ASCO Recognizes 11 Oncology Leaders

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has honored 11 people with distinguished awards in recognition of their special contributions to cancer care. The honorees include researchers, patient advocates, and leaders in the global oncology community. The awards were presented during the 2012 ASCO Annual Meeting, June 1-5, in Chicago, Illinois.

Kanti R. Rai, MD, chief of the Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Research and Treatment Program at North Shore-Long Island Jewish (LIJ) Health System and the Joel Finkelstein Cancer Foundation Professor of Medicine at Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine in New York, for establishing the Rai clinical staging system for chronic lymphocytic leukemia and improving prognostic markers for the disease.

Rakesh K. Jain, PhD, A.W. Cook Professor of Radiation Oncology (Tumor Biology) at Harvard Medical School and director of EL Steele Laboratory for Tumor Biology at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center in Boston, for creating a novel approach to imaging technologies in cancer research that has provided insights into tumor barriers and how to overcome them.

Rowan T. Chlebowski, MD, PhD, chief of Medical Oncology and Hematology at the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and researcher at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in California, for leading reports on estrogen alone and estrogen plus progestin influence on cancer endpoints, which have substantially changed clinical use of menopausal hormone therapy worldwide with associated reduction in breast cancer incidence.

Monica Morrow, MD, chief of the Breast Surgery Service, co-chief of the Breast Program, and Anne Burnett Windfohr Chair of Clinical Oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, for her distinguished record of accomplishments in advancing the field of breast cancer research.

Matti S. Aapro, MD, dean of the Multidisciplinary Oncology Institute in Genolier, Switzerland, and executive director of the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG), for his work as an active researcher in new drug development, breast cancer, cancer in the elderly, and supportive care.

Ching-Hon Pui, MD, chair of the Department of Oncology, and co-leader of the Hematological Malignancies Program at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, for his work studying the molecular definitions of childhood leukemia and of developing clinical protocols based on those findings.

Marlo Thomas, an award-winning actress, author, and activist, who also serves as the national outreach director for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, for her efforts to increase public awareness of childhood cancer and for her support of cancer research and care.

Robert F. Ozols, MD, PhD, who served as the first Audrey Weg Schaus and Geoffrey Alan Weg Chair in Medical Science, and as a senior vice president and chief clinical officer at Fox Chase Cancer Center In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, until his retirement in 2008 following two decades of service at the institution, for his research on how cancer cells develop drug resistance and on strategies for overcoming resistance.

David Satcher, MD, PhD, who served as the Surgeon General of the United States from 1998- 2001, and previously as assistant secretary for Health and director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and currently as director of the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, for his record of leadership, research, and community engagement in many areas of health policy, including childhood obesity and disparities in health.

Nancy G. Brinker, founder and CEO of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, for her global leadership in the breast cancer movement, which has led to increased government research funding and has been key to making cancer care and research a priority for policymakers.

Edith Peterson Mitchell, MD, clinical professor in the departments of Medicine and Medical Oncology and program leader of Gastrointestinal Oncology at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for helping people in medically underserved areas.