Oct. 23, 2018:

Big Ten investigators presented Phase Ib results of the BTCRC-LUN15-017 study during a poster session at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer’s World Conference on Lung Cancer, Sept. 23-26 in Toronto. Read More

Oct. 22, 2018:

Applications are now open for a nationwide integrative oncology training program. The Integrative Oncology (IO) Scholars program brings together oncology professionals in a free year-long course. Designed for the full spectrum of oncology care professionals, the program equips oncologists, nurses, physicians assistants, physical and occupational therapists, social workers, and psychologists with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide safe and evidence-based integration of complementary therapies in conventional oncology care. The course is funded by the National Cancer Institute and developed by researchers and clinicians at the University of Michigan (U-M) Medical School.
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Oct. 1, 2018:

Investigator Spotlight

Borys Hrinczenko, MD, PhD, Breslin Cancer Center at Michigan State University

Educational background

• MD: SUNY Downstate College of Medicine, Brooklyn, NY
• PhD: University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
• Internship and Residency: Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
• Fellowship: National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD

Research interests

My main interest is in new therapies for lung cancer, including the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors, the same treatments for which James P. Allison and Tasuku Honjo were awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize in Medicine. At the Breslin Cancer Center, we have Phase I clinical trials using checkpoint inhibitors to harness the body’s immune system against lung cancer. I’m collaborating on other projects with several MSU researchers, including:

• Chemistry Professor Greg Swain, who is developing a device to measure nitric oxide and peroxynitrite in exhaled breath to determine if these are biomarkers for lung cancer.
• Physiology Professor Eran Andrechek, who discovered in a preclinical model that some lung cancer patients with an overlooked mutation might respond well to treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors.
• Pharmacology and Toxicology Associate Professor Karen Liby, who is studying rexinoid drugs for potentially treating lung cancer patients who have the KRAS mutation.
• Bryan R. Smith, an associate professor of biomedical engineering, who is interested in using nanotechnology to reverse immunosuppression in lung cancer.

These are just a few examples of how we at MSU are collaborating across many disciplines to fight this devastating disease.
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Sept. 29, 2018:

The Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium (Big Ten CRC) has appointed internationally recognized breast cancer physician and researcher Ruth O’Regan, MD, as its chief scientific officer (CSO). Dr. O’Regan is the division head of hematology, medical oncology, and palliative care in the Department of Medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health; and associate director for clinical research at the UW Carbone Cancer Center. Read More

Sept. 17, 2018:

Big Ten cancer centers are enriched by dedicated researchers who are meeting cancer head-on with not only their intellect, but also their heart. In this edition of Across the Consortium, we applaud those who are making a difference in the clinic, in the lab, and in the community.

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Sept. 10, 2018:

History has its transformative moments – instances that radically shape the future. Looking back, we see their significance, but in the moment their impact is still unseen. As the Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium (Big Ten CRC) celebrates its fifth year in 2018, we pause to reflect on milestones past and those on the horizon, through the words of some of our founding visionaries. Read More

Sept. 1, 2018:

University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center investigators Ryan Wilcox, MD, and Sumana Devata, MD, discuss their current research in these videos. Dr. Wilcox and Dr. Devata are members of the Big Ten CRC’s Lymphoid Malignancies Clinical Trial Working Group. The University of Michigan is the Big Ten CRC’s featured member for September. Learn more about the Rogel Cancer Center. Read More

Aug. 22, 2018:

12 prestigious cancer centers. 

2,600 cancer researchers.

1 mission.

In this month’s edition of Across the Consortium, we highlight the many ways our top-ranking members are pushing the boundaries of science and technology in order to improve diagnosis and treatment for all patients with cancer. 

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August 1, 2018:

Investigator Spotlight

Yousef Zakharia, MD, Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Iowa

Education background

MD: Damascus University, Damascus, Syria
Residency: University of Rochester Unity Hospital, Rochester, New York
Fellowships: Michigan State University, Georgia Regents University (Medical College of Georgia)

Research interests

I am assistant professor of medicine in the division of medical oncology and hematology at the University of Iowa and medical oncologist at Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center. I specialize in melanoma and genitourinary malignancy. My research interests are experimental therapeutics and developing novel combinations in melanoma, kidney, and bladder cancers.

The two main projects I have been involved in are:

• Combining the IDO pathway inhibitor indoximod with a PD-1 inhibitor in patients with metastatic melanoma. I have been involved in this clinical trial from the beginning—in the trial design, the LOI, and protocol drafting. I enrolled the very first patient on this multicenter trial. I presented the preliminary results at multiple national and international meetings, including the AACR annual meeting clinical trial plenary session in 2017 and final results at the 2018 ASCO annual meeting.
• An investigator-initiated trial combining high-dose selenium with axitinib in recurrent and refractory clear cell renal cell carcinoma. The background for this trial is based on robust pre-clinical data generated at Roswell Park Cancer Center that suggests that selenium in high doses and certain schedules can downregulate hypoxia induced factor (HIF-a), which is over-expressed in kidney cancer, among other malignancies. Preliminary results of this clinical trial were presented at ASCO GU 2018.

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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. Read More