World Cancer Research Day

To highlight the importance of lifesaving cancer research, World Cancer Research day is celebrated on the 24th of September. The 2022 theme is “Cancer Research Works: Driving Progress Together.” Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey prevails, as the state’s leading cancer center and only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, together with RWJBarnabas Health, to address the cancer research demands of one of the most diverse and densely populated states in the nation. From genetic implications to exploring cellular therapy, the impact of self-cannibalization of cancer cells and more, experts at Rutgers Cancer Institute are always working to translate cancer discoveries into today’s treatments. Learn more.

Research Highlights and News

illustration of DNA helixUnraveling of Genetic Mechanism Behind Tumor Formation May Improve Targeted Treatment for Cancer Patients
Shridar Ganesan, MD, PhD, chief of molecular oncology and associate director for translational research at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, along with colleagues at the Netherlands Cancer Institute, other Oncode investigators, and with Amsterdam Academic University and biopharmaceutical companies Incyte and Debiopharm, collaborated on a project exploring genetic alterations in the FGFR2 gene to improve targeted therapy for cancer patients The results, published in the online version of Nature (DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05066-5), highlights the importance of studying the functional consequences of genetic changes in tumors. Read more

 

Doctor consultation with male patient health disease in medical clinic or hospital healthTreatment of Precancerous Lesions in HIV Individuals Reduces Anal Cancer Risk by Half
A study conducted through the National Cancer Institute-supported AIDS Malignancy Consortium and recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine reveals that treatment of a precancerous condition known as HSIL (High Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions) of the anus in individuals living with HIV reduces the risk of developing anal cancer in this population by more than half. Mark H. Einstein, MD, MS, FACS, FACOG, a researcher in the Clinical Investigations and Precision Therapeutics Program at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, associate dean of clinical research and professor and chair of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Health at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, is an author on the work. Read more

 

illustration of colon with cancerous growthRutgers Cancer Institute Investigators Explore Colon Microbes as Treatment Option for Colon Cancer 
Subhajyoti De, PhD, researcher at Rutgers Cancer Institute and Shridar Ganesan, MD, PhD, chief of molecular oncology, associate director for translational research and Omar Boraie Chair in Genomic Science at Rutgers Cancer Institute, who are both faculty members at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, led a collaborative study to examine the patterns of druggable oncogenic fusions in colon cancer specimens including microsatellite-stable and unstable (MSI) tumors. This study provides clues why colon cancer harboring MSI is enriched for specific oncogenic kinase fusions, which are uncommon in other mismatch-repair deficient cancers. Dr. De and Dr. Ganesan are senior authors of the work and share more about the findings published in the online version of JCO Precision Oncology. Read more

 

sunglasses sitting on platformExploring Sun Protection among Outdoor Workers 
Carolyn J. Heckman, PhD, co-leader of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and an associate professor of medicine at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and Zhaomeng Niu, PhD, research associate at Rutgers Cancer Institute examined sunburns and sun protection behaviors among male Hispanic outdoor day laborers in the Northeast U.S., finding that male Hispanic outdoor laborers in New Jersey did not engage in sufficient sun protection behaviors. The work was published in the February 2022 online edition of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Read more
 

abstract illustration of lungs on dark blue background$3.5 Million NIH Grant Will Support a new ‘Lens’ in Lung Cancer Screening
With the aid of a $3.5 million National Institutes of Health grant (R01HL158850), investigators from Rutgers Cancer Institute along with Holden Cancer Center at the University of Iowa, and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, are collaborating on a project to address lung cancer screening disparities among individuals with a history of heavy smoking. The study is led by principal investigator Anita Kinney, PhD, director of the Cancer Health Equity Center of Excellence at Rutgers Cancer Institute and Rutgers School of Public Health. Read more