Grant for Oral Drug Dosing in Older Adults With Metastatic Breast Cancer
The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) was awarded research funding by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to support research on dosing strategies of oral CDK4/6 inhibitors in patients and older adults with metastatic breast cancer.
"This clinical trial builds on ASCO's previous work to improve dose optimization for patients with cancer, and its results will help advance cancer care and outcomes for vulnerable patient populations in real-world settings," noted Julie R. Gralow, MD, FACP, FASCO, ASCO's Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President.
The study will investigate dosing strategies for CDK4/6 inhibitors palbociclib and ribociclib to be used with endocrine therapy for treating patients with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. The study will be called Comparing Oral Drug Dosing Strategies in Older Patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer to Maximize Tolerance and Reduce Discontinuation: The CDK4/6 Inhibitor Dosing Knowledge (CDK) Study.
"This project was selected for PCORI funding not only for its scientific merit and commitment to engaging patients and other health care stakeholders, but also for its conduct in real-world settings," noted Nakela L. Cook, MD, MPH, PCORI Executive Director. "It has the potential to answer an important question about metastatic breast cancer treatment and fill a crucial evidence gap."
New Officers Elected to American Society for Radiation Oncology
Three new officers were elected to the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Board of Directors. Sameer Keole, MD, FASTRO, will serve as President-Elect for 1 year and then oversee the 2025 ASTRO Annual Meeting. He has also served on the ASTRO Board as head of the Government Relations Council.
"Excellent clinical care can be provided in any practice setting, and innovations in how we treat cancer can be achieved in many different environments," Koele said. "I am confident that by working together, we can make significant progress in the fight against cancer for the benefit of patients worldwide."
Wendy Woodward, MD, PhD, FASTRO, and Vivek S. Kavadi, MD, MBA, FASTRO, will serve 2-year terms as Vice Chairs, followed by 2-year terms as Chairs of their respective councils.
Woodward was elected Science Council Vice Chair. She is a leading expert in the treatment and biology of breast cancer. As a member of the Board, Woodward will help direct ASTRO's scientific initiatives, including grant and fellowship programs. "With efforts to strengthen the innovation ecosystem, foster diverse research teams, increase collaboration and partnership, and support health services research, we can drive meaningful advancement in radiation oncology," she noted.
Kavadi was elected as Health Policy Council Vice Chair. On the board, he will lead ASTRO's efforts to implement the Radiation Oncology Case Rates payment program. "Physician advocacy is key to raising awareness of the financial and administrative pressures facing radiation oncology today," he noted. "We can help policymakers truly understand the impact of what they put into law."
In addition, Ronald Ennis, MD, the immediate past Chair of ASTRO's Government Relations Council, will replace Gopal K. Bajaj, MD, MBA, FASTRO, who will be stepping down from the Board of Directors. Three individuals have also joined the Society's Nominating Committee, including Stephanie Terezakis, MD, University of Minnesota; Arshin Sheybani, MD, John Stoddard Cancer Center; and Deborah Citrin, MD, FASTRO, National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute.
Oncologists Awarded ASTRO Fellow Designation
ASTRO recognizes oncologists and individuals who have made contributions to the field of radiation oncology through research, education, and service to the field of oncology. As such, ASTRO welcomes 29 new fellows.
Those awarded fellow designation include Thomas Boike, MD, GenesisCare/MPH Radiation Oncology Institute; Kristy Brock, PhD, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; David Carlson, PhD, Yale University School of Medicine; Samuel T. Chao, MD, Cleveland Clinic; Christopher Chen, MD, GenesisCare; John P. Einck, MD, The University of Kansas Health System; Natia Esiashvili, MD, Emory Winship Cancer Institute; Dwight E. Heron, MD, MBA, Bon Secours Mercy Health System; Bradford Hoppe, MD, MPH, Mayo Clinic; Ellen Jones, MD, PhD, University of North Carolina; Percy Lee, MD, City of Hope National Medical Center; Join Yang Luh, MD, Providence Health St. Joseph Hospital; and Harvey Mamon, MD, PhD, Brigham and Women's Hospital.
In addition, the following individuals have also been welcomed as fellows: Loren K. Mell, MD, University of California San Diego; Moyed Miften, PhD, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus; Laeton J. Pang, MD, MPH, Cancer Center of Hawaii; Joshua H. Petit, MD, University of Colorado Health; Matthew Poppe, MD, Huntsman Cancer Institute University of Utah; Bradley Prestidge, MD, MS, Bradley R. Prestidge MD PA; Charles B. Simone II, MD, New York Proton Center and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; Anurag K. Singh, MD, Roswell Park Cancer Institute; Jon F. Strasser, MD, Helen Graham Cancer Center; Rahul Tendulkar, MD, Cleveland Clinic; Tony Wang, MD, Columbia University; Henning Willers, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital; Karen Winkfield, MD, PhD, Vanderbilt University; Jean L. Wright, MD, Johns Hopkins University; Lei Xing, PhD, Stanford University; and James B. Yu, MD, MHS, Connecticut Radiation Oncology.
"On behalf of ASTRO, I commend these outstanding physicians, physicists, and scientists for their far-reaching contributions to radiation oncology, including their leadership in advancing cancer research, education, and clinical care to improve patient outcomes," said Geraldine M. Jacobson, MD, MBA, MPH, FASTRO, Chair of the ASTRO Board of Directors.
S. Vincent Rajkumar, MD, Appointed Chairman-Elect of Myeloma Foundation Board
S. Vincent Rajkumar, MD, Professor of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic and a world-renowned myeloma clinician and researcher, has been appointed Chairman-Elect of the Board of Directors of the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF). The term of the current Chairman of the Board of Directors, Brian G.M. Durie, MD, will end in 2024.
Durie is the IMF Co-Founder and has been Chairman of the Board of Directors for 33 years. Although Durie is stepping down as Chairman, he will remain a member of the Board of Directors and hold the new position of Chairman Emeritus. He will also retain his other positions, including Chief Scientific Officer; Co-chair of the International Myeloma Working Group; Executive Chair of the Asian Myeloma Network and the Black Swan Research Initiative; and Co-Leader of the i2TEAMM FDA MRD initiative and a fundraiser for the IMF.
Durie shared his thoughts on electing Rajkumar as the Chairman of the Board of Directors: "As one of the leading voices in the myeloma community, Dr. Rajkumar can carry forward the IMF's mission to connect to the patient and scientific communities to achieve the very best outcomes for myeloma patients everywhere. With input from the Board of Directors, best practices for oversight and governance can help guide the IMF forward with a focus on strongly supporting the IMF staff in their daily dedicated efforts to help myeloma patients. I am thrilled that Vincent will be taking on the role as Chairman."
Lali Medina-Kauwe, PhD, Named Inaugural Chair in Medical Discovery
Lali Medina-Kauwe, PhD, was named as the inaugural holder of the Carol Moss Foundation Chair in Medical Discovery. She is Associate Director for Basic Research in Cedars-Sinai Cancer, Co-Director of the PhD Program in Biomedical and Translational Research at the Cedars-Sinai Graduate School, and Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences.
"I'm honored to hold this new position," said Medina-Kauwe. "I would like to thank the Carol Moss Foundation for recognizing that it takes creativity, out-of-the-box thinking, and innovation for the multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary work that has the potential for translating into the clinic."
Shlomo Melmed, MB, ChB, Dean of the Medical Faculty at Cedars-Sinai and the Helene A. and Philip E. Hixon Distinguished Chair in Investigative Medicine, noted, "Dr. Medina-Kauwe's creative work on the use of nanoparticles to target therapies directly to malignant cells has propelled her terrific career accomplishments. We are delighted to recognize her pioneering work and look forward to many more years of her innovative discovery here at Cedars-Sinai."
Grant to Genetically Engineer Stem Cell Products for Gastroesophageal Cancer
Saar Gill, MD, PhD, of the University of Pennsylvania, received a grant to improve the effectiveness of immunotherapy in gastroesophageal cancer by using the tools of genetic engineering. Gill is using AI to aid in modifying human blood-forming stem cells to produce highly specialized cancer-eating cells through chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) macrophages.
"While chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells have received FDA approvals for hematologic malignancies, their track record in solid tumors is disappointing," Gill noted. "We reasoned that genetically engineered macrophages may be better suited to treat solid tumors since these cells are the major immune component in the tumor microenvironment."
The project combines two technological breakthroughs. First, Gill's lab created CAR macrophages from blood monocytes and showed they could be directed to eat cancer cells. However, CAR macrophages have a short lifespan. Now, he hopes to implant CAR in stem cells to create monocytes and macrophages.
"This grant will allow me to develop a high-risk yet potentially high-reward cancer treatment paradigm," Gill said. "This project combines two disparate innovations made in my lab in the last few years to make a new and hopefully synergistic therapeutic platform. There are relatively few funding bodies that have the foresight and courage to invest in such out-of-the-box concepts, and I look forward to repaying the Foundation's trust in me."
American Cancer Society Launches New Research Program for Cancer Disparities
Stephen Klasko, MD, MBA, and Colleen Wyse, are partnering with the American Cancer Society (ACS) to create a new research grant program; The Advancing Health Equity and Addressing Cancer Disparities (AHEAD) Awards. It will encourage exploratory research studies that aim to improve access to quality cancer screenings and cancer care across the country. The goal is to provide health care access to areas that previously lacked the technology for cancer screenings and other important health care needs. Those funding the project aim to avoid travel costs for patients and instead focus on bringing technology to rural areas.
"Across the country, certain groups carry higher cancer risks heightened by lower incomes, poor insurance coverage, fewer community health resources, and geographic isolation from in-person health care," noted Karen E. Knudsen, MBA, PhD, CEO of ACS. "All of these factors can impede timely cancer screenings and surveillance, interfere with provider communications, and complicate access to cancer treatment. We are so grateful to Dr. Klasko and Colleen for their support in these critical efforts to reduce cancer disparities."
ACS plans to provide grant funds to up to 10 investigators. Klasko and Wyse have pledged funds to the new research program. "The AHEAD program is a major step forward in democratizing cancer research and delivery, and Colleen and I are thrilled to support the organization's mission and work to reduce inequities in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment," Klasko noted.
Susan G. Komen Announces 2023 Grants to Accelerate Research Discoveries
Researchers at 28 leading institutions in the U.S. were awarded grants to advance precision medicine and decrease breast cancer disparities funded through the Susan G. Komen breast cancer organization.
The list of awardees and projects include Justin Balko, PharmD, PhD, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, for "Targeting Antigen Presentation to Improve Immunotherapy Response;" Jennifer Guerriero, PhD, Brigham & Women's Hospital, for "Targeting Metabolism to Enhance Immunotherapy in Advanced Breast Cancer;" Julie R. Palmer, ScD, Boston University, for "Neighborhood Disadvantage, Tumor Characteristics, and Breast Cancer Survival in U.S. Black Women;" and Maria S. Sosa, PhD, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, for "Targeting ZFP296 to Prevent Reactivation of Dormant Metastatic Breast Cancer Cells."
Grants were also awarded to Matthew Brady, PhD, University of Chicago, for "Effects of Chronic Social Stress on Mammary Gland Development and Cancer Risk;" Julie Rhoads, PhD, Vanderbilt School of Medicine, for "Mechanical Regulation of Estrogen Signaling in Breast Cancer Bone Metastasis;" Zachary T Schug, PhD, University of Pennsylvania, for "Alcohol as a Dietary Factor for Breast Cancer;" and Michelle Martinez Montemayor, PhD, Universidad Central del Caribe, for "Evaluation of Steroidal Natural Compounds for the Treatment of Inflammatory Breast Cancer."
Other awardees include Christy Hagan, PhD, University of Kansas Medical Center; Harikrishna Nakshatri, PhD, BVSc, Indiana University; Lucia Borriello, PhD, Temple University; Anand Narayan, MD, PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Bruno Barufaldi, PhD, University of Pennsylvania; Isaac Chan, MD, PhD, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center; Julia E McGuinness, MD, Columbia University; Nathan Merrill, PhD, University of Michigan; Aimilia Gastounioti, PhD, Washington University in St. Louis; and Adrienne G. Waks, MD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Niki Patel, MD, Joins Cedars-Sinai Cancer
Niki Patel, MD, a fellowship-trained hematologist-oncologist board-certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology, joined the Division of Medical Oncology at Cedars-Sinai Cancer.
"Dr. Patel is a terrific addition to the Huntington Cancer Center team," said Dan Theodorescu, MD, PhD, Director of Cedars-Sinai Cancer and the PHASE ONE Distinguished Chair. "She excels at treating patients and working in clinical trial development and survivorship care-all key in offering the highest-quality service throughout the communities we serve. Working closely with young people who have been diagnosed with breast cancer is of special interest to Dr. Patel, and we are gratified to benefit from her expertise."
"The human element of medicine is what has always most appealed to me, and that is an important part of the Cedars-Sinai culture that I've also found at Huntington Cancer Center," Patel stated. "Through oncology, I enjoy developing meaningful relationships with patients and offering them the most innovative treatment options-both of which can change the face of their cancer journey."