The Case Comprehensive Cancer Center

Five early-career oncology investigators recognized for outstanding potential contributions to the cancer treatment delivery landscape. PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., April 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) and the NCCN Foundation® today announced five winners for the 2024 NCCN Foundation Young Investigator Awards (YIA). These annual awards honor some of the most promising new oncology researchers from across NCCN's Member Institutions. Investigator selection and project oversight is organized through the NCCN Oncology Research Program (ORP). Funding of up to $150,000 over two years per awardee will be provided by the NCCN Foundation. Continue Reading "It is always a great honor to be able to support up-and-coming talent in the field of cancer research," said Crystal S. Denlinger, MD, Chief Executive Officer, NCCN—a former NCCN Foundation YIA recipient. "We have the honor of supporting people who are involved in exciting new research and give them tools to take their careers—and our understanding of cancer—to an even higher level. I congratulate all five recipients and look forward to seeing what they do in the future." "It is always a great honor to be able to support up-and-coming talent in the field of cancer research." Post this The 2024 NCCN Foundation Young Investigator Award recipients are: Zachary Burke, MD, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center/University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center and Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute Identification and Exploitation of Collateral Sensitivity in Treatment Resistant Osteosarcoma Alexander Muir, PhD, The UChicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center Targeting Microenvironmental Synthetic Lethalities in Pancreatic Cancer Andreas Rauschecker, MD, PhD, MSc, UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center Deep Learning Radiogenomic Analysis of Primary CNS Lymphoma on Brain MRI James Smithy, MD, MHS, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center A Phase 2 Trial of IO102/IO103 and Nivolumab-Relatlimab Fixed-dose Combination in Previously Untreated, Unresectable Melanoma Jennifer N. Vega, PhD, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center Neuroplasticity-Based Cognitive Remediation for Persistent Cancer/ Chemotherapy-Related Cognitive Impairment "The YIA program is a cornerstone of our work to advance cancer care," said Patrick Delaney, Executive Director, NCCN Foundation. "These awards help cultivate and encourage some of the nation's top next-generation cancer researchers as they guide the course of treatment innovation and advancement." Results from these studies will be presented at a future NCCN Annual Conference. During the recent NCCN 2024 Annual Conference, past YIA recipients presented research findings that included immune cell dysfunction, the complementary roles of multiple care teams for CAR T-cell therapy, advanced colorectal and esophagogastric cancers, diverse genetics in cervical cancer, oncogenic dependency in kidney cancer, mucosal melanomas, and radium-223 in prostate cancer. Those abstracts can be found published at JNCCN.org, the online home of JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. This year's awards were made possible through support from the NCCN Foundation with additional funding from AbbVie; Daiichi Sankyo; Edith C. Blum Foundation; Joanne Mohr-Hartshorne; Merck & Co., Inc.; and Pfizer Inc. The NCCN Foundation has awarded more than $11.1 million since 2011 through the YIA program, to a total of 75 researchers. Visit NCCN.org/YIA to learn more about the program and past recipients. About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN ®) is a not-for-profit alliance of leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and education. NCCN is dedicated to improving and facilitating quality, effective, equitable, and accessible cancer care so all patients can live better lives. The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines ®) provide transparent, evidence-based, expert consensus recommendations for cancer treatment, prevention, and supportive services; they are the recognized standard for clinical direction and policy in cancer management and the most thorough and frequently-updated clinical practice guidelines available in any area of medicine. The NCCN Guidelines for Patients® provide expert cancer treatment information to inform and empower patients and caregivers, through support from the NCCN Foundation®. NCCN also advances continuing education, global initiatives, policy, and research collaboration and publication in oncology. Visit NCCN.org for more information. About the NCCN Foundation The NCCN Foundation empowers people with cancer and their caregivers by delivering unbiased expert guidance from the world's leading cancer experts through the library of NCCN Guidelines for Patients® and other patient education resources. The NCCN Foundation is also committed to advancing cancer treatment by funding the nation's promising young investigators at the forefront of cancer research. For more information about the NCCN Foundation, visit nccnfoundation.org. Media Contact: Rachel Darwin 267-622-6624 [email protected] SOURCE National Comprehensive Cancer Network

Results are encouraging regarding the benefit of immunotherapy across racial and ethnic groups, but also reinforce need to include more Black and Hispanic people in cancer clinical trials and highlight the importance of equitable treatment delivery for closing disparities in outcomes. PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., Dec. 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- New research in the December 2023 issue of JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network finds patients treated with first-line immunotherapy for advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) showed similar results in terms of survival, progression-free survival, and treatment duration, regardless of race or ethnicity, even with differences in income and insurance. The clinical investigators focused on patients in under-represented groups who were typically less likely to be included in the immunotherapy clinical trials that have been conducted to date. They analyzed results from 248 patients treated with pembrolizumab over a 9-year period between January 1, 2013 and June 1, 2022, with non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, and Non-Hispanic White patients each accounting for an approximately equal percentage. Median overall survival was 16.8 to 26.3 months, similar to results previously reported in large prospective clinical trials. Continue Reading This study could change how we take care of patients and plan future lung cancer studies to better include all patients. Post this December 2023 Edition of JNCCN now available at JNCCN.org. "There has not been enough information on how immunotherapy affected racially- and ethnically-marginalized patients with lung cancer in the past, because they were not well-represented in most previous studies," explained lead investigator Matthew Lee, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Oncology, Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center (MECCC). "The findings from this study could change how we take care of patients and plan future lung cancer studies to better include all patients. While immunotherapy has significantly improved survival for lung cancer patients overall, differences exist in its administration among individuals of different races and ethnicities. This finding could potentially promote the use of immunotherapy in more diverse patient populations." The study results included other notable findings. While race, ethnicity, income, and insurance status did not statistically impact survival, the investigators were surprised to find that higher BMI was associated with longer progression-free survival and shorter time to treatment discontinuation. They also determined that a worse ECOG Performance Status—a standardized tool for measuring how capably a patient can take care of themself, do regular activities, or move around—was significantly more likely to result in poorer outcomes. "This study highlights the potential importance of adjusting treatment approaches in clinical practice, particularly for patients with a poor ECOG performance status," said senior researcher Haiying Cheng, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Oncology and Member of the MECCC Cancer Therapeutics Research Program. "There is a clear need for future studies to include underrepresented patient groups in clinical trials to validate these findings and to better guide clinical practice." "This retrospective study provides valuable real-world information on the clinical outcomes of patients from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups undergoing immunotherapy for metastatic NSCLC," commented Debora S. Bruno MD, MS, Assistant Professor of Medicine - Case Western Reserve University; Medical Director, Dahms Clinical Research Unit, University Hospitals - Cleveland Medical Center, Seidman Cancer Center at Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, who was not involved in this research. "Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic individuals were gravely underrepresented in registrational immunotherapy trials for lung cancer. As a result, there is a paucity of prospective trial data on the efficacy and safety of this class of antineoplastic agents for such patients." Dr. Bruno, a Member of the NCCN Guidelines® Panel for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer/Mesothelioma/Thymomas and Thymic Carcinomas, continued: "While it is certainly reassuring to see a lack of real world racial and ethnic disparities in clinical outcomes when patients receive adequate therapy for their disease, we must continue and strive for equitable representation for all patients in prospective oncology clinical trials." To read the entire study, visit JNCCN.org. Complimentary access to "Similar Efficacy Observed for First-Line Immunotherapy in Ethnic Minority Patients With Metastatic NSCLC" is available until March 10, 2024. About JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network More than 25,000 oncologists and other cancer care professionals across the United States read JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. This peer-reviewed, indexed medical journal provides the latest information about innovation in translational medicine, and scientific studies related to oncology health services research, including quality care and value, bioethics, comparative and cost effectiveness, public policy, and interventional research on supportive care and survivorship. JNCCN features updates on the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®), review articles elaborating on guidelines recommendations, health services research, and case reports highlighting molecular insights in patient care. JNCCN is published by Harborside/BroadcastMed. Visit JNCCN.org. To inquire if you are eligible for a FREE subscription to JNCCN, visit NCCN.org/jnccn/subscribe. Follow JNCCN on Twitter @JNCCN. About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® ( NCCN ®) is a not-for-profit alliance of leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and education. NCCN is dedicated to improving and facilitating quality, effective, equitable, and accessible cancer care so all patients can live better lives. The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology ( NCCN Guidelines ®) provide transparent, evidence-based, expert consensus recommendations for cancer treatment, prevention, and supportive services; they are the recognized standard for clinical direction and policy in cancer management and the most thorough and frequently-updated clinical practice guidelines available in any area of medicine. The NCCN Guidelines for Patients® provide expert cancer treatment information to inform and empower patients and caregivers, through support from the NCCN Foundation®. NCCN also advances continuing education, global initiatives, policy, and research collaboration and publication in oncology. Visit NCCN.org for more information. Media Contact: Rachel Darwin 267-622-6624 [email protected] SOURCE National Comprehensive Cancer Network

A groundbreaking study suggests a class of medications used to treat type 2 diabetes may also reduce the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). The findings support the need for clinical trials to determine whether these medications could prevent one of the deadliest types of cancers. Eventually, the medications may also show promise in warding off other types of cancer associated with obesity and diabetes. A groundbreaking study by researchers at Case Western Reserve University suggests a class of medications used to treat type 2 diabetes may also reduce the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). The findings, published today (Dec. 7) in the journal JAMA Oncology,support the need for clinical trials to determine whether these medications could prevent one of the deadliest types of cancers. Eventually, the medications may also show promise in warding off other types of cancer associated with obesity and diabetes. "Our results clearly demonstrate that GLP-1 RAs are significantly more effective than popular anti-diabetic drugs, such as Metformin or insulin, at preventing the development of CRC," said Nathan Berger, the Hanna-Payne Professor of Experimental Medicine at the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine and the study's co-lead researcher. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, or GLP-1 RAs, are medications to treat type 2 diabetes. Usually given by injection, they can lower blood-sugar levels, improve insulin sensitivity and help manage weight. They've also been shown to reduce the rates of major cardiovascular ailments. Importantly the protective effect of GLP-1 RAs are noted in patients with or without overweight/obesity. "To our knowledge," said co-lead researcher Rong Xu, a professor at the School of Medicine, "this is the first indication this popular weight-loss and anti-diabetic class of drugs reduces incidence of CRC, relative to other anti-diabetic agents." Berger and Xu are members of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center. National health problem Being overweight or obese or having diabetes are risk factors for increasing incidence of CRC and for making its prognosis worse. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) defines being overweight and obese as an increase in size and amount of fat cells in the body above certain levels. These conditions are common nationally and are caused by several factors -- among them diet, lack of sleep or physical activity, genetics and family history. Healthcare providers use body mass index to measure body fat based on height and weight. Nearly 75% of adults ages 20 or older in the United States are either overweight or obese, and nearly 20% of children and teens ages 2 to 19 have obesity, according to the NIH. Obesity is a chronic health condition that raises the risk for heart disease -- the leading cause of death in the United States -- and is linked to many other health problems, including type 2 diabetes and cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates CRC is the third-leading type of cancer in both sexes, with 153,000 new cases per year. It is also the second-leading cause of cancer mortality with 52,550 deaths per year. The study Since GLP-1 RAs have been shown to be effective anti-diabetic and weight-loss agents, the researchers hypothesized they might reduce incidence of CRC. Using a national database of more than 100 million electronic health records, the researchers conducted a population-based study of more than 1.2 million patients. These individuals had been treated with anti-diabetic agents from 2005-19; the CWRU team examined the effects of GLP-1 RAs on their incidence of CRC, as compared to those prescribed other anti-diabetic drugs. Population-based research means matching as many people as possible with the same characteristics -- sex, race, age, socio-economic determinants of health and other medical conditions -- to accurately compare the drug's effects. Among 22,572 patients with diabetes treated with insulin, there were 167 cases of CRC. Another 22,572 matched patients treated with GLP-1 RAs saw 94 cases of CRC. Those treated with GLP-1 RAs had a 44% reduction in incidence of CRC. In a similar comparison of 18,518 patients with diabetes treated with Metformin, compared to 18,518 patients with diabetes treated with GLP-1 RAs, had a 25% reduction in CRC. "The research is critically important for reducing incidence of CRC in patients with diabetes,with or without overweight and obesity," Berger said.