By Peter J. O’Dwyer, MD (left)
and Mitchell D. Schnall, MD, PhD

We are delighted to report that a groundbreaking trial in glioma is on the cusp of opening in ECOG-ACRIN in the next couple of days. As you will see from the description of this trial in this issue, early evaluation of response after therapy has been a challenge in the field, and the inability to determine which patients are responding and which are not has delayed the implementation of alternative therapies. The GABLE trial, led by Dr. Daniel Barboriak, brings a number of state-of-the-art imaging technologies to the early assessment of patients after treatment. If successful, the results will help patients by enabling an early change in therapy when it may do the most good and help the field by providing more accurate assessments of benefit from various interventions.

A broad range of accomplishments and appointments has emerged in the past month, and we report within the appointment of Dr. Etta Pisano as senior portfolio lead for ARPA-H. In this role, she will oversee cutting-edge oncology trials funded by ARPA-H. We will lose her expertise in leading the Prevention, Screening and Surveillance Committee, but she will continue to lead the TMIST trial, now approaching its target accrual. We also discuss the election of Dr. Antonio Wolff as chair, NCI Breast Cancer Steering Committee, in which role he must step down as ECOG-ACRIN Breast Cancer Committee Chair. His successes in this role are enumerated, including the TAILORx, E4112, E2108, and EA1141 trials, but we would highlight his collaborative approach to trial development, and his championing of early-career investigators. As with Dr. Pisano, we will be fortunate to have his continued involvement as a committee member.

Preparations are being finalized for our Group Meeting in Baltimore in a few weeks. This promises to be a highly productive and interactive meeting, fueled by in-person registrations exceeding even those of our fall 2023 meeting. The Translational Science Symposium represents a collection of experts in molecular targeting of cancer treatment, both in the operating room and for theranostic application. As everyone is aware, the increasing ability to target tumors specifically and with individualized precision takes us far beyond precision as defined by DNA aberrations, and the symposium agenda considers both efficacy and potential late toxicity. This session will offer up-to-date assessments of new applications, which in turn suggest new paradigms for research in other diseases.

In January, we lost one of the most impactful investigators ECOG-ACRIN has known, Dr. Edith P. Mitchell. At this Spring 2024 Group Meeting there are two events celebrating her life. First, all former (and current) recipients of the Edith Peterson Mitchell, MD Health Equity Travel Scholarships (formerly known as the ECOG-ACRIN Minority Travel Scholarships) will be paired with ECOG-ACRIN mentors during the Health Equity Committee Session. Secondly, we will devote an hour segment of the General Session to celebrating the accomplishments of her storied career, and especially to identifying the ways in which we will build upon her foundation in health equity, diversity of both patients and researchers, and the important collaboration with the National Medical Association, a key link to the community. All ECOG-ACRIN members are cordially invited (and encouraged) to attend.

Finally, we welcome the appointment of Dr. Brandy Heckman-Stoddard, whose positions in the NCI’s Division of Cancer Prevention include roles as chief of the Breast and Gynecologic Cancer Research Group, acting chief, Community Oncology and Prevention Trials Research Group, and now in the role defined by Dr. Worta McCaskill-Stevens, acting director, NCI Community Oncology Research Program. We have had productive meetings already with Dr. Heckman-Stoddard and look forward to a valuable partnership with her going forward.

Read the April 2024 issue here.