Focus: Cancer Center Featured Story 2

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Researchers in Italy have discovered how specific versions of a protein called Numb protect the key tumor suppressor p53 from destruction. The study, which will be published December 21 in the Journal of Cell Biology, suggests that the loss of these particular Numb proteins makes breast cancers more aggressive and resistant to chemotherapy, but points the way toward new therapeutic approaches that could improve patient outcome by preserving p53 levels.

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Many cancer cells are relatively sensitive to the deprivation of an essential amino acid known as methionine. Now, a Ludwig Cancer Research study published in the journal Science Signaling and led by Alex Toker, an investigator in the Ludwig Center at Harvard, has elucidated one mechanism behind that dependency.

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Further enhancing a commitment to cutting-edge clinical research efforts, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and RWJBarnabas Health are welcoming Howard S. Hochster, MD, an internationally recognized leader in the development of cancer clinical trials and early phase cancer drugs.

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University of Colorado Cancer Center study shows that radiosurgery may effectively treat brain metastases associated with certain types of lung cancer, even when the number of metastases exceeds established norms.

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A new study in the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network highlights the need to improve access to stereotactic radiosurgery following radiotherapy to treat brain metastases for minority and lower-income populations.

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Below is the December tip sheet from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Story ideas include new research on leukemia therapies, racial disparities in end-of-life care, an experimental drug for pancreatic cancer and more.

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“Roy Jensen, through his leadership and collaboration, has brought NCI (National Cancer Institute) designation to our town

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Men infected with HPV16, the type responsible for most HPV-related cancers, are 20 times more likely to be reinfected with the same type of HPV after one year. That is according to a new study published this month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The article shows the same effect in both men who are sexually active and celibate, suggesting that they are not reacquiring the virus from another sexual partner.

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Researchers at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey examined an association between mutational burden and response to immune checkpoint therapy in several cancer types and found that a mutational burden threshold exists in eight cancers that predict response to an immune checkpoint blockade.

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Dr. Cheryl L. Willman of the University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center has been named a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI).

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When a targetable genetic alteration is present, matching the alteration with the appropriate targeted therapy is associated with a survival benefit of 1.5 years, regardless of smoking history.

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In a new study in the journal Nature Communications, a research team from Roswell Park Cancer Institute reports their discovery of a major mechanism by which cells regulate the tumor suppressor p53, opening up new avenues for cancer research and treatment.

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• Benjamin Ebert, MD, PhD, current chair of Medical Oncology, was presented with recognition at annual American Society of Hematology meeting • Ebert is notable for his leadership in describing the genomic landscape of adult myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS)

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New research by Yale Cancer Center (YCC) researchers shows a majority of pediatric cancer providers endorse the potential use of medical marijuana for children with advanced cancer, although providers who are legally eligible to certify its use are more cautious than those who aren’t.

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• Azacitidine reverses resistance to SL-401 in AML and BPDCN cell lines, researchers find • Results prompt clinical trial of SL-401 and azacitidine in AML and MDS patients

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Initial findings from a multi-national open-label phase Ib study of inhibitory drug therapy for relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have demonstrated a complete response in up to 50 percent patients say researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center .

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Dr. Eunice Wang was invited to discuss results of a phase II clinical trial of crenolanib for adults with AML at the ASH 2017 annual meeting, and Dr. Kara Kelly, senior author of an oral abstract on outcomes disparities among children and adolescents with Hodgkin lymphoma.

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Consuming soy foods (such as soy milk, tofu and edamame) and cruciferous vegetables (such as cabbages, kale, collard greens, bok choy, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli) may be associated with a reduction in common side effects of breast cancer treatment in breast cancer survivors, say a team of scientists.

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Among younger patients newly diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), treatment with a combination of chemotherapy and a molecularly targeted drug significantly improves response over what is typically seen with chemotherapy alone, according to an investigator-initiated multi-center phase II clinical trial.

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A study involving the recently approved CD19-targeting chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy shows that 42 percent of patients with aggressive large B-cell lymphoma remained in remission at 15 months following treatment with axi-cel (marketed as Yescarta™).

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Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have carried out the largest genomic analysis of patients with smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM), a precursor to full-blown blood cancer that doesn’t show outward symptoms.

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Although people with multiple myeloma usually respond well to treatment, the blood cancer generally keeps coming back. Following genetic changes in how the disease evolves over time will help to understand the disease and, eventually, deliver more effective treatments.

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• Clinical Activity in a Phase 1 Study of BLU-285, a Potent, Highly-Selective Inhibitor of KIT D816V in Advanced Systemic Mastocytosis • Study shows one of multiple ways in which novel targeted cancer therapies are now being deployed to improve outcomes and quality of life for patients with rare, advanced, or difficult-to-treat blood malignancies.

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Daily low doses of the immune signaling protein interleukin-2 (IL-2) can safely benefit patients who develop chronic graft-versus-host disease following stem cell transplants, including particular benefit in pediatric patients in one small study, report scientists from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

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Immunotherapy agents known as checkpoint inhibitors have shown considerable promise in patients with hematologic cancers who relapse after a transplant with donor stem cells. Preliminary results from the first clinical trial in these patients of one such agent – nivolumab – indicate that along with signs of effectiveness, it also produced significant side effects at the dose initially studied. The findings indicate a need for further clinical trials in this group before being considered for off-label use with these patients, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute investigators report.

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In a randomized, Phase III trial led by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, the PARP inhibitor talazoparib extended progression-free survival (PFS) and improved quality-of-life measures over available chemotherapies for patients with metastatic HER2-negative breast cancer and mutations in the BRCA1/2 genes.

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The addition of ribociclib, an inhibitor of the cell cycle, to standard hormone therapy significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) in pre-menopausal patients with advanced hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer, according to results of the MONALEESA-7 Phase III clinical trial led by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

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Comprehensive immuno-oncology landscape analysis conducted by nonprofit Cancer Research Institute quantifies global development of immunotherapy and identifies opportunities to advance the field to improve patient care

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Like nomads who carry tokens of home on their travels, colorectal cancer cells that spread to other parts of the body appear to bring several of the species of bacteria that were their companions in the colon, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists report in a new study in the journal Science.

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Study results revealed previously unknown interplay between two key enzymes and a novel understanding of how brain cancer tumors form and spread, according to researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

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Viviane Tabar, MD, has been named the new Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK). Dr. Tabar has been a vital faculty member at MSK for more than 15 years and is currently the Theresa C. Feng Chair for Neurosurgical Oncology and the Vice Chair for Neurosurgical Research and Education.

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Fight Colorectal Cancer (Fight CRC) and the Cancer Research Institute (CRI) are proud to announce “A Blueprint to Advance Colorectal Cancer Immunotherapies”

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Isaac Yi Kim, MD, PhD, MBA, urologic oncology section chief at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey has been awarded a $954,000 Department of Defense grant to explore how neuroendocrine markers impact a common treatment for a type of prostate cancer that doesn’t respond to testosterone-lowering therapies.

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A new biomarker test developed by researchers at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center and their colleagues can help predict, with up to 90 percent certainty, which chemical compounds can cause DNA damage that could lead to cancer.

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The Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) today announced the Cancer Therapeutics Innovation Pipeline (CTIP) initiative and the first 10 projects selected in CTIP’s inaugural round of funding. CTIP aims to support the local translation of Ontario discoveries into therapies with the potential for improving the lives of cancer patients.

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Ludwig Cancer Research extends its warmest congratulations to Don Cleveland, who has been a Member of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research since 1995 and today was awarded the prestigious Breakthrough Prize.

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Cancer survivors and patient advocates joined clinicians, employers, policy makers, and pharmaceutical and biotech industry representatives to address survivorship in cancer care at NCCN Patient Advocacy Summit.

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Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center will present their latest findings involving drug treatments for blood cancers at the American Society of Hematology’s (ASH) Annual Meeting & Exposition Dec. 8-12 in Atlanta.

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Though most “low molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons” (LMW PAHs) have not been shown to cause cancer alone, the study shows that in common combinations, these chemicals can help to spark the disease.

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Brand new NCCN Guidelines® map out best practices for treating patients with AIDS-related Kaposi sarcoma.

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For many, breast cancer is more than just a disease – it’s personal. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their lives.

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Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey research further elucidates a tumor suppression mechanism behind the human Parkin gene – which could help inform treatment decisions for breast cancer patients who have a Parkin mutation or loss of Parkin expression.

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As an institution dedicated to ending cancer, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is committed to promoting cancer prevention and therefore supports the ‘corrective statements’ published by tobacco companies as a result of a 2006 judgment by U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler. The mandated advertisements, which began appearing this week, will be a significant step toward informing Americans about the addictive power of cigarettes and the harms of tobacco use.

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The CORE Prize for Oncology 2017 was awarded to Professor Antonio Giordano for his groundbreaking discoveries in the field of the cell cycle, which have established an understanding of the fundamental mechanisms at the basis of cancer and the development of a new class of anticancer therapeutics.

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Typically around the holidays, healthy eating habits established over the year go by the wayside. A Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey registered dietitian shares a few tips to keep your waistline in check this holiday season.

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A Ludwig Cancer Research study has uncovered a key mechanism by which tumors develop resistance to radiation therapy and shown how such resistance might be overcome with drugs that are currently under development.

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The first consensus recommendations on recognition and clinical management of immune-related side effects from cancer immunotherapy are published today in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (JITC).

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New study in JNCCN calls for more planning and research to prepare for the increasing financial burden of treating breast cancer.

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NCCN and Pfizer announce funding for projects evaluating different clinical care pathways to improve breast cancer care, with a particular emphasis on underserved patients.