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Destination Medicine UpdateThe Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center
    Summer Issue 2019   Inside This Issue:
   

Welcome to the sixth issue of The Ohio State University Destination Medicine Global Health Care Update!
This e-newsletter provides a look at some of the groundbreaking research, innovative patient care and prestigious honors, awards and achievements that make Ohio State’s internationally renowned cancer program a destination of choice for cancer patients and families from around the world. Realizing that every cancer is biologically unique and that no cancer is routine, the experts at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James) are transforming the way cancers are prevented, detected, treated and cured. The Destination Medicine Global Health Care (DMGH) team at the OSUCCC – James and Ohio State Wexner Medical Center is dedicated to ensuring that distance and language are not obstacles to receiving world-class care, opening the door to people from around the globe who turn to us for help.

  Featured Events »
  Research & Clinical Trials »
  Prominent Studies »
  National Leadership News »
  Patient Testimonials »
  Nationwide Children's Hospital »
  Gateways »
  Visit cancer.osu.edu »
  Contact Us »
 
  FeatuRed Events
 

CANADA
On May 9, The James Business Development and Destination Medicine Global Health Care Teams traveled to Toronto, Canada, to host “An Evening with Friends” with the founders of the Genesis Professional Group: Sharla Lichtman, MD, and Rochelle Schwartz, MD.

The first presentation was given by OSUCCC Director Raphael Pollock, MD, PhD. A surgical oncologist and researcher, Pollock's clinical specialty is treating patients with soft tissue sarcomas. He is also a professor in the Division of Surgical Oncology at Ohio State, where he directs the Sarcoma Research Laboratory. Pollock discussed both his extensive body of work and his personal experience as a patient at The James.

Heather Hampel, MS, LGC, was a second speaker at the event. Ms. Hampel, a cancer genetic counselor and associate director for bio-specimen research at the OSUCCC – James, and discussed what consumers need to know about one of the most current trending topics: cancer genetic testing.

A closing presentation was given by Samantha Jaglowski, MD, MPH, an associate professor in the Division of Hematology at Ohio State and a member of the Leukemia Research Program at the OSUCCC – James, where she also serves as medical director of the Blood and Marrow Transplant Program. Jaglowski discussed what is considered the next frontier of cancer treatment: adoptive cellular therapies. In keeping with the theme of the evening, she shared her experiences as a patient as well. The OSUCCC –  James extends our sincere thanks to Drs. Schwartz and Lichtman for being gracious hosts.


Pictured from Left to Right: Sarah Schmidt, Padmini Ekbote, Dr. Lichtman, Heather Hampel, Dr. Jaglowski, Dr. Pollock, Dr. Schwartz, Milly Valverde, and Jason Walsh.
 

International Training and Collaboration

The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center (OSUCCC) and the International Training Center for Radiation Oncology welcome international medical professionals to participate in training and observation programs throughout the medical center. This opportunity allows for exploration of cutting-edge research techniques, medical grand rounds, conferences and seminars to physicians from around the world.

In April, Destination Medicine Global Health Care team members led a tour of The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute for visitors Tomas Prochazka, a medical physicist, and Dr. Marek Slavik from Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute in Brno, Czech Republic, as well as Dr. Miluska Castillo Garcia and Dr. Abernabe Monsalve from Peru.


Pictured from Left to Right: Milly Valverde, Dr. Marek Slavik , Dr. Abernabe Monsalve , Tomas Prochazka,. Dr. Miluska Castillo Garcia, Ellie Sulewski, and Veronica Schmidlin.
 

Barretos Cancer Hospital Visit

In May, The James Business Development and Destination Medicine Global Health Care hosted Dr. Edmundo C. Mauad, director of Barretos Cancer Hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for a tour of The James Hospital as part of an effort to foster international relationships with hospital systems. Barretos is the first hospital in Brazil to have a digital scanning center.


Leaders from Business Development, Destination Medicine, Radiation / Oncology, Digital Pathology and Radiology joined Dr. Mauad.
 


New addition to the DMGH Team

Barrah Dakhil recently joined the Destination Medicine Global Health Care team. Dakhil received her medical education in Libya, her native country, and since moving to the United States she has worked in the medical field and language access. In her new role as patient liaison she will help connect patients from around the globe, in particular patients coming from the Middle East, with our expert clinical teams. Welcome to the Team!

 
  Research & Clinical Trials
 

Trial Will Study Drug Combination in Treating Advanced Lung Cancer
Patient accrual is open for a phase I/II clinical trial (OSU-19016) that will study side effects and best dose of glutaminase inhibitor CB-839 hydrochloride and determine how well it works when given with the drug osimertinib in treating patients with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and an EGFR gene mutation.

The primary objectives are: 1) to assess the safety and tolerability of this drug combination and recommend a phase II dose for patients with metastatic EGFR-activating mutation-positive NSCLC, and 2) to determine the efficacy of this combination in patients who have developed progressive disease on front-line EGFR inhibitor therapy. The estimated study completion date is June 1, 2021.

Principal investigator for this clinical trial is Dwight Owen, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Medical Oncology at Ohio State and member of the Translational Therapeutics Program at the OSUCCC – James. Questions and trial referrals should be directed to
Katie DiCostanzo.

To search for cancer clinical trials at Ohio State, visit
go.osu.edu/cancerclinicaltrials. To receive a monthly e-newsletter with information on newly opened cancer clinical trials at the OSUCCC – James, send an email to cancerclinicaltrials@osumc.edu.

 

To search for cancer clinical trials at Ohio State, visit cancer.osu.edu/clinicaltrials. To receive a monthly e-newsletter with information on newly opened cancer clinical trials at the OSUCCC – James, send an email to cancerclinicaltrials@osumc.edu.

 
  Prominent Studies
 

Partial Breast Irradiation Effective, Convenient Treatment Option for Low-Risk Breast Cancer

Partial breast irradiation produces similar long-term survival rates and risk for recurrence compared with whole breast irradiation for many women with low-risk, early-stage breast cancer, according to new data from a national clinical trial involving researchers at the OSUCCC – James.

This randomized phase III study compared whole breast irradiation with partial breast irradiation in a large group of women with stage 0, 1 or 2 breast cancer. More than 4,200 patients were enrolled in the study as part of an NRG Oncology cooperative group clinical trial. Julia White, MD, head of breast radiation oncology and member of the Translational Therapeutics Program at the OSUCCC – James, was co-principal investigator for the study.

Read More

 

Acalabrutinib Shows Good Tolerability & Efficacy in CLL Patients Who Are Intolerant to Ibrutinib

Patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who had to discontinue therapy with the drug ibrutinib because of adverse effects from treatment may benefit from a newer drug called acalabrutinib that showed promising results among patients in a multicenter clinical trial co-led by OSUCCC – James researchers.

Published in the journal Blood Advances, the phase I/II study showed that acalabrutinb is tolerable and demonstrates clinical benefit for many patients with CLL who develop ibrutinib intolerance. This study was led by the Ohio State CLL team that Jennifer Woyach, MD, directs. Other members from Ohio State included Farrukh Awan, MD (formerly of Ohio State), and John Byrd, MD, senior adviser for cancer experimental therapeutics at the OSUCCC – James.

Read More

 
  National Leadership News
 


NCI Grant Will Help Researchers Learn How Breastfeeding Protects Against Triple-Negative Breast Cancer


The National Cancer Institute has awarded a $2.2 million, five-year grant to help OSUCCC – James researchers led by principal investigator Bhuvaneswari Ramaswamy, MD, address cancer disparity by defining the molecular link between breastfeeding and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

Ramaswamy, associate professor in the Division of Medical Oncology at Ohio State and member of the Translational Therapeutics Program at the OSUCCC – James, and her colleagues state in their project abstract that African-American women with breast cancer face higher mortality rates due to a greater incidence of aggressive TNBC. The scientists say population studies have linked reduced rates of breastfeeding among black women to this higher TNBC, but the mechanism for this circumstance is unknown. Ramaswamy’s team proposes to define molecular changes that occur in the breasts after pregnancy, determine how a lack of breastfeeding leads to increased risk of TNBC, and provide a treatment option for mothers who can’t breastfeed.

Read More

 

O’Malley is New Director of Division of Gynecologic Oncology

David O’Malley, MD
, has been named director of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Ohio State. O’Malley, a professor who has been on Ohio State’s medical faculty since 2005, also is a member of the Translational Therapeutics Program at the OSUCCC – James.

A talented surgeon, clinician and researcher, O’Malley has published more than 120 articles in such high-impact journals as the New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet and the Journal of Clinical Oncology, and he is on the editorial board of Gynecologic Oncology. In addition, he is director of gynecologic cancer clinical research at Ohio State and co-principal investigator (PI) of the National Cancer Institute’s Lead Academic Participating Sites grant. He serves as PI for multiple national and international clinical trials.

 
  Patient Testimonials
 


My name is Jerry Ceglia, I am 78 years old and I live with my wife, Erika, in a small village in Germany. In April 2017, I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Following two surgeries and several months of chemotherapy, we decided to return to the United States, where we felt there were more comprehensive care options available to us than in Germany. After much research and many recommendations, we chose to continue my treatment at the The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute. I’ve been a patient at The James now for several months. And without doubt we feel we made the right choice. My transition from Germany to The James was quite seamless thanks to the help we received from the Destination Medicine Global Health Team. The Destination Medicine team is a group of folks who are dedicated to ensuring that distance and language are no obstacles to receiving the internationally recognized care available at The James. Most everything was arranged for us prior to our arrival, from setting up my doctors’ appointments to arranging the translation of my German medical records. In addition to the exceptional cutting-edge medical treatment and nursing care, The James also offers several programs that provide additional comprehensive care and support for every patient, including their family members. These programs range from physical, occupational, music and art therapy, to counseling, health and fitness programs, massage and much more—all under the same roof. I participate in many of those programs and consider them to be an integral part of my overall treatment plan. Every day we are so thankful and it is so comforting to know that we have the entire James team with us as we continue along this most challenging of journeys.

Thank you, Jerry and Erika

 
  Nationwide children's hospital
 

Clinical trials for pediatric cancer focus on a wide variety of possible solutions to improve outcomes and quality of life. For more information visit: 

Read more »

 
  Gateways
 

Gateway China
Gateways serve as an embassy for Ohio State in several focus countries. They focus on students, research, alumni and partnerships to foster connections and facilitate opportunities.

https://oia.osu.edu/china.html
https://oia.osu.edu/india.html

 

Contact Destination Medicine

 
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