NCI Honors Kathy Yost Butler With Harry Hynes Award

Kathleen Yost Butler, MD, has won the 2025 Harry Hynes Award for Outstanding Contributions to Clinical Trials and Community Research from the National Cancer Institute (NCI). She was recognized at the recent NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) Annual Meeting in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Yost Butler is the principal investigator for the Cancer Research Consortium of West Michigan NCORP and chair of the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group (ECOG-ACRIN) Community Advisory Committee for the ECOG-ACRIN NCORP Research Base. 

“Dr. Yost exemplifies the true spirit of a community oncologist,” said Lynne Wagner, PhD, co-principal investigator of the ECOG-ACRIN NCORP Research Base. “She uses her voice to amplify the experiences of her patients and her colleagues, with a focus on identifying opportunities to improve care delivery and outcomes. She is a great role model for us all.”

The award is given annually in honor of Harry E. Hynes, MD, PhD, a champion of community-based oncology and clinical trials, and a founder of the Cancer Center of Kansas.

Stanford Highlights Heather Wakelee’s Exemplary Mentorship

In a recent article, Stanford Medicine details how Heather A. Wakelee, MD, is shaping the future of oncology through intentional mentorship—and particularly in the mentorship of women. The article highlights the impact of mentorship and outlines Dr. Wakelee’s approach to being effective in the role. In 2024, ECOG-ACRIN recognized Dr. Wakelee for her efforts in this area by selecting her for its Remarkable Mentor in Oncology Award.

Dr. Wakelee is an internationally renowned researcher who focuses on the treatment of patients living with lung cancer, thymoma, and mesothelioma. She is the deputy director of the Stanford Cancer Institute and the division chief of oncology at Stanford Medicine. At ECOG-ACRIN, she is one of the organization’s most active mentors of young investigators. She also serves on the Executive Committee, the Task Force on Career Advancement, and the Thoracic Cancer Committee. She previously served as principal investigator for Stanford on the Principal Investigator Committee and as chair of the Thoracic Cancer Committee. In 2015, she was named Young Investigator of the Year by ECOG-ACRIN. Read the full article.

Johns Hopkins Promotes Antonio Wolff

Johns Hopkins University and The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center recently announced new leadership for its Breast and Gynecologic Cancer Program: Antonio C. Wolff, MD, and Mikala Egeblad, PhD, have been appointed as co-directors. Together, they will lead a multidisciplinary faculty team that includes colleagues in gynecologic oncology, medical oncology, surgical oncology, pathology, radiation oncology, radiology, and basic sciences across the university. Among the goals are supporting multi-project grants, cross-disciplinary research, education and mentorship, and expanding patient access at all Kimmel locations.

Dr. Wolff is a professor of oncology at Johns Hopkins University and is internationally recognized for his contributions to breast cancer treatment trials, as well as his role in the development of breast cancer biomarkers such as HER2. He served as co-chair of the ECOG-ACRIN Breast Cancer Committee from 2013-2017, when he become chair until 2024. He stepped down to become co-chair of the NCI Breast Cancer Steering Committee, a position he continues to hold. Read the full press release.

Society of Surgical Oncology Highlights PUMP Trial

This month, the SurgOnc Today Podcast is featuring the ECOG-ACRIN PUMP trial (EA2222) for patients with colorectal cancer that has spread to the liver. The episode includes an interview with Michael Lidsky, MD (Duke University), the lead investigator for the PUMP trial. This podcast is part of a Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) educational series on hepatic artery infusion (HAI) therapy. This treatment method delivers chemotherapy drugs directly to the liver through the hepatic artery. Its use has expanded across the United States and worldwide over the last 5 years. Listen to the episode on the SSO website (also available on Apple and Spotify).

Suresh Ramalingam on Cancer Research: "Not the Time to Back Off"

In the latest episode of The Directors Podcast by The Cancer Letter, Suresh S. Ramalingam, MD (Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University) and Ben Ho Park, MD, PhD (Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center), discuss funding uncertainties in cancer research amidst NIH grant losses, layoffs, and hiring freezes. This has lowered morale and raised concerns about sustaining research and attracting new investigators, which they stress is paramount at this time.

Dr. Ramalingam, who oversees ECOG-ACRIN's Therapeutic Studies Program, emphasizes, "We're at a transformational time made possible by investments the nation has made in cancer programs over several decades. And this is not the time to back off." They remain optimistic, citing advances in targeted therapies, and advocate for diversified funding through philanthropy and state initiatives, alongside stronger patient advocacy to maintain research momentum. Watch and listen to the full episode, as well as read the related article at The Cancer Letter.

10-Year CHAARTED Trial Results Show Survival Gains

The CHAARTED (E3805) trial for men with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) is attracting significant media attention after a long-term follow-up report was published last month. The analysis, led by Abhishek Tripathy (City of Hope), focuses on 10-year overall survival, stratified by disease volume and on-therapy PSA levels at 6 months. Coverage, such as by the American Medical Journal, highlights new information from this landmark trial that will have an immediate impact on clinical practice.

After 10 years, standard androgen deprivation therapy plus docetaxel chemotherapy (ADT+D) provides a significant survival advantage for men with mHSPC. The survival benefit was especially seen for those with high-volume disease; specifically, the rates were 20.9% for ADT+D compared to 11.4% for ADT alone. The authors stress the importance of considering disease burden when deciding treatment. Furthermore, treatment with ADT+D significantly increased the likelihood of achieving a PSA level below 0.2 ng/mL by 6 months, supporting its role as an early biomarker to guide response-adapted strategies. 

Reminder: Register for the Fall 2025 Group Meeting

There is still time to register for the ECOG-ACRIN Fall 2025 Group Meeting, taking place Wednesday, October 22-Friday, October 24, in Philadelphia. Most open sessions will be hybrid (available both in-person and virtually). View the schedule on the Group Meeting website and register for three days of engaging sessions highlighting the latest in basic, clinical, and translational research.

Featured Sessions  

Group leaders encourage attendees to take part in the following sessions (all times below are Eastern Time):

Wednesday, October 22

• Young Investigator Symposium | 11:00 AM-1:00 PM
• Robert L. Comis, MD Translational Science Symposium | 3:00-5:00 PM
• Task Force on Career Advancement | 6:30-7:30 PM
• Task Force on Career Advancement Networking Hour | 7:30-8:30 PM

Thursday, October 23

• TMIST Update and Education Session | 9:30-10:30 AM
• ComboMATCH and MyeloMATCH Update and Education Session | 1:00-2:00 PM
• General Session | 5:30-7:30 PM
• Reception | 7:30-9:30 PM

Friday, October 24

• Pharmacist, Oncology Nurse, CRA/Data Manager Education Symposium | 8:00-10:00 AM

National Academies Workshop: Person-Centered Cancer Research

On September 29-30, 2025, the National Academies’ National Cancer Policy Forum and the Forum on Drug Discovery, Development, and Translation are hosting a hybrid public workshop: Innovative Person-Centered Clinical Cancer Research. The event will explore how to use real-world experiences to positively influence patient care outcomes—while confronting challenges like completeness, reliability, and validity. Be part of the conversation, connect with scientists, clinicians, patients, and policy experts, and help shape the future of cancer care. Learn more and register.