Member Monday: May 13, 2019

Every other Monday, ACCC highlights the latest news, announcements, resources, and innovations from our member cancer programs. To submit your program, visit the Member News Submission Portal and complete a brief form.

Tackling Melanoma in Pennsylvania

On May 6, the Abramson Cancer Center at Penn Medicine in Philadelphia, PA, opened the Tara Miller Melanoma Center, a new center dedicated to fighting melanoma through researching new treatments including immunotherapy. The center is dedicated to Tara Miller, a patient diagnosed with advanced melanoma at age 28 who started a foundation to raise funds for research; Miller died on October 14, 2014, at age 29.

Identifying Cancer Risk in Minnesota

Essentia Health-St. Joseph's Medical Center in Brainerd, MN, recently implemented a program to identify women who are at a higher risk of breast cancer than average. Through referral from primary care or an OB-GYN provider, patients are evaluated for personal and family medical histories and given a personalized care plan for cancer risk reduction and surveillance and screening recommendations.

Reducing Time to Treatment in Ohio

As part of a continuous process improvement initiative, Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute in Cleveland, OH, was able to reduce median time from diagnosis to treatment for all cancer types by 33 percent in a four-year period. The cancer center published their findings and insight in NEJM Catalyst.

Advancing Clinical Cancer Trials in Oklahoma

The Stephenson Cancer Center at OU Medicine in Oklahoma City, OK, has received a $10.8 million grant from the National Cancer Institute for its clinical trials program, which ranks as the nation's leader in number of participating patients through NCI's National Clinical Trials network. This grant comes less than a year after the cancer center earned NCI Cancer Center designation.

JTCC and Georgetown Join Forces

On May 7, the John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, NJ, announced that it has been approved by the National Cancer Institute to become a member of the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center Consortium, one of just 16 NCI-designated consortia. The consortium will target cancer disparities in four key areas: cancer prevention and control, experimental therapeutics, molecular oncology, and breast cancer.

Congratulations to Our New Cancer Programs!

It's our honor and privilege to welcome the following cancer programs as new ACCC Cancer Program Members:

• Allegheny Health Network Cancer Institute - Pittsburgh, Penn.
• UChicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center - Chicago, Ill.
• Roger S. Good Cancer Treatment Center - Porterville, Calif.