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2018

Frontiers Winter 2018

With the changing of the year comes a changing of the guard at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James).

Frontiers Winter 2018

    Changing of the Guard

    With the changing of the year comes a changing of the guard at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James).

    While we are saddened by the impending departure of former OSUCCC Director and James CEO Michael A. Caligiuri, MD, who in February will embark on a new career opportunity in California, we are also honored to have been chosen to guide Ohio State’s cancer program in pursuit of our shared vision of a cancer-free world.

    The OSUCCC – James flourished under Dr. Caligiuri’s leadership, enjoying record financial performance, earning the highest possible descriptor of “exceptional” during our two most recent NCI surveys, receiving patient-satisfaction scores that rank among the nation’s highest, and gaining a reputation as one of the most translational cancer hospitals in the country as we readily convert laboratory discoveries into innovative cancer care and prevention strategies.

    Through the combined efforts of our dedicated faculty, staff and volunteers, we intend to build upon the outstanding reputation of the OSUCCC – James as a transformational cancer hospital that provides compassionate cancer care to the patients and families who turn to us for help.

    We offer evidence of our commitment in this issue of Frontiers. Here you can gain insight  into the RAS oncogene—which when mutated drives some of the deadliest forms of cancer—and our researchers’ efforts to discover an effective inhibitor to blunt its oncogenic effects. You can also read about our recently launched Digital Pathology Program that will fully digitize our anatomical pathology services over the next 10 years.

    Excitement is mounting at the OSUCCC – James, and we thank you for sharing in it by taking time to peruse this edition of Frontiers.

    View the complete issue in PDF format

    Moving Precision Cancer Medicine Into the Clinic

    Cancer medicine is in the midst of an exciting transition, shifting away from the organ-based practice that we’ve known for decades and toward precision cancer medicine (PCM)—the use of genomics to identify genes in patient tumors that we can target with therapy.

    NSAIDs Implicated

    Regular use of over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin and ibuprofen is associated with greater risk of dying in patients diagnosed with type 1 endometrial cancers, according to a new population-based study led by researchers at the OSUCCC – James.

    Updated AML Guidelines

    An international panel of experts has released updated evidence-based and expert-opinion-based recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in adults.

    Anticancer Synergy

    Two investigational agents—the aurora A kinase inhibitor alisertib and the oncolytic herpesvirus HSV1716—have separately shown some antitumor efficacy as monotherapies in early clinical trials.

    Improving Prognostic Prowess

    New research shows that taking molecular variables into account will improve the prognostic classification of the lethal brain cancer called glioblastoma (GBM).

    Voices for Vaccination

    Recognizing a need to improve national vaccination rates for the human papillomavirus (HPV), the OSUCCC – James has again united with the 69 National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer centers to issue a joint statement supporting recently revised recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

    Of Note

    A listing of the recent recognitions of OSUCCC – James physicians and researchers.

    Pathology From the Cockpit

    Until recently, when a pathologist wanted to review the prior slides from a complex case with an expert pathologist or colleague, he or she had to request the glass slides from the archives and wait hours to days for the slides to arrive so that they could be shared. But that is changing at Ohio State.

    Breaking the RAS Ceiling

    In 2014, Ohio State cancer researchers were deep into a study investigating a question related to microRNAs in melanoma when they made an astonishing discovery. Analysis of their data revealed that an infamous oncogene called NRAS encodes five proteins, not just one as was thought.

    Solid Tumor Translational Science Shared Resource

    The Solid Tumor Translational Science Shared Resource (STTSSR) assists OSUCCC – James clinical investigators in designing and managing correlative studies for the identification or validation of biomarkers as part of phase I and II trials.

    Meeting Special Needs

    Despite advances in early detection, treatment and prevention, cancer is the No. 1 disease killer of adolescents and young adults (AYAs), people aged 15-39. An estimated 72,000 AYAs are diagnosed with cancer annually, and about 10,000 of them die of these diseases each year.