Cancer specialists from UNMC will be among more than 25,000 participants from around the world to discuss the latest advances in cancer care, treatment, and prevention at the 40th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). The meeting will be at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, La., June 5 through June 8.
Abstracts by UNMC faculty will be among more than 3,700 abstracts featured. The meeting also will feature four educational symposia. These include: historical aspects and new horizons in breast and lung cancers and non-hodgkin’s lymphoma; principles of molecular oncology; research ethics; and clinical research grantsmanship workshop for junior faculty.
ASCO is the world’s leading professional society of multidisciplinary medical professionals who treat people with cancer. ASCO’s more than 20,000 members from the United States and abroad set the standard for patient care worldwide and lead the fight for more effective cancer treatments, increased funding for clinical and translational research, and, ultimately, cures for the many different cancers that strike 1.3 million Americans every year.
The clinical cancer program at UNMC and The Nebraska Medical Center is recognized as one of the most successful and better known centers in the world, known particularly for its expertise in leukemias and lymphomas. About half the clinical and basic research grants awarded to UNMC are cancer-related.
Julie Vose, M.D., oncologist and chief of the section of hematology/oncology, UNMC Department of Internal Medicine, said the conference is an opportunity to share what’s new in cancer research and treatment, as well as new and better treatments and care practices for patients.
“The ASCO meeting allows hematologists and oncologists to discuss new therapies and research being done at their institutions with other physicians and researchers,” Dr. Vose said. “These interactions are very helpful for exchanging information on clinical trials and research which can improve the therapy and quality of life for our patients with cancer.”
Dr. Vose, who is nationally recognized for treatment and research in lymphoma, will serve on the program committee for the 2005 ASCO conference.
A number of UNMC faculty and fellows will attend the conference. Below are some of those who will give presentations, be discussants or co-chair sessions at the conference:
- James Armitage, M.D., Joe Shapiro Professor of Medicine and UNMC oncologist, will speak at the Fellows and Junior Fellow symposium titled, “Historical Aspects and New Horizons in Breast and Lung Cancers and Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma — An Afternoon with the Experts.” He also has an abstract being presented in the general poster session titled, “The Effectiveness of Tositumomab and Iodine I 131 Tositumomab in Relapsed/Refractory Follicular Grade 1/2 and Small Lymphocytic Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.”
- Phil Bierman, M.D., associate professor of internal medicine and oncologist will co-chair a presentation titled, “Leukemia/Lymphoma Transplantation.” Dr. Bierman was on the committee of several hundred people responsible for selecting 3,700 abstracts to be highlighted at various forums during the conference. He said selection is based on a number of factors, including large, randomized trials, something new or changes in the way oncologists practice.
- Jean Grem, M.D., professor of oncology and hematology, department of internal medicine, and director of the gastrointestinal oncology program and the oncology drug development program at UNMC, will make a poster presentation titled, “Phase I Pharmacokinetic & Pharmacogenetic Study of Sequential Infusional Irinotecan and Fluorouracil. She also will discuss three posters at a poster discussion session. The title of her presentation will be “Predictors of Outcome in Esophagogastric Cancer.”
- A poster by lead author, Alison Freifeld, M.D., associate professor of internal medicine and director of the UNMC Immunocompromised Host Infectious Diseases Program, will be presented by JoCarol McNabb, Pharm.D., UNMC College of Pharmacy. The poster is titled, “Low-risk patients with fever and neutropenia during chemotherapy: Current clinical practice patterns.” Other researchers who conducted the study are Dr. McNabb, James Anderson, Ph.D., and Fred Ullrich.
- Timothy Greiner, M.D., UNMC associate professor of pathology and microbiology and medical director of The Nebraska Medical Center Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory, will speak during an educational session. His talk is titled, “Pathology and Molecular Biology of Post-transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorders.”
- Aaron Sasson, M.D., assistant professor of surgery, UNMC Department of Surgery, will co-chair a clinical problems oncology session. He also is a member of the ASCO education committee.
- Apar Kishor Ganti, M.D., clinical fellow, UNMC Section of Oncology-Hematology, will make a poster presentation on a study on the gene, HER-2/neu, that is overexpressed in solid tumors. Dr. Ganti and collaborators from Duke and the University of North Dakota worked on the project.
- Amit Arora, M.D., clinical fellow, UNMC Section of Oncology-Hematology, will present a poster abstract titled, “Hematopoietic Stem Cell Reserve And Aging In Patients Undergoing Autologous Transplant.” The study included: Graham Sharp, Ph.D; Jim Lynch, Ph.D; Kathleen Petersen, Vik Whalen, and Anne Kessinger, M.D.
- Anita Deshpande, M.D., clinical fellow, UNMC Section of Oncology-Hematology, will present a poster abstract titled, “Diffuse large B cell lymphoma with mediastinal mass at presentation.” The study included: James Armitage, M.D; Phil Bierman; Julie Vose; Martin Bast; Greg Bociek, M.D; Jim Lynch, Ph.D; and the Nebraska Lymphoma Study Group.
For free cancer information and resources, go to www.asco.org. Those interested in cancer resources for consumers can log onto the People Living with Cancer Web site at www.plwc.org. The ASCO consumer Web site, provides a wealth of oncologist-approved information on more than 50 types of cancer to help patients and their families make
informed cancer-care decisions.