August 2024 Tip Sheet of Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
This month’s tip sheet from Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
Can a Mouthwash-Based Test Predict Head and Neck Cancer Recurrence?
That futuristic scenario appears closer to reality following the results of a recent clinical trial conducted by researchers at Sylvester Cancer, UC San Diego Health and other cancer centers. Their study in JAMA Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery could improve how physicians predict and detect recurrence with these cancers.
“Our findings suggest biomarker detection in saliva collected from an oral rinse after initial treatment offers excellent potential for new tests to readily assess recurrence risk,” said Elizabeth Franzmann, Sylvester researcher and co-corresponding author of the study.
Study Finds Biomarker to Predict Chemotherapy Benefits for Colon Cancer
Many patients with Stage 2 or 3 colon cancer receive adjuvant, or additional, chemotherapy following surgery. But does that treatment improve survival outcomes for these patients? New Sylvester-led research published in Cell Reports Medicine has identified and validated a 10-gene biomarker that could predict whether these patients will benefit from adjuvant therapy. Additionally, the study led by Sylvester researcher Stephen Chen, found that the gene signature could potentially predict whether immunotherapy can benefit some of these patients.
Teaming Up to Bolster Brain Cancer Research
Dolphins Cancer Challenge (DCC) and StacheStrong have joined forces to raise awareness and funds for brain cancer research. Their philanthropic partnership, which commits to contributing $1 million over four years to benefit the newly opened Sylvester Brain Tumor Institute (SBTI), was announced last month on Glioblastoma Awareness Day. The partners have pledged to support four one-year brain cancer research projects at SBTI.
New Screening Guidelines Designed to Protect Patients With HIV
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released the first federal guidelines for anal cancer screening in people with HIV, following a landmark study at Sylvester, Jackson Memorial Hospital and other cancer centers. The CDC guidelines were based on findings from the ANCHOR (Anal Cancer/HSIL Outcomes Research) study reported in 2022. It showed that treating potentially precancerous lesions reduced the risk of developing anal cancer by 60% over watchful waiting in people older than 35 with HIV.
Sylvester Awards Its Latest Early-Career Faculty Scholars
Three Sylvester junior faculty members have become the latest recipients to join the prestigious ranks of its K12 Calabresi Clinical Oncology Research Career Development Program. Since 2018, the program has awarded 16 faculty members with the resources to pursue independent research careers in clinical and translational cancer research.
This year’s awardees are Marcella Kaddoura, Division of Myeloma, whose research focuses on computational oncology in multiple myeloma; Noa Holtzman, Division of Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, who researches ways to improve outcomes for elderly leukemia patients undergoing stem cell transplantation; and Gretel Terrero, Division of Medical Oncology, who focuses on understanding the tumor microenvironment and genomic characteristics of pancreatic cancer.
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