Thoracic Oncology Lab News

Putting Drug Development In Patients' Hands

"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."

Annual Thoracic Oncology Program Retreat on April 17, 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.

Former executive employs skills to fight lung cancer

"Bonnie J. Addario is a lung cancer survivor who was motivated to start a foundation dedicated to raising awareness about the disease. 'I was just outraged about the lung cancer statistics, about the fact that 450 people a day die just in the United States,' she said.............David Jablons was one of the four doctors who performed Addario's surgery at UCSF. Because Addario asked so many questions while she was under his care, Jablons asked Addario to become a member of his thoracic advisory board."

World Leaders in Lung Cancer Convene for Inaurgural Lung Cancer Summit

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.

Liang You Recipient of David Jablons “Asclepios” Award

Liang You, MD, PhD was presented with the David Jablons “Asclepios” Award for his pioneering research. The award honors those whose dedication to healing exemplifies the principles and spirit of Asclepios, Greek God of Medicine and Healing. The award was presented at the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation’s annual fundraising event in San Francisco.

Zhidong Xu Invited Speaker at 14th European Cancer Conference

Zhidong Xu, Ph.D., a senior scientist in the Thoracic Oncology Lab and Assistant Adjunct Professor of Surgery, spoke at the 14th European Cancer Conference (ECCO 14) in Barcelona, Spain. In his talk, Novel agents targeting the Wnt pathway in lung cancer, Dr. Xu discussed how predictive markers could be used in conjunction with targeted therapies in lung cancer.

Visiting Scholar Chunlei Shi, M.D. Joins Thoracic Oncology Lab

Chunlei  Shi, M.D., Associate Professor in Thoracic Oncology from Shanghai Chest Hospital, has joined the Thoracic Oncology Laboratory as a visiting scholar. Dr. Shi will be studying the conduct of lung cancer clinical trials in US. And how  medical practice at UCSF in thoracic oncology differs from that in her hospital in Shanghai.

Biao He Awarded Lung Cancer Research Grant by Joan’s Legacy

Biao He, PhD was awarded a $100,000 grant from the Joan Scarangello Foundation to Conquer Lung Cancer, also known as  Joan’s Legacy to study Bronchioalveolar Carcinoma (BAC): Identification of Novel Wnt Signaling-Related Therapeutic Targets Against Bronchioalveolar Carcinoma.

UCSF Researchers Fingerprint Lung Tumors, Test New Drug Candidate

 Adding their own contributions to a rapidly advancing field, UCSF researchers - along with colleagues from Incyte Corporation and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center - have described new targets in lung cancer and evaluated a promising new drug candidate that halts growth signals in tumor cells grown in the lab. Their report is featured in the July issue of the scientific journal Cancer Cell. 

Brothers in Arms - Working nights at UCSF to cure mesothelioma, spurred by a widower's grief and hard-raised cash

"Dr. David Jablons couldn't save Karen Peterson's life or even extend it. But he could give quality to whatever life she had left. That turned out to be about nine months, long enough for her twin boys to see her waterskiing on Lake Tahoe and boogie-boarding in Oceanside and laughing more than coughing."

"Jablons, chief cardiothoracic surgeon at UCSF, was the last in a line of specialists Peterson had sought out coast to coast in a 22-month battle against mesothelioma, the asbestos-induced cancer that had stuck like glue in the lining of her lungs. Of all the doctors she had seen, Jablons had been the most realistic and honest about her chances, so he was the one her husband, Jeff Peterson, called a month after she died." 

Beijing Conference To Address Lung Cancer Crisis In China

“We will discuss the most sophisticated approaches to lung cancer in the world,” said David Jablons, MD, UCSF associate professor of surgery and program leader of the UCSF Thoracic Oncology Program. “Both the scope of the problem and the barriers to care in China are dramatic, but we hope this conference can help rally the international scientific community to address the crisis.” Jablons, who conducts translational research into targeted cancer therapies, is director of the UCSF Thoracic Oncology Laboratory."