Introduction to Breakthroughs

Dear Friends,

I hope you will enjoy reading this issue of Breakthroughs. We have chosen to highlight a number of programs that are critical to the Yale Cancer Center and to Smilow Cancer Hospital and Network. There is always so much that we can write about, and each time we put Breakthroughs together we carefully choose from dozens of features. I believe these articles represent the breadth and depth of what we are about.

First, you will read about the many clinical trials in our Breast Cancer Program. There has been huge progress in breast cancer research over the past 25 years, and the advances have had a dramatic impact on both breast cancer mortality and quality of life. There is still more work to be done as over 40,000 individuals in the United States lose their lives to breast cancer each year, and the worldwide statistics are staggering. Clinical advances will only occur as a result of carefully and thoughtfully designed clinical trials.

Second, you will come to appreciate the comprehensive and multi-disciplinary approach that is taken for cancers of the head and neck at Yale. Perhaps more than any other malignancy, cancers that originate in the head and neck region require intense collaboration on the part of a multitude of clinicians—surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, reconstructive surgeons, nurses, nutritionists, social workers, speech therapists, and a host of others. This teamwork is critical to ensure that we maximize survival and minimize the challenging side effects of therapy—both during treatment and potentially for years to come. As in all cancer treatment, we complement this clinical care with clinical trials and a range of research studies.

Third, you will come to see the contribution that Yale scientists and clinical investigators have made to the field of immuno-oncology. The revolution in cancer treatment in the past decade has been immunotherapy, and many common cancers have been highly responsive to this approach. In the simplest terms, immunotherapy allows a patient to use her/his own immune system to attack the tumor and it took years of investigation before we understood how to transform this dream into a reality. Many of the seminal scientific advances as well as the initial clinical trials were led by Yale Cancer Center faculty members.

Finally, on a very different note, you will read about research and clinical care for our youngest patients. Pediatric palliative care is a critical area for the relatively small number of children who ultimately succumb to cancer. With the best data-driven interventions, we can ease the suffering of both the child and their families. This may not be a topic we like to think about it, but it is our responsibility to conduct cutting-edge research and provide care in all settings.

The Yale Cancer Center and Smilow are growing and evolving. We are hiring new faculty, building novel programs, and conducting the very best research. Please do not ever hesitate to reach out to me or a member of our team if you have any questions. As the winter holidays approach, I wish you peace and hope you have some time for relaxation.

Yours,

Eric Winer, MD
Director, Yale Cancer Center
President & Physician-in-Chief Smilow Cancer Hospital