Opera Star Sings Praises of Targeted Lung Cancer Therapy
KGO ABC7 Video - Jul 20, 2009
Last October, opera singer Zheng Cao fell during a
performance and had no idea why. Later, it turned
out she had advanced lung cancer. Now, as a result
of treatment with a new type of targeted therapy, her cancer
is retreating. Personalized medicine - that
is, customizing the treatment to the patient's tumor -is
rapidly gaining ground in the treatment of lung cancer.This
has given hope to patients like Zheng Cao that their lung
cancer can be successfully treated.
13th World Conference on Lung Cancer
- May 27, 2009
Dr. David Jablons, Chief of the Thoracic Section, is co-chairing
the 13th World Conference on Lung Cancer, July 31 - August 4,
2009. The meeting will be held at the Moscone West in San
Francisco.
UCSF Celebrates Award of New Chair to Thierry Jahan, M.D.
Department of Surgery at UCSF - Jun 01, 2009
The Bonnie J. and Anthony Addario Endowed
Chair in Thoracic Oncology has been created in the Department of
Surgery in honor of Thierry Jahan, M.D., an
Associate Professor of Medicine at UCSF, who will occupy the Chair
as its first recipient. Dr. Jahan is the one of the
region's most highly regarded thoracic oncologists and sarcoma
specialists, known among patients, their families,
and colleagues for his deep sense
of empathy and compassion. Dr.
Jahan co-founded the multidisciplinary Thoracic Oncology
Program with David Jablons, Chief of the
Section of General Thoracic Surgery. On July 9,
2009, there was a celebration held at the Kalmonovitz
Library at UCSF to honor Dr. Jahan and his appointment to the newly
created Chair.
Lung Cancer Now Is the Focus of Powerful Genetics Research
UCSF News - Science Cafe - Feb 05, 2009
"The lung cancer tissue bank now enables researchers at the UCSF
Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center to explore more
deeply the role of specific genes in lung cancer, according to David
Jablons, MD, chief of thoracic surgery at UCSF and leader of
the Thoracic Oncology Program......'There are so many genes that
are interrelated that we never suspected had anything to do with
one another' Jablons says. "This systems genetics approach to
cancer is a whole new frontier.'
Biao He Awarded R01 Funding to Study Small Molecule Inhibitors in NSCLC
UCSF Department of Surgery - Feb 04, 2009
Biao He,
Ph.D., an Assistant Professor of Surgery and molecular
geneticist in the Thoracic Oncology Laboratory, was awarded an NIH
R01 grant to study small molecule inhibitors of Wnt-2 transcription
in NSCLC. The goal of the research is to develop novel
Wnt-based therapies to treat lung cancer.
Thoracic Oncology Lab Presents Lung Cancer Data at First Ever Stem Cell Conference in Spain
DIARIO MÉDICO.COM - The Voice of Galicia - Spain - Oct 14, 2008
On October 9th-10th, 2008, Spain held its first ever
conference on Stem Cells and Cancer. The meeting was organized by
Professor Luis M. Antón Aparicio. PhD, MD,
Hospital Universitario Juan Canalejo. La Coruña. Spain
(University Hospital Juan Canalejo, in La La Coruña. Spain).
Adam Beltrán, MD,
a surgical research fellow in the Thoracic Oncology Program,
presented research about the potential therapeutic
opportunities heralded by stems cells for the
management of lung cancer. The conference was covered by
a number of Spanish media outlets resulting in
several stories.
Nature Genetics Article Sheds Light on KRAS tissue-specificity
Thoracic Oncology Lab - Oct 02, 2008
In the October tissue of Nature Genetics, scientist Minh To helped
to unravel some of the mystery behind Ras
mutation tumor-type in human cancers, a
long-standing question in the Ras field. Dr. To and
colleagues demonstrated that mice completely lacking the Kras
protein, but expressing Hras under the regulation of the Kras
locus, were highly susceptible to carcinogen induced lung
tumors....
Minh To, Ph.D. Joins Department of Surgery Faculty
UCSF Department of Surgery - Oct 01, 2008
Minh To, Ph.D. has joined the Department of Surgery
Faculty as an Assistant Adjunct Professor of Surgery in the Section
of General Thoracic Surgery, Division of Adult Cardiothoracic
Surgery. Dr. To will collaborate with the
Thoracic Oncology Laboratory. His work focuses on the role of
Kras in lung cancer susceptibility, lung cancer system
genetics and the idenfitication of novel targets for
therapeutic intervention.
"To find answers, Mrs. Addario and her
husband, along with David M.
Jablons, her surgeon from the University of California, San
Francisco, put together a two-day conference last fall of lung
cancer researchers from major institutions around the world.
She says the group identified a number of problems that hinder
progress toward a cure. Among them: Researchers didn't know what
others were doing, tissue and blood specimens needed for
experiments weren't centrally located or shared, and the findings
of experiments weren't integrated to help assess what the key
priorities should be. Mrs. Addario started a new organization, the
Addario Lung Cancer Medical
Institute, and hiredCollabRx to address some of these issues.
The company is helping the institute build a virtual specimen bank
where researchers participating in the project can share patient
specimens and establish joint standards for collecting future
specimens."
Scientists and Engineers for America (SEA) - May 20, 2008
"Surgeons may be capable of accelerating the translation of
basic research into new clinical therapies. Nevertheless, most
surgeon-scientists believe they are at a disadvantage in competing
for peer-reviewed funding, despite a recent emphasis on
"translational science" by organizations such as the NIH."
UCSF Marks Milestone with 500th Transplant in Heart and Lung Transplant
UCSF News, CA - Apr 24, 2008
"We're glad to reach this significant point in our program
because it means that a great number of patients are receiving
improvements to their health that could not otherwise be achieved
without an organ transplant," said
Charles Hoopes, MD, director of Cardiopulmonary
Transplantation at UCSF since 2002. "UCSF has a highly experienced
transplant support team and is dedicated to research focused on
continued improvement in patient survival and outcomes for
transplanted organs."
Annual Thoracic Oncology Program Retreat on April 17, 2008
Thoracic Oncology Program - Apr 09, 2008
The annual UCSF Thoracic Oncology Program Retreat will be held this Thursday, April 17th from 8:00 to 2:00 p.m.
Dr. Passi Janne, MD, Ph.D., Dana-Farber Cancer Institute will be our guest speaker this year. Dr. Janne's main research interests include the study of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and their impact on EGFR-targeted therapeutic agents such Erlotinib and Getfitinib. EGFR mutations occur primarily in a small segment of lung cancer patients, but these patients have a high response rates to such treatments. Dr. Janne's lab is studying mechanisms of developing resistance to these agents and to identify novel ways to overcome the resistance using newer agents in the labs and in clinical trials.
Survival rates exceed national averages for UCSF heart, liver and lung transplant programs
UCSF News - Feb 29, 2008
"One-year survival rates for patients receiving heart, liver and
lung transplants at UCSF Medical Center exceed national averages at
statistically significant levels, according to new data compiled by
the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR)."
World Leaders in Lung Cancer Convene for Inaurgural Lung Cancer Summit
Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation Website - Nov 09, 2007
On November 9, 2007, the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation invited leading physicians, clinicians, scientists, and researchers including a number of Thoracic Oncology Program members to convene at the University of California Mission Bay Conference Center. The Summit Meeting broke into various panel discussions focused on four major areas in the diagnosis and treatment of Lung Cancer, followed by a panel on collaborations and funding mechanisms. The summit concluded with a general brainstorming discussion on four focused areas: 1) early detection, 2) biomarkers and molecular diagnostics, 3) basic research, and 4) clinical trials. Dynamic discussions evolved from these, detailing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in creating a new landscape in the diagnosis and treatment of Lung Cancer.
Pierre Theodore Named Van Auken Endowed Chair in Thoracic Oncology
UCSF Today, CA - Nov 01, 2007
Dr. Pierre Theodore
was named the recipient of the newly created Van Auken Endowed
Chair in Thoracic Oncology. Dr.Theodore, an Assistant Professor of
Surgery performs lung transplants and surgery for lung cancer,
mesothelioma, esophageal cancer.
