Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute Physician Receives Prestigious ASCO Award
Declan Walsh, MD, the Hemby Family Endowed Chair in Supportive Oncology at Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute, received the 2023 Walther Cancer Foundation Endowed Supportive Oncology Award during the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2023 Annual Meeting. This esteemed honor recognizes distinguished leaders who have made significant contributions to palliative and supportive oncology care.
As a strong advocate for supportive oncology, Walsh's work has focused on improving the quality of life for cancer patients by managing treatment-related suffering. His pioneering efforts in integrating various supportive services, including palliative medicine, cancer rehabilitation, and psycho-oncology into a single department, has markedly transformed cancer patient care.
"In our department, we recognize that every patient is an individual with unique needs and concerns," Walsh noted. "We've aimed to create an environment that offers comprehensive support, addressing everything from malnutrition to psycho-oncological needs. This recognition from the Walther Cancer Foundation highlights the significance of our mission, inspiring us to further innovate and enhance patient care."
In 1987, Walsh launched the first palliative care program in the U.S. at the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Center. There, he developed acute care and home care services to assist patients and their families with decision-making, complication management, and symptom control. His significant work in palliative care served as a springboard to address the more complex challenges faced by cancer patients. By 2017, with support from Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute, he created the first-ever department of supportive oncology that integrates services such as rehabilitation, nutrition, surgical oncology prehabilitation, and survivorship.
"Dr. Walsh's visionary leadership and dedication to patients' well-being has put Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute on the map as a paragon of integrated cancer care," said Ruben A. Mesa, MD, President and Executive Director of Levine Cancer Institute and Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center. "Dr. Walsh's research on malnutrition-a pervasive, yet underrecognized problem among cancer patients-is paving the way for more effective interventions to improve patients' nutritional status."
At Levine Cancer Institute, patients with cancer undergo comprehensive distress screening at the time of diagnosis, facilitating early intervention and tailored care from specialists within the Department of Supportive Oncology. This proactive approach has enhanced patient outcomes, demonstrating the significant benefits of integrated cancer care.
"Looking toward the future, our goal is to share the lessons we've learned and the model we've created with health care systems, both in the U.S. and globally," Walsh said. "We want to see this type of comprehensive, supportive care become the standard for cancer treatment worldwide. This award propels us forward in that endeavor."
Research Awardees Honored By International Myeloma Foundation
The International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) awarded the Robert A. Kyle Lifetime Achievement Awardee to Maria-Victoria Mateos, MD, PhD, Head of Myeloma and Clinical Trials Unit at the Haematology Department and Professor of Medicine at the University of Salamanca, Spain. In addition, the foundation awarded the Brian G.M. Durie Outstanding Achievement Awardee to Thomas G. Martin, III, MD, Professor of Clinical Medicine; Associate Chief of Adult Hematology, Blood Marrow Transplantation, and Cell Therapy; Co-Director of the Myeloma Program; and Clinical Research Director of Hematologic Malignancies at UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco Medical Center.
Mateos serves as coordinator of the Spanish Myeloma Group, Grupo Espanol de Mieloma (GEM), with direct involvement in the design and development of clinical trials. She has coordinated many clinical trials, especially in the setting of transplant-ineligible and smoldering myeloma-these trials have profoundly influenced current options for the management of these patient populations. She has published over 400 papers in international journals with an H index of 96.
"It is a great honor for me to be the recipient of the Robert A. Kyle Lifetime Achievement Award, with the name of the father of myeloma. Prof. Kyle has dedicated his life to myeloma research. He has educated many doctors in myeloma, but he's always been focused on patient-centered care. These are the three pillars that inspire me in my career every day and I am committed to continuing this legacy for younger generations of doctors," Mateos said.
Martin's research interests include investigating novel treatments for multiple myeloma. This includes early-phase trials of new drugs, novel combinations, and therapeutics to use with bone marrow transplantation. He has a special interest in antibody therapy for myeloma and has been involved in studies assessing the efficacy of CD38 antibody combinations in newly diagnosed as well as relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM).
Additionally, Martin leads the Immunotherapy Committee of the IMWG and directs the Transplant and Cell Therapy Clinical Program at UCSF. He is also involved in many other novel immunotherapies for the treatment of RRMM, including pre-clinical investigations and clinical trials investigating the use of antibody-drug conjugates and dual-targeted "bispecific" antibodies, as well as CAR-T cells
"I am sincerely humbled and flattered to be the recipient of the prestigious Brian G.M. Durie Outstanding Achievement Award. Dr. Durie has been an inspiration and a mentor, personally to me and to all of us in this field. His dedication to myeloma research and to the patients is unsurpassed, and it's such an honor to receive this award in his name," Martin said.
The Kyle and Durie Achievement Awards are presented each year to outstanding and deserving individuals who have made significant contributions in the field of myeloma research.
William T. Thorwarth, MD, FACR, Announces Retirement
William T. Thorwarth Jr., MD, FACR, CEO of the American College of Radiology, announced his intent to retire June 30, 2024, after 10 years leading the association.
"ACR member volunteers, staff, and I have worked tirelessly to keep the College positioned to ensure advancing technology, regulation, payment structures, quality assurance, and research ultimately help radiologists provide ever-improved, accessible care," Thorwarth said. "ACR membership has grown to 42,000, and the ACR is consistently named among America's Great Places to Work. I have had the opportunity to work with multiple incredibly dedicated and visionary leaders and am proud of all that we continue to accomplish together."
During his tenure, Thorwarth guided the College through the COVID-19 pandemic-overseeing the creation and distribution of resources to help members and their practices:
* better care for COVID patients (including imaging diagnosis and provider/staff safety);
* survive the pandemic economic impact (70% of radiology practices enabled to apply for federal aid);
* resume care following the 2020 shutdown of non-urgent care, including lung and breast cancer screening; and
* take part in research to prepare medicine for future pandemics.
The ACR cofounded the Radiology Health Equity Coalition on Thorwarth's watch to collect, assess, and disseminate resources and best practices; advocate for and connect with patients and community members in underserved communities; and collaborate on programs and services to improve imaging access and utilization. He oversaw the launch of the ACR Data Science Institute to work with industry, government, patients, and others to guide the development and implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) applications to help radiologists improve care.
"Dr. Thorwarth is an outstanding and widely respected leader," said Jacqueline A. Bello, MD, FACR, Chair of the ACR Board of Chancellors. "He cares deeply about patients, the ACR, radiology, and quality health care. We are fortunate to have such an accomplished CEO to help radiology navigate the shifting medical landscape. I congratulate him on a job well done and wish him the best moving forward."
Karine Sargsyan, MD, to Further Develop Cedars-Sinai Cancer Biobank
Cedars-Sinai Cancer welcomes Karine Sargsyan, MD, as Scientific Director of its OncoBiobank. Sargsyan is charged with leading biobank development and creating new strategies for the optimal deployment and use of the Cedars-Sinai Cancer Molecular Twin Precision Oncology Platform for both research and clinical practice. She will work collaboratively with Nicholas Tatonetti, PhD, Associate Director of Computational Oncology, on the latter project. She also will lead specific aspects of cancer research project protocol development, including overseeing biospecimen procurement, processing, and storage, as well as distribution to investigators.
"Cancer is a huge part of our health system at Cedars-Sinai," Sargsyan said. "Cancer research has its own specific needs, which the cancer biobank is there to address. It's exciting to continue elevating the status and quality of Cedars-Sinai Cancer research, and it's a pleasure to know that we're all working together toward that common goal."
The biobank exists to meet the needs of researchers at Cedars-Sinai Cancer working to develop new diagnostics and novel treatments. It currently houses some 60,000 blood, tissue, and fluid samples collected with consent from patients undergoing clinical testing, surgeries, and procedures.
"Dr. Sargsyan is precisely the leader that Cedars-Sinai Cancer needs as we further develop research programs that require use of human biospecimens," said Dan Theodorescu, MD, PhD, Director of Cedars-Sinai Cancer and the PHASE ONE Distinguished Chair. "We were very fortunate to recruit her, as she is highly regarded for her past work, and we look forward to taking our biobank to the next level in order to usher in new advancements and breakthroughs in cancer research and precision oncology."
Prior to joining Cedars-Sinai, Sargsyan was Managing Director of Biobank Graz and International Biobanking and Education for Research and International Affairs at the Medical University of Graz in Austria for 12 years. Biobank Graz is one of the largest, most used, and productive clinical biobanks in the world, housing approximately 20 million individual specimens and used in approximately 300 research projects each year.
"Dr. Sargsyan is an innovator who brings extraordinary expertise in building a high-quality, diverse cancer biobank collection, as well as making it widely available to help break down research silos," said Robert Figlin, MD, Deputy Director of Cedars-Sinai Cancer and the Steven Spielberg Family Chair in Hematology-Oncology.
Sargsyan also served as head of social and biotech innovation at the National Center for Innovation for the Ministry of Economics, Armenian Government. Additionally, she was expert for Education, Science Management, and Development and a consultant at the Ministry of Health for the Armenian Government.
Sargsyan earned a degree in medicine from Yerevan State Medical University in Armenia and completed her specialization in general pediatrics from Republican Children's Clinical Hospital in Armenia. She completed postgraduate work in practical psychology from Yerevan State University in Armenia.
As a child, Sargsyan said she dreamed of having a job in which she could "cure all the kids." While she did grow up to become a pediatrician, she became especially driven by the idea that with a career in innovative research, she could help treat more patients and potentially save far more lives. After moving into the scientific research field, Sargsyan developed an interest in culling data and samples, as well as educating institutions in how to develop a strong biobank.
Now, she looks forward to contributing in the same way at Cedars-Sinai Cancer. "Research results rely on high-quality specimens and data, so my vision is to build the highest-possible quality data bank at Cedars-Sinai Cancer with the most diverse biospecimen collection in the world, facilitated by collaboration with the Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) team of the cancer center," Sargsyan said.
Sargsyan will join COE's efforts to include the Armenian community in research, as the cancer center catchment area has the world's second-largest Armenian community outside of Armenia.
"We are excited to see Dr. Sargsyan's vision for our cancer biobank come to life," said Jeffrey Golden, MD, Vice Dean of Research and Graduate Education and Director of the Burns and Allen Research Institute at Cedars-Sinai. "She is already hard at work, laying the groundwork for providing a diversity of samples to researchers at Cedars-Sinai and beyond to find cures for cancer in all communities."
Sargsyan has given more than 80 lectures and keynotes in scientific meetings on biobanking and biomolecular research throughout her career. She has received numerous fellowships and awards, and her research has been published in more than 100 peer-reviewed publications, books and articles. She is a member of numerous scientific societies, including the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories, the Austrian Society of Epidemiology, and the European, Middle Eastern, and African Society for Biopreservation and Biobanking.
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