Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) are making strides against cancer every day. New research includes helping to develop a machine-learning tool to help find cancer cells that remain after surgery, testing a liquid biopsy approach that shows promise in detecting lunger cancer, and finding that checkpoint inhibitors are effective against endometrial and ovarian cancers with DNA-repair deficiency. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4cqbAO3

Last fall, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK)'s Gerstner Sloan Kettering Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSK) launched a first-of-its-kind PhD program in cancer engineering to enable aspiring scientists to tackle tough cancer problems. Students in the program have unparalleled access to cutting-edge tools and have the opportunity to engineer brand new technologies to accelerate discovery. MSK biomedical engineer Dr. Dan Heller and MSK biochemist and bioengineer Dr. Kayvan Keshari are eager to mentor students from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines, including engineering and the physical sciences. “In most institutions, you can develop amazing technologies but never translate your ideas,” Dr. Keshari says. “At MSK, you might actually be able to do something that can change someone’s life." Learn more: https://bit.ly/4cGOCSh

Staff Highlight: Leif Ericksen, Associate Director of Retail and Hospitality Services at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), plays an important role in ensuring that guests, patients, visitors, and staff receive exceptional hospitality and service. Having recently celebrated his five-year anniversary, Leif reflects on a diverse and dynamic career in hospitality, and ultimately, finding his true calling at MSK. "I had never considered working in a hospital before, as I mostly tried to avoid visiting them,” Leif says. “However, my perspective changed profoundly after my father spent several years in care facilities due to a long illness. Witnessing the care and compassion the healthcare providers showed my father gave me a newfound appreciation for healthcare facilities.” Leif acknowledges the impact of his mentors and the diverse personalities he has encountered in the hospitality industry. "Working in hospitality and hotels helps you develop thick skin and teaches you how to work with a wide range of personalities while seeing the good in people," he says. "As hospitality workers, it's up to us to be empathetic...helping people get what they need in tough situations." Leif's leadership has not only enhanced the experiences of patients and staff but has also fostered a sense of community and care during challenging times.

A new art exhibition “Our Voices, Our Streets” is now open at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK)'s Brooklyn Infusion Center featuring powerful images that reveal fascinating slices of New York City life from the past 50 years. Melissa Dallal, Project Manager for Interior Design at MSK, and Maurisha Osi, Senior Manager for Outpatient Operations at MSK, recognize the exhibition’s significance for patients, staff, and the local community. "[One of our security guards] told me that people were taking photos of the exhibition through the window,” Melissa says. “He said it was like nothing he’d ever seen before!” The exhibit, found in the front lobby, showcases the photography of Fred McDarrah, who was staff photographer at the "Village Voice" for 50 years, and Miranda Barnes, a Brooklyn-born photographer.

A new imaging technique developed at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) shows promise for detecting deadly forms of lung cancer and prostate cancer. The technology uses a radioactive particle that binds to a ligand (molecule) on cancer cells called DLL3, making the cells more visible on PET scans. The DLL3 ligand is especially prominent in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC). Detecting these cancers would help identify patients who might respond well to a new class of drugs that target DLL3. Results from the first pilot study, published in The Lancet, show that the imaging agent reliably detected cancer cells containing DLL3 in 18 patients. There were no safety concerns, and researchers are already planning to test the radioactive agent in a larger group. An accompanying commentary in the journal called the research “a pivotal milestone” that is “notable for its scientific novelty and the potential to improve patient outcomes.” Learn more: https://bit.ly/3RRdqPs

Dr. Eytan Stein, a hematologic oncologist and Director of the Program for Drug Development in Leukemia at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), led a clinical trial which showed that a menin inhibitor called revumenib was effective in people whose cancer had certain molecular mutations common in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). “We now have a much better understanding of what drives this disease,” says Dr. Stein. “It’s an amazing, exciting time to be doing leukemia research." Learn more: https://bit.ly/3W4nJCj

In this month's Cancer Straight Talk podcast from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), host Dr. Diane Reidy-Lagunes speaks with a team of MSK experts to demystify three breast cancer treatment options: surgery, radiation, and reconstruction. Listen to the full episode, featuring breast surgeon Dr. Tracy-Ann Moo, radiation oncologist Dr. Michael Bernstein, and plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Michelle Coriddi: https://bit.ly/3RPnaK9

Throughout June, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) has been celebrating #PrideMonth across the city at MSK-sponsored events. It’s been wonderful to enjoy these moments with MSK staff, patients, friends, and families. We look forward to closing out our last event this Saturday at Harlem Pride. Here are a few photos from across the region.

Dr. Ghassan K. Abou-Alfa, a gastrointestinal oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), will be co-chairing the 14th annual Asia-Pacific Primary Liver Cancer Expert Meeting (APPLE 2024) from July 18-20 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Experts from around the world will discuss the latest advances in diagnosis and treating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, and fibrolamellar carcinoma. Topics will also include molecular pathogenesis and pathology of HCC, surgery and liver transplantation, locoregional therapy, and systemic therapy for advanced HCC. Learn more about APPLE 2024: https://bit.ly/45N8pxd

Dr. Deb Schrag, a gastrointestinal oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK), led a study to help people with rectal cancer potentially avoid serious side effects from radiation. “My colleagues and I began seeing more young women with rectal cancer who were devastated — not just because they had cancer but because the standard treatment we had to offer them would mean that they would not be able to carry a pregnancy to term,” Dr. Schrag says. “That was one of the big reasons we looked for a way to help patients — and to see if we could achieve favorable outcomes without the uniform application of radiation.” After five years, the results were clear: The patients who received only chemotherapy before surgery did just as well as the patients who received traditional chemo and radiation, offering doctors and patients a new treatment option that eliminated the side effects of radiation. Learn more about this clinical trial and its aim to reduce side effects of cancer treatment: https://bit.ly/3xAqi5Q