September 29, 2020:

A phase Ib Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium multi-center study is testing the safety and efficacy of the monoclonal antibody gemtuzumab ozogamicin when combined with the BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax in adults with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia.

The study is open to accrual at the University of Illinois Cancer Center in Chicago, Ill.; the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center in Indianapolis, Ind.; the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center in Ann Arbor, Mich.; and the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center at the University of Nebraska.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia, also known as AML, is a disease that occurs when the bone marrow creates abnormal myeloblasts (a type of white blood cell), or, less frequently abnormal red blood cells or platelets. In the United States, approximately 21,450 new cases occurred in 2019. Typically, adults age 65 and older are at greater risk of being diagnosed with AML and prognosis for survival remains poor, especially with relapsed or refractory disease.

People with AML are usually treated with chemotherapy and sometimes with targeted therapies.

The primary goal of BTCRC-AML17-113, “Phase Ib study of the safety and efficacy of Gemtuzumab Ozogamicin (GO) and Venetoclax in patients with relapsed or refractory CD33+ acute myeloid leukemia,” is to find the maximum tolerated dose of venetoclax when combined with gemtuzumab ozogamicin. Read More

September 25, 2020:

Researchers at Penn State University are leading a multi-center phase II Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium study for adults with previously untreated, locally advanced pancreatic cancer that tests liposomal irinotecan in combination with FOLFOX, a chemotherapy regimen that includes oxaliplatin, leucovorin, and 5-fluorouracil.

Researchers hope to determine the disease control rate of this combination — the percentage of patients whose tumors respond to treatment or remain stable. The study could help determine if this novel approach could be used as a first-line treatment for locally advanced pancreatic cancer.

Liposomal irinotecan uses a tiny bubble called a liposome that is made of the same material as a cell wall. The liposome is filled with a drug called irinotecan that will circulate through a subject’s body for an extended period, which may result in a longer treatment effect and may help minimize harmful side effects of the drug on healthy tissue. Read More

September 24, 2020:

In this month’s Across the Consortium, the Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium (Big Ten CRC) highlights a variety of activities and accomplishments across universities. From new cancer drugs, to grant awards and new methods of treatments, researchers stop at nothing to continue to fight against cancer. Read More

September 9, 2020:

This month, the Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium highlights the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center as our featured member. UW Carbone member Elisavet Paplomata, MD, an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine, shares her research interests and expertise in breast and gynecologic cancers in this story, originally published by uwhealth.org.

At the Intersection of Breast and Gynecologic Cancers: Dr. Elisavet Paplomata

Although gynecologic cancers are less common than breast cancer, the treatment of these cancers can be more challenging due to lack of effective screening and subsequent diagnosis at an advanced stage.

New UW Carbone Cancer Center member Elisavet Paplomata, MD, an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine, brings extensive clinical research experience in studying both breast and gynecologic cancers to UW-Madison. Her work focuses on finding new drug treatment options for women diagnosed with these diseases. Read More

August 1, 2020:

This month, the Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium highlights Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, as our featured member. Veronika Bachanova, MD, PhD, shares her research interests, and Jeffrey Miller, MD, discusses his research in natural killer (NK) cells.

Investigator Spotlight

Veronika Bachanova, MD, PhD, professor of medicine, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota Medical School

Educational background

• Medical School: Komenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
• Residency: Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Mich.
• Fellowship: University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn.

Research interests

I am a professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota, section head of hematologic malignancy, and lead for CAR-T Cell Therapy in the Bone Marrow Transplant Program at University of Minnesota. My research and clinical work is focused on immunotherapies and stem cell transplantation for hematologic malignancies, particularly lymphoma. I founded and currently chair the Hematologic Malignancy Tissue Bank and have designed and conducted dozens of investigator-initiated clinical trials for lymphoma and leukemia. Read More

July 1, 2020:

Investigator Spotlight

Zeynep Madak-Erdogan, PhD, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Educational background

• PhD: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• BS: Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey

Research interests

I am the director of the Women’s Health, Hormones, and Nutrition lab at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. My research interests include the impact of nutrients and hormones on breast cancer outcomes, health disparities in African-American women with breast cancer, and the impact of estrogen receptor alpha and kinase signaling cross-talk on the development and progression of breast cancer. I am also interested in researching the effect of diet and nutrition, which are influenced by socioeconomic status, on hormone action and therapy effectiveness. Read More

June 16, 2020:

A Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium phase Ib study, led by the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center, will test the maximum tolerated dose and response rate of the PI3K alpha/delta inhibitor copanlisib in combination with the immunotherapy agents nivolumab and rituximab in adults with relapsed or refractory follicular or marginal zone indolent lymphoma. The study is now open to accrual at the University of Michigan.

Follicular lymphoma is the second most common non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), with approximately 15,000 cases diagnosed in the United States per year. Indolent lymphoma is a subtype of NHL that grows and spreads slowly in the lymphatic system.

While advances in progression-free survival and overall survival have increased in patients with follicular lymphoma, 20 percent of patients experience disease progression within the first two years of first-line therapy.

The study, BTCRC-LYM17-145, a phase Ib dose de-escalation study of the PI3K alpha/delta inhibitor copanlisib given in combination with the immunotherapeutic agents nivolumab and rituximab in patients with relapsed/refractory indolent lymphoma, will test the maximum safe dosage and response rate of this combination of drugs. Read More

June 15, 2020:

Jyoti Patel, MD, professor of hematology/oncology and associate vice chair for clinical research in the Department of Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, has been appointed to represent the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University on the Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium Steering Committee.

The Steering Committee is composed of one researcher from each Big Ten CRC member institution and meets regularly to review activities of the consortium and decide matters of policy. The Steering Committee determines the criteria for approving concepts for development with the Big Ten CRC.

Dr. Patel, who also serves as medical director of thoracic oncology and assistant director for clinical research at the Lurie Cancer Center, is internationally recognized as an expert in lung and other thoracic cancers. Her research focuses on developing and evaluating novel molecular markers and therapeutics in non-small cell lung cancer. She has authored numerous publications and has had leadership roles in national thoracic cancer committees, including ASCO, IASLC, Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, National Comprehensive Cancer Network, and Hoosier Cancer Research Network. Read More

June 12, 2020:

Monika D. Joshi, MD, MRCP, associate professor of medicine at Penn State Cancer Institute, was recently appointed to represent Penn State on the Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium (Big Ten CRC) Steering Committee. The committee is composed of one researcher from each member institution and meets regularly to review activities of the consortium and decide matters of policy. The Steering Committee determines the criteria for approving concepts for development with the Big Ten CRC. Read More

June 4, 2020:

A randomized phase II Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium study for adults with stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) will evaluate whether giving the monoclonal antibody pembrolizumab following surgical resection improves disease-free survival compared to observation following surgical resection in patients with primary tumors measuring 1-4 centimeters.

The multi-site study, BTCRC-LUN18-153, led by researchers at the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, is now open to accrual. Read More