Dear TCI Community,
This time of the year presents a good opportunity to reflect on what we do and how our work impacts others. It is a time to be thankful and rejuvenate our inspiration.
We can certainly rejoice in the exponential growth of The Tisch Cancer Institute over the past 10 years that includes (from 2010 to 2017):
- 300% increase in new cancer patients
- 170% increase in cancer clinical trials
- 181% increase in number of patients enrolled in cancer clinical trials per year
- 300% increase in number of faculty in Hematology and Medical Oncology
More than 200 of our faculty are actively engaged in cancer research that makes a difference in the lives of patients at Mount Sinai and beyond.
Thanks to our talented team, we are recognized as leading innovators in cancer research and clinical care, as well as prevention and early detection. We are committed to sharing information about our cancer advances and expertise, in part through a current advertising campaign (see link to ads in this newsletter), and ensuring that all patients in need of Mount Sinai Cancer services receive optimal care. As part of a full-service medical center, we are uniquely equipped to treat complex patients with co-morbidities and complications.
I extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone with Mount Sinai Cancer and The Tisch Cancer Institute for your dedication and continual pursuit of excellence in all facets of cancer care, research, and education. Let us derive renewed inspiration from our collegial partnerships and common goals, and the strength of the patients we serve.
With best wishes for the holiday season,
Ramon Parsons, MD, PhD
Director, The Tisch Cancer Institute
Director, Mount Sinai Cancer
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Dr. Samuel Waxman received the"Friendship Award"
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Samuel Waxman, MD, Distinguished Service Professor, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and founder and CEO of the
Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation, received the "Friendship Award" from the People's Republic of China in recognition of more than 30 years of U.S.-China scientific cooperation for cancer research and the successful development of a treatment for acute promyelocytic leukemia that now has a greater than 90% cure rate. The Vice-Premier of the People’s Republic of China, Liu He, presented the “Friendship Award,” to Dr. Waxman at a ceremony in Beijing in late September.
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Mount Sinai’s
Multiple Myeloma Program
,
Sundar Jagannath, MBBS
, Director, is the recipient of the 2018
Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium
(MMRC) Accelerator Award from the
Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation
(MMRF) in recognition of outstanding efforts and exceptional contributions to the rapid initiation and completion of clinical trials supported through the MMRC as well as leadership in the consortium.
Mount Sinai has enrolled the largest number of patients on MMRC studies this year (more than 20% of total) and has brought to the Consortium innovative clinical translational efforts in the area of immune biology and myeloma genomic data analysis and validation. The award was presented by the MMRF at the 60
th annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology. Last year the Multiple Myeloma Program received the
MMRC Innovator Award.
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Dr. Ramon Parsons Honored by the Katie Oppo Research Fund
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Ramon Parsons, MD, PhD, Director, The Tisch Cancer Institute, and Director, Mount Sinai Cancer, was honored on November 16 by the
Katie Oppo Research Fund, dedicated to increasing awarenss and funding research that investigates the causes of ovarian cancer and avenues of prevention, treatment, and cure.
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The Tisch Cancer Institute Developmental Funds Awards, 2018
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Sixteen applications for The Tisch Cancer Institute Development Funds Awards, funded by the NCI Cancer Center Support Grant, were considered this year by the Review Committee, led by
Stuart Aaronson, MD, Founding Chair Emeritus and Professor of Oncological Sciences and Professor of Medicine.
Selected for funding at $50K each:
Professor of Radiology and Medicine
Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Radiomics Quantification for Noninvasive Prediction of HCC Immune Characteristics
Harnessing Natural Killer Cells for Improving Prognosis and Survival in Genitourinary Cancer Patients
The Role of HIV in the Immune Microenvironment and Natural History of Low Grad Anal Dysplasia
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Jose Javier Bravo-Cordero, PhD
, Assistant Professor of Medicine (Hematology and Medical Oncology), has been awarded a
Career Catalyst Research grant
from the Susan G. Komen Foundation to study how breast cancer cells can lay dormant in the bone, leading to metastasis years after treatment: Targeting cancer cell-ECM interactions to prevent breast cancer metastasis.
Dr. Bravo-Cordero presented a poster at the 2018 meeting of the
American Society for Matrix Biology
in October
:
DDR1 Regulates the Construction of a Dormancy-Supportive Niche By Coordinating the Assembly of a ProQuiescence ECM Proteome.
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Stefan Balan, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine (Hematology and Medical Oncology), Chief of Hematology/Oncology at Mount Sinai Brooklyn, Medical Director of the
Mount Sinai Brooklyn Ambulatory Infusion Center, and
Director of Cancer Network Development, Brooklyn, was honored as a recipient of the
Champions and Visionaries of Healthcare Awards on December 3 at the Dyker Beach Golf Course. Launched this year by the
Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Brooklyn’s daily newspaper, and its nine sister newspapers, the award recognizes professionals who lead innovative health and social care practice that makes a difference in the lives of patients.
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American Society of Hematology
Annual Meeting
The Tisch Cancer Institute (TCI) was well-represented at the
60
th
annual meeting
of the American Society of Hematology (ASH).
In addition to a strong presence with oral abstract presentations and poster presentations, TCI faculty were also invited to speak at educational sessions, including:
James Ferrara, MD, DSc, on Reining in Graft-Versus-Host Disease After Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (selected as a “highlight of ASH”). Already published in
Blood Advances 2018, Volume 2, a full article will also be published in
Hematology 2018. Dr. Ferrara is the Ward-Coleman Chair in Cancer Medicine and Director of TCI’s Hematologic Malignancies Translational Research Center.
Eirini Papapetrou, MD, PhD, on Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells to Model Blood Diseases and iPS Cell Methods of Hematologic Malignancies at Scientific Program and Meet the Scientist sessions. Dr. Papapetrou is Associate Professor of Oncological Sciences.
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Cancer Moonshot℠—Update and Funding Opportunities
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Cancer Moonshot.
Categories:
- Cancer Immunotherapy Translational Science Network
- Prevention and Early Detection: Implementation Science
- Drivers of Childhood Cancers
- Generation of Human Tumor Atlases
- Prevention and Early Detection: Implementation Science
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The Different Routes to Metastasis via Hypoxia-Regulated Programs
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Dr. Julio Aguirre-Ghiso and colleagues address the pros and cons of different approaches of studying hypoxia, as related to metastasis, and review the evidence that primary tumor hypoxia might influence the fate of disseminated tumor cells in secondary organs.
Trends Cell Biol.
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Study Confirming the Safety Profile of Daratumumab
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Ajai Chari, MD
,
reports in
Cancer
on an Expanded Access Program in heavily pretreated US patients who have relapsed or refractory Multiple Myeloma.
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Encyclopedia of Cancer,
Third Edition
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Encyclopedia of Cancer, Third Edition
published on October 26. Editors in Chief:
Paolo Boffetta, MD
, and
Pierre Hainaut, PhD
. Dr. Boffetta is Professor of Medicine (Hematology and Medical Oncology), Oncological Sciences, and Environmental Medicine and Public Health. This new edition includes the latest on cancer mechanisms, hallmarks of cancer, causes of cancer, prevention and control, diagnosis and therapy, pathology, and the genetics of specific cancers.
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The clinic is held on the first and third Wednesday of each month from
1 to 2 pm in Hess, Room 6-122.
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Fred R. Hirsch, MD, PhD, an internationally renowned authority on lung cancer treatment and research, has joined the Mount Sinai Health System as an Endowed Professor in the Department of Medicine (Hematology and Medical Oncology) and Associate Director of Biomarker Discovery for The Tisch Cancer Institute. His research, spanning more than 25 years, has helped identify and validate prognostic and predictive markers for lung cancer outcomes and predictive markers for personalized lung cancer therapies. His research also involves biomarkers for early detection of lung cancer. Previously at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver, Dr. Hirsch is Co-Chair for Southwest Oncology Group’s Lung Cancer Translational Research Committee. He recently completed a five year term as CEO of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer. Dr. Hirsch earned his MD and PhD from University of Copenhagen, and also holds a BA in Public Health Administration from Copenhagen Business University.
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Medical Director, Mount Sinai Cancer Staten Island
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Mahmoud Aly, MD, has been appointed as Medical Director of Mount Sinai Cancer Staten Island and Director of Cancer Network Development for Staten Island and Monmouth County, New Jersey. Prior to joining the Mount Sinai Health System, Dr. Aly was Chief of Hematology/ Oncology at Richmond University Medical Center and also served as director of their fellowship training program. Dr. Aly’s practice has served the Staten Island community for more than 25 years.
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Assistant Professor of Surgery,
Dubin Breast Center
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Anya Romanoff, MD, has joined the breast cancer service at Mount Sinai as an Assistant Professor of Surgery. She sees patients at the Dubin Breast Center at The Mount Sinai Hospital campus. Dr. Romanoff earned her MD from New York University School of Medicine and competed a residency in general surgery at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and a fellowship in breast surgical oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She served as a clinical research coordinator at the Dubin Breast Center during her general surgery residency, and was awarded a Fulbright-Fogarty Postdoctoral Research Award in Public Health which she used to investigate access to breast cancer care in Peru. Dr. Romanoff has a faculty appointment in the Department of Health System Design and Global Health, and is involved in initiatives to help improve access to care and equalize breast cancer outcomes throughout the world.
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Medical Student Cancer Research Fellowship
in 2018, will take place again in 2019. Intended for first year medical students who have not yet had extensive research experience, the program provides support for original cancer research under the tutelage of a faculty mentor that will ideally lead to a scholarly research year between the student’s third and fourth years. Interested candidates can apply through the
Medical Student Research Office.
The application deadline is March 15, 2019
2018 TCI Scholars in photo
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Medical Student Cancer Interest Group
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The Medical Student Cancer Interest Group, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, organized a Cancer Research Panel on November 7. Attended by close to 40 medical students, the panel featured faculty conducting basic, translational, and clinical research in cancer reflective of TCI’s programmatic strengths in Cancer Biology, Cancer Immunology, Cancer Clinical Investigations, and Cancer Prevention and Control. Eight faculty members from TCI provided advice about needed skills and knowledge for pursuing research and how to choose a research mentor.
A survey of members of the Medical Student Cancer Interest Group, conducted in advance of the panel, indicated that 50 percent of students were interested in lab/bench research, 75 percent in outcomes research, and 90 percent in clinical trials.
Janice Gabrilove, MD, FACP, provides faculty guidance to the Medical Student Cancer Interest Group. Dr. Gabrilove holds many education roles, including Associate Director of Education and Training for the Tisch Cancer Institute and Director of Clinical Research Education Programs at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.
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Novel Therapy for Multiple Myeloma
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stage, drug resistant multiple myeloma. Under the care of
Samir Parekh, MBBS, Director of Multiple Myeloma Translational Research, the patient received novel therapy that helped him achieve his dream of finishing a painting that had been in the works for 40 years.
Pictured, from left: Samir Parekh, MBBS, Nicholas Palmisano, Ramon Parsons, MD,PhD
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Mount Sinai's Mobile Mammography Program
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Mount Sinai’s Mammography Van, funded through a grant from New York State to provide women with access to breast cancer screening in their communities, began operations in October. To date, the van has been to multiple sites in Manhattan, including the
The Samuel J. Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts
(a program of The Actors Fund and Mount Sinai Doctors), the
Family Health Center of Harlem
,
Settlement Health
,
Carter Burden Network
, and others. The van, which can provide more than 30 mammograms a day, will be scheduled at sites throughout the five boroughs.
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Cancer Screening Awareness
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A
SCRUB OUT CANCER campaign
in the perioperative area of The Mount Sinai Hospital was launched in October. Under the leadership of
Benjamin Salter, DO
, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, and Lucy Duffy, RN, Vice President of Perioperative Services, the campaign aims to raise awareness about the benefits of cancer screening.
Pictured: Benjamin Salter, DO, right, and Lucy Duffy, RN, second from right, with organizing team members of the “Scrub Out Cancer” campaign.
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First Annual Service of Remembrance, October 23
“I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation for everyone’s help and participation with an incredibly successful memorial service… We had over 50 loved ones and friends of our patients attend, all of whom wanted to honor, remember and also re-connect with our team… special thanks to the planning committee whose deliberate thoughtfulness led to a service that was respectful and yet joyous... we look forward to planning future services and hope we can continue to engage all of our team who constantly provide the highest quality care for patients with empathy and tireless commitment. “
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New Program for Families: Bereavement Support Groups
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A six-week program for those who have lost
a loved one to cancer
Ruttenberg Treatment Center
Every other Wednesday from 4 to 5 pm, starting January 16
The Blavatnik Family – Chelsea Medical Center at Mount Sinai
Every other Wednesday from 9:30 to 10:30 am, starting March 6, 2019
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Progress in Immunotherapy
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Nina Bhardwaj, MD, PhD, Director of Immunotherapy at The Tisch Cancer Institute, participated in a
“What’s Next in Immunotherapy” panel at The Atlantic’s “People v. Cancer”—
#PeopleVCancer
—on November 14.
“What’s terribly exciting is the approval of many checkpoint inhibitors, antibodies that reverse immune suppression in the tumor microenvironment and which have made a dramatic impact on the treatment of so many patients with cancer.”
Photo Credit: Kristoffer Triplaar
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Dr. Shafir is second from right in photo.
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Upcoming Cancer Symposia at Mount Sinai
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Full-day symposium, sponsored by the Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program (first NCI-recognized liver cancer program in the United States)
Program Director:
Professor of Medicine
Co-Director, Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program
Friday, December 14
cme@mssm.edu
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3rd Annual International Prostate Cancer and Urologic Oncology Symposium
December 13-15
Stern Auditorium
1468 Madison Avenue
Course Director:
Ash Tewari, MBBS, MCh, Professor of Urology and Chair, Milton and Carroll Petrie Department of Urology
Register with special code to waive the fee: MSHS18
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Cancer is front and center in a new Mount Sinai Health System ad campaign built around the theme: “Which hospital you choose can make all the difference in the world.” The ads appear on the Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North, and New York City subway and buses. Examples of ads to date:
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Mount Sinai News
Faculty are encouraged to subscribe to the
faculty@mssm.edu
listserv to receive news from leadership and various Mount Sinai entities. Contact
helpdesk@mssm.edu
to join.
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Do you have news for the next issue of
TCI Connections
?
Remember to share
breaking news
and
high impact news
that might be appropriate for media coverage with Marlene Naanes in the Press Office. This may include pending FDA drug/device approvals, studies/trial results being published in high-impact journals, and patient stories. The more lead time you can give Marlene, the better—ideally, four weeks or when a paper is accepted by the journal. Embargoes will always be honored and news will only be released with your approval.
Marlene.Naanes@mountsinai.org
, 929-237-5802
TCI ON TWITTER @TischCancer
You can help increase our exposure:
1. Open our tweets
2. Click on links in our tweets
3. Retweet and like our tweets
4. Tag us: @TischCancer
5. Follow us
6. Send information for tweets to Janet Aronson and Rhaisili Rosario
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Ramon Parsons, MD, PhD, TCI Director
Co-editors: Janet Aronson and Rhaisili Rosario
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