancer Metastasis?
Fred Hutch Cancer Center
Researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, led by translational researcher Cyrus Ghajar, PhD, may have found a way to essentially smother cancer cells in their sleep, preventing them from ever waking up and forming deadly metastatic tumors.Overcoming Drug Resistance in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
In a new study, Roswell Park researchers led by Yuesheng Zhang, MD, PhD, report that a new HER2 inhibitor, PEPD-G278D, has the potential to overcome that drug resistance. It is a novel anticancer agent that operates on several different fronts.Antibody Could Increase Cure Rate for Blood, Immune Disorders
Stanford Cancer Institute
An antibody-based treatment can gently and effectively eliminate diseased blood-forming stem cells in the bone marrow to prepare for the transplantation of healthy stem cells, according to a study in mice by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Judith Shizuru, MD, PhD, is senior author of the study.Medicaid Expansion Increases Colon Cancer Screenings, Survival in KY
UK Markey Cancer Center
A University of Kentucky study shows a direct link between the adoption of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansion and the impact of colon cancer on Kentuckians. Researchers looked at statistics for screening, incidence, and outcomes of colon cancer from the Kentucky Hospital Discharge Database in the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services and the Kentucky Cancer Registry. Pre-ACA Medicaid expansion (2011-2013), where approximately 14 percent of Kentuckians were uninsured – was compared to post-ACA Medicaid Expansion (2014-16), where that number dropped to about six percent.New Therapeutic Target for Rare Pediatric Cancer
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
MD Anderson researchers have found that malignant rhabdoid tumors, a rare pediatric cancer, may be sensitive to drugs that block the cancer cell's ability to dispose of misfolded proteins. The findings provide a therapeutic target for cancers caused by mutations in the SMARCB1 gene. Giannicola Genovese, MD, is the study's corresponding author.Noninvasive Liquid Biopsies Rapidly, Accurately Determine Response to Cancer Treatment
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University
Results of two clinical studies have added to evidence that blood-based liquid biopsies can accurately track lung cancer treatment responses by measuring circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) during immunotherapy and related treatments. The new studies, described in the December issues of the journal Cancer Research, showed that tracking responses to treatment by measuring ctDNA was a more accurate way of assessing tumor growth or shrinkage than traditional imaging techniques.
Sitting, Watching TV Linked to Colorectal Cancer Risk Before Age 50
Siteman Cancer Center
A new study has identified a connection between prolonged time spent sitting while watching TV and increased risk of colorectal cancer for Americans under age 50. Young-onset colorectal cancer is increasing in the U.S. and globally, sharply contrasting with the dramatic decreases among older people, largely as a result of cancer screening initiatives. Yin Cao, ScD, MPH, is co-senior author of the study.Study Finds HIV+ Cancer Patients Benefit From Immunotherapy
Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center
The immunotherapy that has revolutionized treatment of many cancers appears to offer similar benefit to cancer patients living with HIV, say researchers at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. Their study focused on whether a relatively new class of drugs called checkpoint inhibitors is both safe and effective in patients with advanced cancer who also live with HIV.
Blood Cells Could Hold Master Clock Behind Aging
Case Comprehensive Cancer Center
Blood cells could hold the key to aging, according to new research out of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. An international team of researchers led by Shigemi Matsuyama, DVM, PhD, found human blood cells have an intrinsic clock that remains steady even after transplant. The researchers say the clock could control human aging and may underlie blood cancers.Early Surveillance Cost Effective for Patients at High Risk of Cancer
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah
New research shows how early cancer screening and surveillance in patients with Li-Fraumeni Syndrome (LFS) results in additional years of life, and is cost effective for third-party payers. People diagnosed with LFS have a one in two chance of developing cancer by 30, and a nearly 100 percent risk of developing cancer in their lifetime.SMACing Down Lung Cancer Progression
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Jefferson
Novel advances in the treatment of lung cancer have emerged from a new preclinical study from researchers at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Health. The study presents compelling evidence that an investigational class of drugs termed SMACs (secondary mitochondrial-derived activators of caspases) can effectively synergize with radiation treatment to improve lung cancer treatment outcomes.Annual Noninvasive Stool Test Shown Effective for Colon Cancer Screening
Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center
A new study by Indiana University School of Medicine and the Regenstrief Institute provides the strongest evidence to date to support recommendations that average risk patients can safely opt for an annual, easy-to-use, home stool test instead of a screening colonoscopy.Breast Cancer Up to 5 Times More Likely to Metastasize Even 10 Years After Childbirth
University of Colorado Cancer Center
A study by researchers at University of Colorado Cancer Center and Oregon Health & Science University shows that breast cancers diagnosed in young women within 10 years of giving birth are more likely to metastasize, and thus more likely to cause death, than breast cancers in young women who gave birth less recently or not at all.Cancer Vaccine May Be Option for AML Relapse
UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
An experimental cancer vaccine in early-stage development at the University of California San Francisco has sparked hope in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The promising research was recognized by the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine, which awarded Karin Gaensler, MD, and her team a $4.17 million translational grant last October.Researchers Develop Novel Lab-on-a-Chip
The University of Kansas Cancer Center
Researchers at The University of Kansas Cancer Center have created a novel, cost-effective 3D lab-on-a-chip tool that can analyze tiny vesicles, like exosomes, secreted from tumor cells in just a few drops of blood to detect cancer. In a new study, the researchers demonstrated the chip’s potential using plasma samples from ovarian cancer patients.Young Adult Cancer Survivors Face Debt, Work-Related Impairments
University of Colorado Cancer Center
One of the largest-ever studies of work-related risks in young adult cancer survivors finds that of 872 survivors, 14.4 percent borrowed more than $10,000 and 1.5 percent said they or their family had filed for bankruptcy as a direct result of illness or treatment. It also showed that not all cancers and not all treatments have the same effects on young survivors’ financial outcomes.Common Pain Reliever Can Improve Survival in Head and Neck Cancer
UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
A common pain reliever improves survival for some patients with head and neck cancer, a new study led by UC San Francisco has found. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, improved the overall five-year survival rate from 25 percent to 78 percent for patients whose cancer contains the PIK3CA gene, researchers reported. Jennifer R. Grandis, MD, is senior author of the study.Linking Inflammation and Cancer
Case Comprehensive Cancer Center
A group of Lerner Research Institute scientists, led by Xiaoxia Li, PhD, defined a new link between inflammation, wound healing, and tumor formation. Previous research has shown that uncontrolled tissue repair promotes tumorigenesis, but Dr. Li’s group describes for the first time the driving mechanisms behind the phenomenon and suggests that potential new drug targets are yet to be discovered.Enhancing Lung Disease Care in Appalachia
University of Virginia Cancer Center
A new program will use telehealth to bring together a University of Virginia Health System team with primary care providers in the Appalachian region of Virginia. To enhance the ability of primary care providers to prevent, diagnose, and treat lung diseases, UVA pulmonary care experts will provide 10 education sessions through the UVA Center for Telehealth, with the topics determined through a survey of local primary care providers based on their needs and interests.International HPV Awareness Day is March 4
International HPV Awareness Day is Monday, March 4. Developed in 2018 by the International Papillomavirus Society (IPVS), the day is an annual opportunity to educate about HPV, its associated cancers, and prevention against the virus. Communications professionals from NCI-Designated Cancer Centers have compiled a toolkit of key messages, along with important facts and figures about HPV, for use by AACI members.
A VCU Student Aims to Uncover Novel Drug Combos for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center
Tia Turner, a Virginia Commonwealth University MD-PhD student, recently received a National Cancer Institute grant to fund her research, which is aimed at uncovering novel drug combinations to treat triple-negative breast cancer. For the past few years she has worked in the pathology laboratory of Chuck Harrell, PhD.Cancer Center Jobs
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Meeting Announcements
3rd Annual Cancer Disparities Symposium
March 1, 2019
AACI Congressional Briefing: Breaking Down Barriers to a Cure
March 27, 2019
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
The briefing will focus on the urgent importance of stable research funding and breakthroughs in the rapidly advancing field of CAR T-cell immunotherapy.
Epigenetics in Cancer Scientific Symposium
April 25, 2019
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
This second “Epigenetics in Cancer” symposium will bring together leaders in basic and translational research to promote a better understanding of epigenetic pathways as drug targets in cancer therapy.
AACI/AACR Hill Day 2019
April 30, 2019
Hill Day will bring cancer center directors, researchers, oncologists, cancer survivors, and other advocates to Capitol Hill to build support for federal funding at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Cancer Institute (NCI).
11th Annual AACI CRI Meeting
July 9, 2019
The CRI annual meeting creates opportunities for peer-to-peer networking and collaboration among clinical trials office staff at AACI's member cancer centers.
2019 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting
October 20, 2019
The CME-accredited annual meeting of the Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) and the Cancer Center Administrators’ Forum (CCAF) provides an opportunity to network with and learn from peers at AACI cancer centers. The meeting will cover topics of both scientific and operational value, providing attendees with practical solutions.