Division News
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Could a High-Fiber Diet Improve Cancer Immunotherapy Performance?
Thursday, December 14, 2023
Brendan Guercio, M.D., assitant professor of Hematology/Oncology and investigator at UR Medicine's Wilmot Cancer Institute, is at the forefront of investigating whether a high-fiber diet can boost the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapies for patients with bladder or kidney cancer. Read the full story.
Department of Medicine Celebrates Increased National Performance Rankings
Wednesday, August 9, 2023
US News & World Report released the results for the 2023-2024 Best Hospitals rankings, with Strong Memorial Hospital coming in at number one in the Rochester region! While the entire hospital celebrates this great news, the department of Medicine would like to recognize the divisions that host specialties and condition/procedures which received rankings: ALL of which greatly improved compared to last year.
“These improved rankings reflect the hard work and dedication of all of our faculty, APPs, staff, and trainees who contribute to the excellent care we provide,” said Ruth O’Regan, MD, chair of Medicine. “Our team is collaborative and innovative, paving the way for better patient outcomes. Thank you for all that you do.”
*Note, the ranking is where we stand compared to all eligible hospitals across the U.S.
Specialty: Cancer
- #196 / Improved ranking by 234
- High performing procedures and conditions:
- Leukemia, lymphoma & myeloma
- Colon cancer surgery
- Lung cancer surgery
- Prostate cancer surgery
Specialty: Cardiology, Heart & Vascular Surgery
- #140 / Improved ranking by 38
- High performing procedures and conditions:
- Heart attack
- Aortic valve surgery
- Heart failure
Specialty: Diabetes & Endocrinology
- #197 / Improved ranking by 45
- High performing procedures and conditions:
Specialty: Gastroenterology & GI Surgery
- #124 / Improved ranking by 209
- High performing specialty!
- High performing procedures and conditions:
Specialty: Geriatrics
- #259 / Improved ranking by 90
Specialty: Pulmonology & Lung Surgery
- #70 / Improved ranking by 132
- High performing specialty!
- High performing procedures and conditions:
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Lung cancer surgery
- Pneumonia
Special Mention: Nephrology, high performing procedure and condition - kidney failure
There are many factors weighed to calculate the final score. Each division has a unique set of circumstances which led to their increased rank. Across the board, “mortality” scores improved: this score is based on 30-day survival rate of patients after being admitted to the hospital. The department of Medicine credits this increase to the in-depth collaboration of most specialties with the division of Hospital Medicine, led by Justin Hopkin, MD. This multidisciplinary approach can positively impact earlier diagnosis, coordinate care for complex patients, and transition patients to where they need to be in the hospital. Hopkin notes that there have been increased efforts in better recording of how sick patients are, which leads to more precise treatment plans.
Another positive change has been the designation of URMC as an Age-Friendly Health System. As the hospital serves an increasingly large number of older patients across all specialties, the focus of Age-Friendly health care has had a positive impact on patient outcomes and satisfaction.
ASCO Recap: Division Faculty Present Work at One of Oncology’s Biggest Annual Meetings
Tuesday, June 20, 2023
Wilmot Director Jonathan Friedberg, MD, MMSc, was senior investigator on a Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) clinical study that was spotlighted at an ASCO plenary session on June 4, and in a press program.
In addition, a number of faculty members presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in Chicago, June 26.
Presenters from the Division of Hematology/Oncology included:
- Nabeel Badri, MBChB, poster: Regorafenib in older adults with metastatic colorectal cancer: A multi-center, single arm phase 2 trial.
- Paul Barr, MD, poster: Fixed-duration ibrutinib + venetoclax for first-line treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL): 4-yr follow-up from the FD cohort of the phase 2 CAPTIVATE study.
- Richard Dunne, MD, poster: Association of sarcopenia and treatment tolerability in older adults with advanced cancer: Secondary analysis of a nationwide NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) randomized clinical trial.
- Melissa Loh, MBBCh, took part in a panel and shared her perspective as a geriatric oncologist on “Shared Decision-making for Older Adults with Cancer using Available Treatment Tools.”
- Allison Magnuson, DO, also took part in a panel and presented “How to Effectively Engage with Patient and Caregiver Advocates with Diverse Perspectives in Geriatric Oncology Research.”
Jonathan Friedberg is Senior Investigator on Lymphoma Study That Likely Will Change Standard of Care
Tuesday, June 6, 2023
The groundbreaking clinical trial, which for the first time in the modern era included both adolescents and adults with advanced Hodgkin Lymphoma, showed that 94 percent of the patients treated with an experimental immunotherapy plus chemotherapy were cancer-free or had no progression of disease after one year. The research by Jonathan Friedberg, MD, MMSc, director of the Wilmot Cancer Institute, and his colleagues, was prominently featured at the nation's largest oncology meeting. Read more about this research.
Hodgkin Lymphoma Treatment: Boosting New Options for Young People with Advanced Disease
Sunday, June 4, 2023
An historic and groundbreaking clinical trial, which for the first time in the modern era included both adolescents and adults with advanced Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL), showed that 94% of the patients treated with an experimental immunotherapy plus chemotherapy were cancer-free or had no progression of disease after one year.
The results are likely to change standard treatment for this type of cancer, said University of Rochester Wilmot Cancer Institute Director Jonathan Friedberg, M.D., M.M.Sc. He is senior investigator of the study and chair of the lymphoma committee at the SWOG Cancer Research Network, which designed the S1836 trial as a part of the National Cancer Institute-funded National Clinical Trials Network.
“We hypothesized that the newer treatment would turn out to be most beneficial for patients,” Friedberg said, “but the magnitude of the benefit exceeded our expectations.”
The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is to showcase the research at a plenary session on June 4, 2023, because of its high merit and great impact on oncology research. ASCO is the largest meeting of oncologists in the world.
Read more.
Three Hematology/Oncology Faculty Members Named to ‘Exceptional Women in Medicine’ List
Monday, May 22, 2023
Three women faculty members within the Division of Hematology/Oncology have been named to the 2023 Exceptional Women in Medicine list compiled by Castle Connolly, a property of Everyday Health Group.
The larger list includes 8,400 doctors across 77 specialties; the oncology list specifically has 761 physicians in the field. All 50 states are represented.
To make the list, Castle Connolly takes nominations from physicians’ peers and assesses each based on criteria, including qualifications, education, leadership appointments, outcomes data and more.
The 2023 list was published by BeckerHospitalReview.com. The three faculty are:
Additional faculty from Wilmot Cancer Institute were also named to the list. See the full list from BeckersHospitalReview.com or learn more about Castle Connolly.
Additional faculty from Wilmot Cancer Institute were also named to the list. See the full list from BeckersHospitalReview.com or learn more about Castle Connolly
More Proof that Too Many Medications Leads to Adversity for Older Cancer Patients
Monday, February 27, 2023
Erika Ramsdale, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, was senior author on a paper that looked at the topic of “polypharmacy” – a word to describe concurrent use of multiple medications.
Read more about the study
Supriya Mohile Earns Spot in Top Medical Honor Society for Outstanding Work in Geriatric Oncology
Wednesday, February 15, 2023
Supriya Mohile, M.D., M.S., who has an international reputation for advancing the field of geriatric oncology, was honored with another milestone in her career by being elected to the American Society for Clinical Investigation, one of the oldest medical honor societies.
Read more
Liesveld Appointed Associate Chief for Academic Affairs and Hematology
Wednesday, February 15, 2023
Jane Liesveld, MD, professor of Medicine, has been named associate chief for Academic Affairs and Hematology for the division of Hematology/Oncology.
She will be responsible for the structure, organization, and oversight of promotions processes and academic guidance to rising faculty within the division. She will also serve as a leader in hematology, helping to guide clinical organization and oversight of clinical operations and other division matters relating to hematology faculty. She will work alongside division chief Aram Hezel, MD, as well as Chunkit Fung, MD, associate chief of Solid Tumor Oncology and Clinical Affairs.
“The Hematology/Oncology division has grown over the last few years,” says Liesveld, “and our faculty covers a wide berth of clinical arenas including classical hematology, hematologic and solid tumor malignancies, and cellular therapies. Heme/Onc faculty members contribute in so many creative ways to the research, patient care, and educational missions of the Medical Center, and I am excited to work with all those individuals and especially our junior faculty to help them to grow and thrive not only within our division but also in the Wilmot Cancer Institute and in the department of Medicine.”
“Dr. Liesveld has been a member of our Hematology/Oncology team for many years and we are pleased to have her taking on this important leadership position,” says Hezel, division chief of Hematology/Oncology. “Please join me in congratulating her on this role.”
New DOM Diversity Leadership Announced
Tuesday, January 17, 2023
Chunkit Fung, MD, has been named associate chair for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) for the department of Medicine. He was previously involved as co-director of DEI for the division of Hematology & Oncology, where he worked with division faculty and leadership to develop a three-year strategic plan of DEI initiatives.
He takes over the role from Marie Laryea, B.Sc., M.D.C.M. In her two years as associate chair, she and director of DEI Laura Stamm, PhD, developed the Take Action, Stand Up Toolkit, and coordinated the inaugural DOM DEI & Health Care Equity Symposium. Stamm says “I am excited for this next chapter of DEI in the department. Chunkit and I are very aligned in our vision of building collaboration and connection across the department and URMC. I look forward to creating infrastructure that allows us to capitalize on the diverse strengths and perspectives of the department's faculty, staff, and APP members.”
Fung is an associate professor at the medical school, and serves as a faculty advisor for two affinity medical student organizations, SPECTRUM (LGBTQ+ medical student organization) and the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association. Here at URMC, he was a member of the LGBTQ+ faculty advisory committee, co-chair of the UR Faculty Senate, and a member of the Mentoring and Equity in Compensation and Support Working Group for the Commission on Women and Gender Equity in Academia of the UR.
At the national level, Fung serves as a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Sexual and Gender Minorities Task Force and recently published a progress report on ASCO’s efforts in advancing health equity for LGBTQ+ people with cancer in ASCO Connection. He has volunteered for the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), which is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve LGBTQ+ equality, with more than 3 million members nationwide, and became an HRC Board Governor in 2021. He has served as tri-chair for the HRC Western and Central NY Annual Dinner. HRC recognized his efforts with the HRC Leadership Award for Rising Star Gala Leaders in 2020.
“I am truly honored to serve in my new role,” said Fung. “I want to thank Dr. Marie Laryea for her vision and efforts in building a strong foundation for us to continue this important work. I am excited to collaborate with Laura Stamm, Audrey Clements, our Community Outreach and Engagement Liaison, department leadership, and all stakeholders in our community to implement the URMC Equity and Anti-Racism Plan for our department. Over the next few months, we will be reaching out to stakeholders in the department and our community to learn about your vision for what we can do together in the DEI space. We will also host weekly walk-in office hours at the department of Medicine DEI office in the hope to meet you and hear your stories. As Martin Luther King, Jr. remarked in the Oberlin College commencement speech in 1965 ‘The time is always right to do what is right.’ We look forward to working with all of you to do what is right.”