The American Society of Clinical Oncology has announced the recipients of this year's Special Awards, which will be presented at the annual meeting in June:
* Kanti R. Rai, MB, BS, Chief of the Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Research and Treatment Program at North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, will receive the David A. Karnofsky Memorial Award and Lecture, recognizing his research involving chronic lymphocytic leukemia, including establishment of the Rai clinical staging system for CLL.
* Rakesh K. Jain, PhD, the A.W. Cook Professor of Radiation Oncology (Tumor Biology) at Harvard Medical School and Director of E.L. Steele Laboratory of Tumor Biology at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, will receive the Science of Oncology Award and Lecture. He created a novel approach to imaging technologies in cancer research that provides molecular, cellular, anatomical and functional insights into tumor barriers, changing the thinking of how antiangiogenic agents work in people with cancer.
* Rowan T. Chlebowski, MD, PhD, Chief of Medical Oncology and Hematology at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, will receive the ASCO-American Cancer Society Award and Lecture for his involvement in clinical trial research addressing breast cancer prevention, therapy, and women's health. He led reports on estrogen, and estrogen plus progestin influence on cancer endpoints as a Women's Health Initiative investigator-the findings changed the standard clinical use of menopausal hormone therapy associated in breast cancer incidence.
* Monica Morrow, MD, Chief of the Breast Surgery Service, Co-Chief of the Breast Program, and the Anne Burnett Windfohr Chair of Clinical Oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, will receive the Gianni Bonadonna Breast Cancer Award and Lecture. Her research has advanced new technology related to local therapy of breast cancer and examined how patients make breast cancer treatment decisions.
* Matti S. Aapro, MD, Dean of the Multidisciplinary Oncology Institute in Genolier, Switzerland, and Executive Director of the International Society of Geriatric Oncology, will receive the B.J. Kennedy Award and Lecture for Scientific Excellence in Geriatric Oncology. He has pioneered research on new drug development, breast cancer, cancer in the elderly, and supportive care. He has been chair of the scientific and organizing committees of the UICC's World Cancer Congress in 2008 in Geneva, Switzerland, and continued to serve UICC in 2010, in Shenzhen, China.
* Ching-Hon Pui, MD, Chair of the Department of Oncology at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, will receive the Pediatric Oncology Award and Lecture, for being a leader in the molecular definitions of childhood leukemia and developing clinical protocols based on those findings. His current research includes genome-wide studies to understand leukemogenesis, and identify "driver" molecular lesions and new drugs for target therapy.
* Marlo Thomas, National Outreach Director for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, will receive the Partners in Progress Award for her public awareness efforts to educate the public about the research and progress in childhood cancer at St. Jude. The actress/author/activist has been honored with four Emmy Awards, the Peabody, a Golden Globe, and a Grammy; and has been inducted into the Broadcasting Hall of Fame.
* Robert F. Ozols, MD, PhD, will receive the Distinguished Achievement Award for his research focused on how cancer cells develop drug resistance and on strategies for overcoming resistance. He was the first Audrey Weg Schaus and Geoffrey Alan Weg Chair in Medical Science at Fox Chase Cancer Center, and served as Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer at Fox Chase Cancer Center until his retirement in 2008.
* David Satcher, MD, PhD, Director of Satcher Health Leadership Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine, will receive the Special Recognition Award for his work as a public health administrator to on cancer awareness and prevention. He has served as the 16th Surgeon General of the United States, Assistant Secretary for Health, and Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
* Nancy G. Brinker, founder and CEO of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, will receive the Public Service Award, in recognition of her "global leadership in breast cancer awareness and prevention that has increased government research funding and made the issue a priority for policymakers." From 2001 to 2003, she was U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Hungary and from 2007 to 2009, was U.S. Chief of Protocol. And, in 2009, the World Health Organization named her the Goodwill Ambassador for Cancer Control.
* Edith Peterson Mitchell, MD, Clinical Professor in the Department of Medicine and Medical Oncology and Program Leader of Gastrointestinal Oncology at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, will receive the Humanitarian award. Her medical career has focused on helping educate individuals in medically underserved areas on lifestyle changes that greatly impact cancer care, demonstrating the importance of community service and outreach.