Amid an ongoing global health crisis, doctors and researchers at Ohio State continued their work to create a cancer-free world while joining the effort to increase understanding of COVID-19. Year two of the pandemic was a challenge for people all over the world, especially health care workers. But while COVID-19 changed the way that research and care were conducted at The James, faculty and staff members continued to adapt, teaming up to break new ground in cancer care and research in 2021. Innovation in research and care Study Seeks to Understand Effectiveness of COVID-19 Vaccination in Cancer Patients, Survivors OSUCCC – James researchers’ role in the global effort to better understand COVID-19 includes a study aimed at evaluating how the coronavirus impacts the immune system of cancer patients. The study is expected to advance the scientific community’s overall understanding of how effective the vaccine is for preventing COVID-19 infection, whether the vaccine is less effective in cancer patients receiving certain therapies and how long the immunity lasts. Tool for colorectal cancer screening could reduce interval colorectal cancer rates by more than 40% The Ohio State University is the first academic medical center in the U.S. to utilize a new computer-aided system for screening colonoscopy in patients undergoing testing. Ohio State gastrointestinal cancer experts say that the introduction of this U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved technology represents a major leap forward in the early detection of colorectal cancer. Previously published, peer-reviewed medical studies suggest that this tool increases precancerous polyp (adenoma) detection rates by 14%, potentially leading to a 42% reduction in colorectal cancers. Study: Tailored mobile messaging reduces young adult waterpipe tobacco use by 49%  Tailored mobile messaging is an effective intervention strategy to reduce tobacco waterpipe smoking in young adults, according to a new study published by researchers with the Center for Tobacco Research at the OSUCCC – James. Researchers reported their findings in the Aug. 26, 2021, online first issue of the American Journal of Public Health. This is the first study to demonstrate the effectiveness of a tailored mobile messaging intervention to support smoking cessation in youth tobacco hookah users, study authors say. New cosmetic surgery improving outcomes for breast cancer patients at Ohio State The goal of a new surgical technique available only through an Ohio State clinical trial is to preserve the blood supply to skin flaps and the nipple areolar complex to give women better cosmetic outcomes without compromising cancer control. The procedure is performed through a small incision with a robotic camera and small instruments attached to a robotic arm, which is controlled by the surgeon at the console. Chronic stress may impact treatment completion and survival outcomes in patients with breast cancer A new study shows that chronic physiologic “wear and tear” from stress, known as allostatic load, may be associated with a decreased likelihood of cancer treatment completion and with lower overall survival. Research results also suggest allostatic load appeared better than genetic ancestry at predicting chemotherapy completion and overall survival. Most U.S. adults fall short of cancer-prevention dietary guidelines The vast majority of American adults eat a dietary pattern that falls short of meeting national dietary guidelines for cancer prevention, a new study shows. When researchers analyzed the dietary intake of more than 30,000 American adults according to body mass index (BMI), the results also showed that people with BMIs in the obese range were the least likely to adhere to the dietary recommendations intended to reduce the risk for cancer. Finding Way to Stop Chemotherapy From Damaging the Heart There could be an intervention on the horizon to help prevent heart damage caused by the common chemotherapy drug doxorubicin, new research suggests. OSUCCC – James scientists found that this chemo drug, used to treat many types of solid tumors and blood cancers, is able to enter heart cells by hitchhiking on a specific type of protein that functions as a transporter to move a drug from the blood into heart cells. Growing cancer care in central Ohio Mount Carmel announces affiliation with The James at its Grove City campus Mount Carmel Health System announced plans to further strengthen its oncology program at Mount Carmel Grove City through an affiliation with the OSUCCC – James, effective Jan. 1, 2022. Together with The James Cancer Network, Mount Carmel physicians and clinicians will have access to additional research, quality improvement programs and tumor boards that will expand the health system’s existing capabilities for cancer care. Mount Carmel Grove City’s state-of-the-art Cancer Center has become known for its exceptional patient care; now, the center will offer medical oncology services to further advance its impact and care experience. With new inpatient hospital, Ohio State will transform health care in Ohio Scheduled to open in early 2026, the $1.79 billion Inpatient Hospital at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center will enhance a unified campus providing leading-edge research, outstanding clinical training and world-class patient care. New era of convenient health care begins at Ohio State Outpatient Care New Albany The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center has ushered in a new era of unprecedented and convenient access to primary and specialty care services at its new state-of-the-art Outpatient Care New Albany. Located at the corner of state Route 161 and Hamilton Road in northeast Columbus, the $137.9 million, 251,000-square-foot building is the first of three outpatient care centers that will open as part of the Medical Center’s strategic expansion of outpatient services. Great work from a great team Skoracki named director of Ohio State's Stefanie Spielman Comprehensive Breast Center Roman Skoracki, MD, has been named medical director of the Stefanie Spielman Comprehensive Breast Center (SSCBC) at the OSUCCC – James. Dr. Skoracki, who joined Ohio State in 2014, also leads the Division of Oncologic Plastic Surgery at the OSUCCC – James and serves as a professor in the Ohio State College of Medicine. Ohio State Recruits Top Oncologist to Expand Cell Therapy Program, Lead Bone Marrow Transplant Services The OSUCCC – James has recruited Marcos J. de Lima, MD, to lead its Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy programs, two key leadership positions within central Ohio’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer center and largest freestanding hospital. Dr. de Lima has joined an already robust, leading blood cancer team that includes more than 67 hematologists and researchers working in subspecialized, cross-functional clinical care and research teams in the Division of Hematology at Ohio State’s College of Medicine. Ohio State's Cohn named editor-in-chief for Gynecologic Oncology journal David E. Cohn, MD, MBA, chief medical officer at The James, will become editor-in-chief of the journal Gynecologic Oncology in January 2022 after serving as a deputy editor since 2011. The official publication of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO), Gynecologic Oncology is an international journal devoted to the publication of clinical and investigative articles that concern tumors of the female reproductive tract. Bridget Oppong tapped as deputy director of Ohio State's Center for Cancer Health Equity Bridget Oppong, MD, has been appointed deputy director of the Center for Cancer Health Equity at the OSUCCC – James. A surgical oncologist specializing in the treatment of breast cancer and an active public health researcher, Dr. Oppong also serves as an associate professor in the Ohio State College of Medicine and is a member of the OSUCCC – James Cancer Control Program. Shields receives national award relating smoking and disease Peter Shields, MD, deputy director of the OSUCCC and a thoracic oncologist at The James, is one of two scientists nationally who have received the 36th Annual Alton Ochsner Award Relating Smoking and Disease, which celebrates individuals who have made major contributions regarding the relationship between smoking and disease along with the development of innovative treatment modalities. Ohio State's Mayerson elected to leadership position for national orthopaedic surgeons board Joel Mayerson, MD, professor in the Department of Orthopaedics in Ohio State’s College of Medicine, was recently elected as secretary of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons' (AAOS) Board of Councilors (BOC). The BOC manages AAOS relations with state and regional orthopaedic societies across the United States, conducting a wide range of programs to strengthen and support them organizationally. Dr. Mayerson’s role as secretary will progress to chair over three years. In addition, he was elected to serve on the AAOS Board of Directors for a three-year term beginning in March 2022. Learn much more about the breakthroughs and innovations at The James in 2021.