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Somehow another holiday season is upon us, and it is about to turn 2025. As you get ready to relax, spend time with family and friends, and celebrate the last days of 2024, I hope you will take a few moments to reflect on your accomplishments here at Smilow and the Yale Cancer Center.

Over the last year, thousands of patients from across Connecticut—and southwestern Rhode Island—have walked through our doors, and your care has been nothing short of exemplary. I repeatedly hear from patients and their family members about the confidence they have in us, and of the warmth and skill with which they are treated. Thank you for all you do for our patients and their families. You also do so much to support and care for one another, which is critical for our patients, too.

At the same time, many of you are conducting cutting-edge clinical, translational, basic and population science research. Your work—recognized both nationally and internationally— is leading to new insights that will bring advances in cancer etiology, prevention, screening, treatment, and survivorship. Whether the impact is immediate or will unfold over time, the work is critical. I am in awe of all that you do.

Our culture is strong. We continue to build a diverse group of clinicians and researchers. Moreover, we have a respectful and highly collaborative approach to our work and our relationships. I do not underestimate the importance of culture which guides and enhances all that we do.

As I reflect on my three years at Yale, I am proud of what we have accomplished together and look forward to huge successes in the years ahead. Thank you for being my colleagues—I am forever grateful to you. Have a truly wonderful holiday season. I wish you happiness, love, and tranquility.

Happy New Year,

Eric

1. A special discussion meeting of The Royal Society in London—organized and chaired by co-director of the Yale Cancer Biology Institute, (center) Mark Lemon, PhD, FRS on "Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) after 40 years"—also included Yale Cancer Center's (left) Roy S. Herbst, MD, PhD and (right) Katerina Politi, PhD, and Kate Ferguson, PhD. Additionally, there were experts from Austria, England, Israel, and the University of California. The two-day meeting aimed to illuminate new perspectives on EGFR signaling in health and disease, 40 years after sequencing revealed how oncogenic viruses hijack cell growth control processes in cancer.

2. Teresa White (right), FNP-C, MSN, BSN, RN, OCN, CCRP, an Advanced Practice Provider in the Center for Gastrointestinal Cancers at Smilow Cancer Hospital, was presented with the prestigious Marcia Burkitt Distinguished Oncology Nursing Award by the Southwestern Connecticut Oncology Nursing Society Chapter (SWCTONS). This award is given annually to a distinguished oncology nurse who displays excellence in oncology nursing, maintains an active role in SWCTONS, and mentors, supports, and cares for their patients and colleagues. Teresa was presented with the honor at the annual SWCTONS Chapter 2.0 CNE Dinner Symposium.

3. Yale Cancer Center welcomes Lorraine Colón-Cartagena, MD, to its membership. As an Assistant Professor of Pathology, Dr. Colón-Cartagena devotes her research to further understanding the behavior and histologic features of tumors of the breast. She joins the Genomics, Genetics, and Epigenetics Program.

4. Welcome also to Dimitra Vageli, PhD, a research scientist in the Department of Surgery specializing in Otolaryngology, with extensive experience in molecular oncology, molecular pathology, and cancer biology. Her current research is focused on characterizing the inflammatory and cancer-specific molecular profiles of the mucosa and its microenvironment in the early stages of cancer, using advanced technologies, such as spatial gene expression analyses. Dr. Vageli is a new member of the Cancer Signaling Networks Program.

San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium

Members of the Center for Breast Cancer at Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale Cancer Center joined more than 11,000 physicians, scientists, and trainees focused on advancing research and clinical care in breast cancer attending the annual SABCS Dec. 10-14, 2024. Yale Cancer Center members led six panel presentations/education sessions, moderated four concurrent poster sessions, and shared research during 13 posters presentations this year. Among them were (1) Lajos Pusztai, MD, DPhil (2) David Rimm, MD, PhD (3) Maryam Lustberg, MD, MPH (4) Ian Krop, MD, PhD (5) a Yale Pathology booth (6) a poster presentation Adriana Khan, MD, Maryam Lustberg, MD, MPH, and Mariya Rozenblit, MD (7) a panel discussion including Pat LoRusso, DO (far right).
For more and a photo gallery go here.

American Society of Hematology (ASH)

The ASH annual conference in San Diego (Dec. 7-10) was attended by thousands of clinicians and experts in the classical and malignant hematology, including more than four dozen from Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital alone. The annual meeting is the premier hematology event of the year for basic, translational, clinical and population science including panel discussions, podium talks and poster presentation. This year they included:

1. Zhangliang Cheng, of Yale’s Muschen Lab, who presented on the three stages of B Cells and oscillations between MYC and BCL6 dependent states in B Cell lymphoma
2. Jennifer Afranie-Sakyi, MD, (left) presented Implementation of American Society of Hematology (ASH) Neuro-Related Guidelines at a Sickle Cell Center: How Are We Doing? Cece Calhoun, MD (right).
3. Archibald Enninful, (left) a PhD student in the FanLab, shared insights into the mechanisms underlying the epigenetic, transcriptional & proteomic landscape of Angioimmunoblastic T-Cell Lymphoma from research with Mina Xu, MD (right) and Rong Fan, PhD (not pictured).
4. Ahmad Kiwan, PhD, presented a review of patients with large granular lymphocytic leukemia revealed specific markers that are strongly associated with cytopenias, therefore leading to more personalized treatment for patients.
   For more on the conference go here

In November and early December dozens of publications by Yale/Smilow clinicians joined the already impressive scholarship that can be reviewed in the 2024 Publications list.
Among them are a report on a cross-sectional study that evaluates trends and factors associated with selecting active surveillance or watchful waiting among individuals with intermediate-risk prostate cancer (JAMA); a study of the factors influencing the diagnosis of neurolymphomatosis and a finding that diagnosis was typically quicker when patients had rapidly progressing, asymmetrical neuropathy and when certain imaging techniques were used, but delays occurred with conventional CT scans and when the disease affected nerve roots (Journal of Neuro-oncology); a review of whether prior cancer history affects the benefits of adding immunotherapy to chemotherapy and radiation in patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (Lung Cancer); a mini review assessing the potential impact of e-cigarettes on cancer metastasis (Cancer Metastasis Review).
Studies also were published in Oral Oncology, Cancer Radiotherapy, Oncology Letters, JAMIA Open, Seminars in Ophthalmology, Annual Surgery Oncology, Journal of Surgery Research, British Journal of Cancer, JAMA Network Open, and Breast Cancer Research and Treatment.
For details on these studies and previous studies published this year visit here.

The American Association of Cancer Research Hematologic Malignancies Research Fellowship aims to encourage and support a postdoctoral or clinical research fellow to conduct basic, translational, clinical, or population sciences research projects focused on hematologic malignancies. It provides a two-year grant of $130,000 to support the salary and benefits of the fellow while working on a mentored hematologic malignancies research project. Funds may also be designated for non-personnel expenses, such as research/laboratory supplies, equipment, publication charges for manuscripts that pertain directly to the funded project, and other research expenses. Deadline: Jan. 21, 2025, 1 PM; grant term begins July 1, 2025. Application information here.

Victoria’s Secret Global Fund for Women’s Cancers Career Development Awards, in partnership with Pelotonia & the American Association of Cancer Research, seeks to invest in the next generation of women scientists who represent the diverse population they serve. It award is meant to foster greater prevention, detection, diagnostic, and treatment innovations for women’s cancers and advancing outcomes for cancer health disparities. The two-year grant of $206,000, has a deadline for a letter of intent Jan. 23, 2025 at 1 pm (ET) and the application deadline is April 24, 2025 at 1 pm (ET). More details on the AACR site here.

The Rising Tide Foundation is seeking applications for its Rising Tide & LUNGevity Award. The request for application (RFA) supports clinical trials and validation studies aimed at improving current stratification criteria for of the high-risk population, or validating new early detection tests that are more acceptable than first line LDCT screening, or testing new methods for stratification risk of IPNs by utilizing new imaging, blood biomarkers or monitoring algorithms, with patient partners involved in the study design and execution. Deadline for a letter of intent is due Feb. 12, 2025 to be filed here. For more visit here.

Dec. 22 • Yale Cancer Answers • 7:30 pm • WNPR radio"Emerging Trends in Cancer Care Outcomes" with Michaela Dinan, PhD, who is YCC Associate Director for Research, Training and Education (CRTEC) and co-director of the Cancer Outcomes, Public Policy and Effectiveness Research Center (COPPER) and co-leader of the YCC Research Program Cancer Prevention and Control. Hosted by Dr. Eric Winer, director of YCC and president and physician-in-chief of Smilow Cancer Hospital.

Dec. 29 • Yale Cancer Answers • 7:30 pm • WNPR radio "Patient Perspective: A Lifelong Cancer Journey and the Importance of Fertility Care." A conversation with Amanda (a patient) and Dr. Winer.

Jan. 5 • Yale Cancer Answers • 7:30 pm WNPR "Colorectal Cancer"
A conversation with Scott Kopetz, MD, PhD, FACP and Dr. Winer

Jan. 7 • YCC Grand Rounds • Noon
Speaker Siba Haykal, MD, PhD, FRCS, FACS, Section Chief of Reconstructive Oncology , Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Smilow Auditorium, 55 Park St.

Jan. 7 • Smilow Shares with Primary Care • 6 pm • Zoom only
Topic: Benign Hematology with Frank Ciminiello, MD, Kelsey Martin, MD; and Anish Sharda, MD, MPH