DREAMseq Results Selected as JCO 2023 Paper of the Year

A team of melanoma researchers, led by Michael B. Atkins, MD (Georgetown University/Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center), was honored with the 2023 Paper of the Year distinction by the Journal of Clinical Oncology. This recognition signified that the paper had the greatest impact and reach among all the journal's papers in 2023. The DREAMseq (EA6134) randomized phase 3 clinical trial showed an optimal treatment sequence for combination therapy in patients with advanced melanoma with a BRAF V600 tumor gene mutation. The sequence beginning with immunotherapy, followed by targeted therapy if there was disease progression, resulted in a 20% absolute improvement in 2-year overall survival compared with the reverse sequence.

Penn Radiology and Aunt Minnie Launch Radiology Podcast

Keeping Up With the Radiologists is a new podcast series about the practice of radiology, formed by a partnership between the University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Radiology and AuntMinnie.com. The podcast is hosted by Saurabh (Harry) Jha, MD, and Mitchell D. Schnall MD, PhD, who chairs Penn Radiology and is group co-chair for ECOG-ACRIN (pictured at left). It will cover science, policy, history, economics, education, resident life, and artificial intelligence. The first episode discusses why medical students should consider a career in radiology. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Save the Date for the Spring 2024 Group Meeting

Mark your calendar for the Spring 2024 Group Meeting, Wednesday, May 1 – Friday, May 3, to be held in person at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland. Sessions will likely begin early in the morning on Wednesday and end mid-afternoon on Friday (subject to change). Additional details will be available when registration opens in mid-February. Look for an email to all ECOG-ACRIN members when registration is available. As usual, the meeting is open to researchers and staff affiliated with member institutions, ECOG-ACRIN patient advocates, industry representatives, and other invited individuals.

Call for Nominations: Young Investigator Award

ECOG-ACRIN is now accepting nominations for the 2024 Young Investigator Award. This professional honor recognizes scientific achievements made by investigators under the age of 46. It is one of the Group’s highest distinctions. Members of the ECOG-ACRIN Executive Committee and Principal Investigator Committee are eligible to submit nominations through Thursday, February 22, 2024, at 11:59 PM (Eastern Time). Learn more.

Fellows: Apply for the Paul Carbone, MD Fellowship Award

ECOG-ACRIN is now accepting applications for the 2024 Paul Carbone, MD Fellowship Award. Each year, the Group names one outstanding senior oncology or hematology research fellow at a member institution to receive this award and associated professional recognition. This research grant aims to develop and promote excellence in clinical trials leading to improvements in cancer care. To be eligible for consideration, a physician should be able to conduct their research project during a fellowship. The submission deadline is Thursday, February 22, 2024, at 11:59 PM (Eastern Time). Learn more.

Call for Nominations: Remarkable Mentor to Women in Oncology Award

ECOG-ACRIN is now accepting nominations for the 2024 Remarkable Mentor to Women in Oncology Award. The award recognizes an ECOG-ACRIN member who has shown sustained commitment to developing the careers of women in cancer medicine and has had an impact through advancing women investigators in the Group. It is one of ECOG-ACRIN’s highest distinctions. Members of the ECOG-ACRIN Executive Committee, Principal Investigator Committee, and Task Force on Advancement for Women are eligible to submit nominations. The deadline is Thursday, March 7, 2024, at 11:59 PM (Eastern Time). Learn more.

Edith Peterson Mitchell, MD Health Equity Travel Scholarships

ECOG-ACRIN offers travel scholarships to encourage underrepresented trainees from ECOG-ACRIN member institutions to attend the Group Meeting. This program is open to students, residents, fellows, and early career investigators who self-identify with populations historically excluded from medicine and science, as well as trainees with a primary focus on health equity. Applications are now open and must be submitted to EAscholarship@ecog-acrin.org by Monday, March 11, 2024, at 11:59 PM (Eastern Time). Learn more.

TMIST Trial Enrollment Reaches 75% 

The study chair for this trial is Etta D. Pisano, MD (American College of Radiology).

Enrollment in the Tomosynthesis Mammographic Imaging Screening Trial (TMIST) stands at 96,865 women as of February 5, 2024 (towards the goal of 128,905 participants).

“Through the dedication of participating trial sites, TMIST enrollment has hit 75%. This is a testament to the fact that the study question remains unanswered and that sites are communicating effectively with women in their communities,” said Dr. Pisano. “I ask that practices redouble their efforts with the goal of reaching our 100,000 milestone as quickly as possible in 2024.”

The trial is running in the United States, Argentina, Canada, Peru, South Korea, and Italy—and now has participants in Thailand (Chiang Mai University)! Welcome to Carle BroMenn Outpatient Center, Carle BroMenn Medical Center, and Northwestern Cancer Center-Valparaiso, the latest sites to activate TMIST. With these new additions, there were 129 active sites during the last quarter.

Learn more about TMIST and read the latest newsletter for sites on ecog-acrin.org.

JCO Oncology Practice Publishes APP Survey Results

In the last newsletter, we described a system-wide Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Working Group that is encouraging cancer centers and community-based hospitals nationwide to create more opportunities for APPs in oncology clinical research funded by the National Cancer Institute (read Opportunity Knocks: Harnessing the Skills of Advanced Practice Providers for Cancer Clinical Research). A new report, “Defining the Role of the Advanced Practice Provider Within the National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program,” is authored by the APP Working Group, which includes experts from the cooperative groups and the NCI. This report benchmarks the current rate of APP involvement in clinical research at NCORP practices and suggests strategies for increasing it. The data are from the 2022 NCORP Landscape Assessment Survey. Brawn-Inglis CM et al. JCO Oncol Pract. January 2024 (Subscription Required)