July 26, 2018:

Researchers and leaders from 12 Big Ten cancer centers will meet at Big Ten Conference Headquarters in Chicago on Saturday, Sept. 29. The Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium Summit is expected to draw about 150 participants, including researchers from across the consortium and representatives from pharmaceutical and biotech companies. The University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center is hosting the meeting.

Presentations, led by scientists and clinical researchers from Big Ten cancer centers, will focus on the latest cancer initiatives surrounding chemoprevention, radiation oncology, multi-investigator collaborations, and correlative science, as well as the 11 consortium studies that are currently enrolling patients.

“Uniting cancer researchers, administrators, and advocates at the Big Ten Cancer Summit is a win-win for all cancer patients as we discuss all aspects of cancer care,” said Ruth O’Regan, MD, division head of hematology/oncology at UW Carbone and vice chair of the Big Ten CRC Steering Committee. “There is always strength in numbers. We may be competitors on the field and on the courts, but we are colleagues in these endeavors, and the outcomes are beyond measure.”

The meeting will provide an opportunity for representatives of pharmaceutical and biotech companies to meet Big Ten CRC investigators who are active in the consortium’s Clinical Trial Working Groups. These groups provide an avenue for researchers to discuss and develop novel clinical trials, which often receive support from pharmaceutical companies.

To register and learn more, visit www.bigtencrc.org/summit/. Follow the Big Ten CRC Summit on Twitter at #bigtencrc18.

The Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium, formed in 2013, is a research collaboration of Big Ten cancer centers. Together, the cancer centers:

  • Support the work of 2,600 cancer researchers
  • Care for more than 50,000 new cancer patients each year
  • Enroll 20,000 patients on cancer clinical trials

The following cancer centers compose the Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium:

  • University of Illinois Cancer Center
  • Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center
  • Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Iowa
  • University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center
  • Michigan State University Breslin Cancer Center
  • Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota
  • Fred & Pamela Buffet Cancer Center, University of Nebraska
  • Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University
  • Penn State Cancer Institute
  • Purdue University Center for Cancer Research
  • Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
  • University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center

About the Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium: The Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium was created in 2013 to transform the conduct of cancer research through collaborative, hypothesis-driven, highly translational oncology trials that leverage the scientific and clinical expertise of Big Ten universities. The goal of the Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium is to create a unique team-research culture to drive science rapidly from ideas to new approaches to cancer treatment. Within this innovative environment, today’s research leaders collaborate with and mentor the research leaders of tomorrow with the unified goal of improving the lives of all patients with cancer.

About the Big Ten Conference: The Big Ten Conference is an association of world-class universities whose member institutions share a common mission of research, graduate, professional and undergraduate teaching and public service. Founded in 1896, the Big Ten has sustained a comprehensive set of shared practices and policies that enforce the priority of academics in the lives of students competing in intercollegiate athletics and emphasize the values of integrity, fairness and competitiveness. The broad-based programs of the 14 Big Ten institutions will provide over $200 million in direct financial support to almost 9,500 students for more than 11,000 participation opportunities on 350 teams in 42 different sports. The Big Ten sponsors 28 official conference sports, 14 for men and 14 for women, including the addition of men’s ice hockey and men’s and women’s lacrosse since 2013. For more information, visit www.bigten.org.