Latest innovations in cancer clinical research discussed at American Society of Clinical Oncology 2023

UChicago Medicine cancer faculty and trainees discussed the latest developments in oncology at the recent ASCO meeting.
The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2023 annual meeting provided real-time insights from world-renowned cancer experts focused on advancing cancer care. ASCO 2023 drew more than 40,000 oncology specialists June 2-6 to McCormick Place in Chicago.

University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center (UCCCC) physicians and researchers joined world cancer experts to discuss the latest developments in treatments and diagnoses. The conference, themed “Partnering with Patients: The Cornerstone of Cancer Care and Research,” featured UCCCC faculty and trainees in 50 oral, poster and educational sessions in all. 

Among the advances addressed: comprehensive genomic profiling to determine patient-specific needs and therapies; neoadjuvant immunotherapy for stage III melanoma; and antibody drug conjugates for metastatic breast cancer and other cancers.

A full list of presentations at ASCO 2023 can be found Olatoyosi Odenike, MD, was recognized as a Fellow of ASCO at the Opening Session of the Annual Meeting for her extraordinary volunteer service, dedication and commitment to ASCO. 

Mei-Yin Chen Polley, PhD, Associate Professor of Public Health Sciences, presented Molecular Profiling in Neuro-Oncology: Where Are We, Where Are We Headed, and How Do We Ensure Everyone Can Come Along? Her session explored the critical role of molecular profiling in diagnosis, classification and outcomes in CNS tumors.

Steven J. Chmura, MD, PhD, Professor of Radiation and Cellular Oncology, and Medicine, cochaired an oral abstract session on pressing issues such as resistance to radiation therapy and future of the immunotherapies for CNS tumors.

John Moroney, MD, Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Medicine, cochaired a clinical science symposium session on the surgical management of gynecological cancers.

Andrzej Jakubowiak, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine, Director of the Myeloma Program, discussed three abstracts in a session of hematological malignancies. Combination treatments covered included recent bispecific immunotherapy in multiple myeloma, neoadjuvant immunotherapy for stage III melanoma, and antibody drug conjugates for metastatic breast cancer and other cancer types. He also addressed the challenges of cancer patients and advocates, financial toxicities, and clinical trial design.

Michael R. Bishop, MD, Professor of Medicine, Director of the Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Program, discussed posters in a “Developmental Therapeutics – Immunotherapy” session. 

Gini Fleming, MD, Professor of Medicine, Medical Director of Gynecologic Oncology, discussed three oral presentations focused on treatment strategies for endometrial cancers.

Samuel Volchenboum, MD, PhD, MS, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and the Associate Director for the Institute for Translational Medicine, chaired an educational session on updates from major pediatric oncology big data programs (the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Childhood Cancer Data Initiative, the Pediatric Cancer Data Commons, and the MAGIC germ cell tumor consortium). Speakers included former NCI director Norman Sharpless, MD, and Alexander T. Pearson, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine, chaired an educational session featuring researchers focused on AI applications for clinical cancer care. He also presented on “Pathology Image-Based Detection of Clinically Actionable Genetic Alterations.”

Ami V. Desai, MD, MSCE, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, cochaired an oral abstract session for the Pediatric Oncology 1 track. In the same session, Tara O. Henderson, MD, MPH, Arthur and Marian Edelstein Professor of Pediatrics, Director of Childhood, Adolescent and Young Adult Survivorship Center, Chief, Section of Pediatric Cancer and Blood Diseases, presented data on long-term toxicity and late effects in high-risk neuroblastoma survivors. 

Rita Nanda, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of the Breast Oncology Program, discussed three posters focused on antibody drug conjugates that have transformed the therapeutic landscape of breast cancer. 

Sonali M. Smith, MD, Elwood V. Jensen Professorship of Medicine, Chief of Section of Hematology/Oncology, spoke at the Oncology Division Chiefs and Department Chairs' Breakfast.

Ari Rosenberg, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, presented results from the DEPEND trial (NCT03944915) -- a phase II trial of nivolumab, paclitaxel, and carboplatin followed by response-stratified chemoradiotherapy for previously untreated stage IVA-B HPV(-) head and neck cancers. The goal is to evaluate radiation volume and/or dose reduction to decrease long-term toxicities.

UCCCC Director Kunle Odunsi, MD, PhD, AbbVie Foundation Distinguished Service Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, chaired a clinical science symposium session on the latest efficacy data from cellular therapies in hematological malignancies.

Gregory Roloff, MD, third-year Hematology/Oncology Fellow, Evan Neczypor, BS, medical student, and Kayla Polcari, MD, MPH, fifth-year resident of general surgery, received ASCO 2023 merit awards from the Conquer Cancer Foundation.

The next ASCO Annual Meeting will take place May 31-June 4, 2024 in Chicago.
Medical oncologist Sonali Smith, MD, and lymphoma patient Clayton Harris

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