This March, we recognize Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Colorectal cancer is the 4th most common cancer diagnosed in men and women in the US, with approximately 150,000 new cases in 2023. Although the median age of diagnosis is 66, colorectal cancer is slowly becoming a young person’s disease. The incidence and mortality rates of colorectal cancer have been steadily increasing in adults younger than 50 (known as “early-onset”) while decreasing in those over 50. Researchers predict that by 2030, colorectal cancer will be the leading cause of cancer death in young adults ages 20 – 49. These alarming trends prompted a change in the preventative screening guidelines several years ago to initiate screening at age 45 instead of 50, and some researchers are even advocating to start screening earlier than that.
Multiple myeloma (MM), an incurable malignancy of the plasma cells, impacts approximately 170,000 adults in the US. Although the treatment outcomes for myeloma have improved significantly in the last few decades, the improvements are not equally felt by all groups of patients. Various underrepresented groups with MM remain at a disadvantage when it comes to access to treatments and overall outcomes. Dr. Cerchione and her team recently examined these disparities in a comprehensive analysis of underserved patients battling myeloma and discussed how we can better manage these populations.
The incidence of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) continues to rise, with an estimated 81,800 new cases in 2023. While the majority of cases are diagnosed as localized disease and have favorable prognoses, the minority with metastatic disease have dismal long-term outcomes. Many advancements have been made in recent years in the treatment of RCC, including the effective combination of immune checkpoint blockade and angiogenesis inhibition and the approval of a novel HIF-2 inhibitor for von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease or advanced RCC. Despite these advancements, RCC remains a challenging cancer to understand and treat, with complex metabolic pathways, low response rates to immunotherapy approaches, and high rates of resistance.
Dr. John Powderly II, Medical Oncologist, Certified Physician Investigator, and Founder and President of Carolina BioOncology Institute and BioCytics, realized early on in his medical career that he felt a strong passion for cellular therapies. As a 4th year medical student interning under the mentorship of immunotherapy pioneer Dr. Steven Rosenberg at the National Cancer Institute, Dr. Powderly first started working with cellular therapies in the mid-1990s and has since dedicated his career to this therapeutic area. Shortly after completing his oncology fellowship at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Dr. Powderly founded the Carolina BioOncology Institute (CBOI) in 2005 as a community-based clinic specializing in early phase immunotherapy and cellular therapy trials. Located in Charlotte, North Carolina, CBOI is the only independent phase I cancer center with cellular manufacturing capabilities on the east coast and serves as a regional hub for access to phase I trials in the community setting.
It is well known that rates of cancer clinical trial enrollment are low: less than 10% of adults with cancer participate in cancer treatment trials, and most of these participants hail from academic institutions. Although a vast supply of community oncology programs are making vital contributions to the world of cancer research, there remains opportunity for even more impact. Countless barriers exist to conducting successful clinical research—it is hard enough at times for large academic centers to carry out research, and exponentially harder for smaller community programs with significantly fewer resources.
When healthcare providers think about cancer clinical trials and the types of people who are involved in conducting those trials, they probably think of physicians, study coordinators, data monitors, research nurses – and maybe a few other roles. Chances are, they are not thinking of a social worker. Social workers themselves may not even recognize their own potential impact in clinical research. In honor of National Social Work Month this March, we interviewed Amy Corveleyn, MSW, LICSW, Clinical Social Work Lead at Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Chair of the Association of Oncology Social Work’s (AOSW) Research Special Interest Group, and new Research Director for AOSW, about her research work and her views on the importance of the social work perspective in oncology research.