Nancy Chan, MD, medical oncologist, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New JerseyResearch interests: I am interested in discovering and developing new therapies for the treatment of breast and gynecological malignancies. I have witnessed various immunotherapies shrink tumors within weeks and help women live longer with their cancer with minimal side effects. I have also faced the frustration of lack of response and rare but life threatening side effects of immunotherapy. I hope that my research will contribute to how to identify responders, as well as how to improve and potentiate durable response. Our immune system is extremely intricate and sophisticated, we are still learning so much about its potentials. Our collaborations with my colleagues at Rutgers, the Big Ten, and pharmaceutical companies are driving progress in the field. The Big Ten breast cancer research consortium has developed innovative trials to explore the potential benefits of a variety of targeted therapies in triple negative, hormone receptor positive, and HER2 positive breast cancers.
Feb. 28, 2018: Transforming the conduct of cancer research is not just a goal of Big Ten CRC members; it is reality. From zebrafish to cell phones, and from nanomedicine to "supportive oncology," the Big Ten CRC's unique team-research culture is driving science rapidly from ideas to new approaches to cancer treatment. See for yourself in a quick trip Across the Consortium! Read More
Feb. 1, 2018:Investigator Spotlight: Attaya Suvannasankha, MD, Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center School of Medicine: Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand; Residency: Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia; Fellowship: Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY Research interests: Multiple myeloma is a rare and incurable blood cancer, but not all myeloma is the same. While the current treatments may work well initially, myeloma keeps recurring and eventually patients die from drug resistant myeloma and treatment side effects. Much work is needed to understand why myeloma cancer cells respond differently to common treatments. Currently, there is not a good way to predetermine the... Read More
Jan. 29, 2018: Breast cancer researchers have made great strides in recent years, identifying distinct molecular subtypes of the disease and potential novel treatment approaches. One such approach involves a type of immunotherapy, called an immune checkpoint inhibitor, that can help the immune system recognize and kill cancer cells. Pictured from left: Kim Hirshfield, MD, PhD; Deborah Toppmeyer, MD; Nancy Chan, MDImmune checkpoint inhibitors have shown promising results in a variety of research studies, and have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat a variety of other cancers. In breast cancer research, much attention has been focused on triple-negative disease, or cancers in which the three most common receptors that fuel breast cancer growth - estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and... Read More
Jan. 21, 2017: This month’s handpicked stories from across the consortium highlight major breakthroughs in diagnostics and treatment; spotlight emerging leaders; and celebrate milestones in funding and expansion. The Big Ten CRC members will continue asking tough questions in 2018; resolve to catch the play-by-play Across the Consortium! Read More
Jan. 8, 2018: The Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium (Big Ten CRC) recently welcomed Salma Jabbour, MD, as a member of its Steering Committee, representing Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey. The committee, composed of one representative from each member institution, meets on a regular basis to review activities of the consortium and decide matters of policy. A radiation oncologist with a subspecialty in lung and gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, and a co-chair of the Read More
Jan. 4, 2018: Applications are due January 15 for a nationwide integrative oncology training program. The Integrative Oncology (IO) Scholars program brings together oncology professors from the Big Ten and beyond, in a free year-long course. Designed for the full spectrum of oncology care professionals, the program equips oncologists, nurses, physician assistants, physical therapists, 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 Read More
Dec. 21, 2017: Researchers have made great strides in the fight against cancer through recently approved immunotherapy drugs, including pembrolizumab and nivolumab, drugs that target a specific interaction between cancer cells and T cells. Part of a class of immune therapies known as checkpoint inhibitors, these drugs target the programmed death-1 / programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) pathway. PD-1/PD-L1 drugs have led to durable responses in patients whose tumors responded to therapy. “However, most patients with advanced kidney cancer — up to 3 in 4 patients — do not benefit from these drugs,” said Ajjai Alva, MD, of the University of Michigan. “We believe that a significant factor influencing the low response rate can be found within the tumor microenvironment and hope that adding a drug... Read More
Dec. 18, 2017: Get up to date on the latest discoveries and important breakthroughs. Be inspired by accounts of teamwork and generosity. Remember why we are stronger together. All this and more as we take you Across the Consortium! Read More
Research interests: I am interested in discovering and developing new therapies for the treatment of breast and gynecological malignancies. I have witnessed various immunotherapies shrink tumors within weeks and help women live longer with their cancer with minimal side effects. I have also faced the frustration of lack of response and rare but life threatening side effects of immunotherapy. I hope that my research will contribute to how to identify responders, as well as how to improve and potentiate durable response. Our immune system is extremely intricate and sophisticated, we are still learning so much about its potentials. Our collaborations with my colleagues at Rutgers, the Big Ten, and pharmaceutical companies are driving progress in the field. The Big Ten breast cancer research consortium has developed innovative trials to explore the potential benefits of a variety of targeted therapies in triple negative, hormone receptor positive, and HER2 positive breast cancers.
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