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Leading cancer experts to speak at Cancer Symposium Sept. 23

Leading cancer experts to speak at Cancer Symposium Sept. 23

Peter Greenwald, MD, DrPH, National Cancer Institute, NIH, whose current work relates primarily to human cancer prevention trials, nutritional science, biomarker research, training, and cancer control; and Robert L. Comis, MD, a leader in international clinical trials research since 1977, will keynote at Upstate Medical University’s 12th annual Upstate Cancer Symposium Friday, Sept. 23 from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Medical Alumni Auditorium, Weiskotten Hall.

Speakers include Ajay Jain, MD, associate professor of surgery at Upstate, whose talk is titled “Cancer staging matters,” and Melanie Comito, MD, professor of pediatrics at Upstate, who will present, “Currrent state of childhood cancer - more than a moonshot.” Upstate President Danielle Laraque-Arena, MD, FAAP, and Leslie J. Kohman, MD, Distinguished Service Professor of Surgery and Upstate Cancer Center’s director of Outreach, will offer welcome remarks.

The symposium is targeted to medical and health professionals and students, biomedical researchers and research coordinators. Walk-ins are welcome, however, registration is encouraged. Continuing education credits will be awarded to all health care providers who attend the entire symposium.

Peter Greenwald, MD, DrPH, is associate director for Prevention, Office of the Director, National Cancer Institute, NIH. At the symposium, he will address lifestyle and cancer risks, focusing on smoking, eating behaviors and exercise; and vaccines as a cancer prevention strategy. The roles that clinical trials take in the prevention of breast and prostate cancer and that oncology providers can take in all cancer prevention efforts will also be addressed.

Greenwald’s major research interests include basic and pre-clinical chemoprevention studies through first-in-human to phase III clinical trials, biomarker discovery and validation, basic nutritional science, biometry and systems approaches to cancer prevention.

In March 2011, he retired as director of the NCI Division of Cancer Prevention, which he established and led for 30 years to become the NCI Associate Director for Prevention, Office of the Director. When he retired, he was Assistant Surgeon General (Rear Admiral) in the U.S. Public Health Service. He received his medical degree from the Upstate’s College of Medicine and his master’s and doctorate degrees in public health from the Harvard School of Public Health. He is Board-certified in both Internal Medicine and Preventive Medicine.

Robert L. Comis, MD, is professor of medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine, and Group co-chair of the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group. His presentation is titled “A personal journey: from cytotoxic chemotherapy at the ROC to NCI-MATCH and beyond,”

The National Cancer Institute-Molecular Analysis for Therapy Choice, known as NCI-MATCH or study EAY131, is a phase II precision medicine trial that seeks to determine whether matching certain drugs or drug combinations in adults whose tumors have specific gene abnormalities will effectively treat their cancer, regardless of their cancer type. NCI-MATCH (EAY131) was co-developed by the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group and the National Cancer Institute. It is being led by ECOG-ACRIN through its Biomarker Sciences Program.

Comis is a champion for patient access to cancer clinical trials, spearheading multiple initiatives to raise awareness about the pivotal role of cancer clinical trials in cancer prevention, detection and treatment. His leadership in clinical research continues through frequent appearances as a subject expert to the United States Congress, Institute of Medicine, President’s Cancer Panel, National Cancer Advisory Board and many other national and international organizations.

He served as a staff associate at the National Cancer Institute and did a Medical Oncology Fellowship at The Sidney Farber Cancer Center at Harvard Medical School in Boston, eventually returning to Upstate where he became associate professor and chief of medical oncology and director of the Regional Oncology Center (ROC) which opened in 1983 and housed Upstate’s hematology and medical oncology activities until the opening of the new Cancer Center in 2014. He received his medical degree from Upstate in 1971 where he also completed his internship and medical residency.

To register for the symposium, call Upstate Connect at 464-8668.

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