“Our study, which included adults and children with advanced, solid tumors that could not be surgically removed, showed promising activity against V600 and non-V600 BRAF mutant tumors, including primary central nervous system (CNS) tumors,” said Dr. Macarena de la Fuente, chief of Neuro-Oncology at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, whose research focuses on developing treatments for primary brain tumors.
“For many years, thyroid cancer was mostly treated with surgery,” said Dr. Zoukaa Sargi, professor of otolaryngology and neurosurgery at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. “As the science evolved and our understanding of the disease progressed, other treatment options became available. As a result, this cancer is now managed in a truly multidisciplinary fashion, in which surgery plays a role but must be incorporated into a more complex treatment plan.”
“By using endocrine therapy to treat hormone-positive breast cancers, we’re putting many young women into menopause, but we’re not doing a great job preparing them for it,” said Dr. Kristin Rojas, who created a program to address women’s sexual health after cancer treatment, the Menopause Urogenital Sexual Health and Intimacy Clinic (MUSIC) at Sylvester.
Dr. Gilberto Lopes, chief of medical oncology, medical director for international programs and associate director for global oncology at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and the University of Miami, will highlight his and others’ work with the ATOM Coalition at ASCO23. The ATOM Coalition is a global initiative established to reduce suffering and deaths from cancer in low- and lower middle-income countries.
Dr. Jonathan C. Trent is a medical oncologist specializing in Sarcoma and Connective Tissue Medical Oncology at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Sarcoma
Dr. Jonathan C. Trent, a medical oncologist specializing in Sarcoma and Connective Tissue Medical Oncology at Sylvester, is available to discuss a wide range of issues related to Sarcoma research and experimental therapeutics. He and collaborators are involved in multiple ASCO23 presentations, including:
- Multi-omic characterization of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) in a large real-world patient cohort.
- Outcomes in patients with advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumor who did not have baseline ctDNA detected in the INTRIGUE study.
- Racial and ethnic disparities in presentation and outcomes of patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) in the era of targeted therapy.
- The impact of hispanic ethnicity in presentation and outcomes of patients with synovial sarcoma.
- More
While in Chicago, but not as part of ASCO, he will also present a CME for tumor agnostic precision oncology.
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Mesothelioma, Lung Cancer and Global Oncology (B-Roll/Video Available)
Dr. Gilberto Lopes, a thoracic medical oncologist, is chief of medical oncology, medical director for international programs and associate director for global oncology at Sylvester. He is the Editor-in-Chief for the specialized Journal of Global Oncology, which is the primary source for global oncology studies. Dr. Lopes is available to discuss a wide range of issues related to mesothelioma and lung cancer research, as well as global health and the ATOM Coalition. He and collaborators are involved in several ASCO23 abstract presentations, posters and publications. Downloadable B-roll/Video is available here.
- Examining molecular testing practices and targeted therapy use in advanced/metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC): A quality improvement initiative across ten community cancer centers.
- The association of race and curative-intent treatment with mortality outcomes among early-stage NSCLC.
- Cancer deaths in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil: Is there a solution for disparities among private and public services?
- Assessing gender disparities in young patients with lung cancer among a diverse urban population.
- The Potential for Using the ATOM Model to Impact Cancer Mortality in LMICs
- More
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Prostate Cancer
Dr. Marijo Bilusic, leads Sylvester’s Genitourinary Cancers Site Disease Group where he treats genitourinary tumors (adrenal, kidney, prostate, bladder, and testis). His current research interests focus on tumor immunology and the development of novel immunotherapy approaches for prostate cancer and other genitourinary tumors using therapeutic cancer vaccines, antibodies, immune modulators or immune checkpoint inhibitors, not only as monotherapies but in combination with other therapies as part of an immuno-oncology programmatic effort. He is board-certified in medical oncology, hematology, and internal medicine, and is available to discuss abstracts, presentations and research findings related to genitourinary cancers.
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Breast Cancer and Breast Cancer Surgery (B-Roll/Video Available)
Dr. Kristin E. Rojas is a Sylvester breast cancer surgeon and a board-certified gynecologic surgeon. She is one of the few dual-trained physicians with expertise in both breast cancer surgery and women’s sexual health. Her research interests include the impact of perioperative opioids on the gut microbiome, breast cancer surgical decision making, and women’s sexual health after cancer. She is a national leader in treating sexual dysfunction in female patients undergoing cancer treatment and an expert on the topics of menopause symptom management in female cancer patients, optimizing women’s sexual health in cancer survivorship, and minimizing the need for superfluous opioid prescribing in cancer surgery. At ASCO23, she will chair “A Juggling Act: Managing the Toxicity of Estrogen Deprivation for Patients With Breast Cancer,” a special educational session addressing quality of life for patients receiving endocrine therapy for breast cancer, advances in improving sexual health, fertility preservation, and bone health. Downloadable B-roll/Video is available here.
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Melanoma
Florida has the second-highest incidence of melanoma in the United States. Located in Miami, Dr. Jose Lutzky leads Cutaneous Oncology Services at Sylvester and is director of the Clinical Trials Coordinating Unit. Triple board-certified in hematology, oncology and internal medicine, he is part of a multidisciplinary team of cancer experts and researchers focusing on new and better treatment options.
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Gastrointestinal (G.I.) Cancers (B-Roll/Video Available)
Dr. Shria Kumar is a clinical epidemiologist and gastroenterologist. A member of Sylvester’s Cancer Control Program, her research focuses on screening, early detection and early management of GI cancers, along with identifying and improving cancer disparities. Dr. Kumar is the recipient of a 2023 Conquer Cancer Career Development Award from ASCO. With this funding, she plans to research the impact of weight trajectory on colorectal cancer risk and mortality in a diverse patient population. Kumar also plans to develop a comparative analysis of body-mass index and body composition measurements to better guide clinicians who use weight-loss interventions with their patients. Downloadable B-roll/Video is available here.
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Thyroid Cancer (B-Roll/Video Available)
Historically, surgery was the first line of treatment for patients with thyroid cancer. Now, as targeted therapies and other new medications emerge, surgery for certain patients may become more of a secondary option if those treatments fail. This new context could potentially change how some procedures are conducted. Sylvester otolaryngologist and head and neck surgeon Dr. Zoukaa Sargi, will join a June 2 ASCO panel discussion on thyroid cancer care. Sargi specializes in head and neck cancers and will provide a surgeon’s perspective on how thyroid cancer treatment is evolving. Downloadable B-roll/Video is available here.
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Solid and CNS Tumors
Dr. Macarena de la Fuente, chief of Neuro-Oncology at Sylvester, whose research focuses on developing treatments for primary brain tumors, will present results from a Phase 1/2a study on the safety and efficacy of the Novel BRAF Inhibitor FORE8394 in patients with advanced solid and central nervous system tumors. The study showed the experimental, targeted therapy may be effective in treating BRAF-altered solid tumors, including mutations not previously targeted with a benign safety profile. The study targeted a wide range of cancers, including high-grade glioma, low-grade glioma, colorectal cancer, papillary thyroid cancer, melanoma, pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, anaplastic thyroid cancer, and others.
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Credit: Photo courtesy of Sylvester.
Caption: “Our study, which included adults and children with advanced, solid tumors that could not be surgically removed, showed promising activity against V600 and non-V600 BRAF mutant tumors, including primary central nervous system (CNS) tumors,” said Dr. Macarena de la Fuente, chief of Neuro-Oncology at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, whose research focuses on developing treatments for primary brain tumors.
Credit: Photo by Sylvester.
Caption: “For many years, thyroid cancer was mostly treated with surgery,” said Dr. Zoukaa Sargi, professor of otolaryngology and neurosurgery at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. “As the science evolved and our understanding of the disease progressed, other treatment options became available. As a result, this cancer is now managed in a truly multidisciplinary fashion, in which surgery plays a role but must be incorporated into a more complex treatment plan.”
Credit: Photo by Sylvester
Caption: “By using endocrine therapy to treat hormone-positive breast cancers, we’re putting many young women into menopause, but we’re not doing a great job preparing them for it,” said Dr. Kristin Rojas, who created a program to address women’s sexual health after cancer treatment, the Menopause Urogenital Sexual Health and Intimacy Clinic (MUSIC) at Sylvester.
Credit: Photo by Sylvester
Caption: Dr. Gilberto Lopes, chief of medical oncology, medical director for international programs and associate director for global oncology at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and the University of Miami, will highlight his and others’ work with the ATOM Coalition at ASCO23. The ATOM Coalition is a global initiative established to reduce suffering and deaths from cancer in low- and lower middle-income countries.
Credit: Photo by Sylvester
Caption: Dr. Jonathan C. Trent is a medical oncologist specializing in Sarcoma and Connective Tissue Medical Oncology at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.
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