Billions of dollars and countless hours of research have been poured into fighting the scourge of cancer. But the work has yielded little tangible benefit, according to leading American oncologist, Dr Azra Reza. Treating cancer continues to be expensive, incredibly painful and oftentimes ineffective at keeping a patient alive, she argues.
The Cancer Questions Project, Part 30: Leroy Hood
Leroy “Lee” Edward Hood is a Senior Vice President and Chief Science Officer, Providence St. Joseph Health; Chief Strategy Officer, Co-founder and Professor at Institute for Systems Biology. Previously Dr. Hood served on the faculties at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and the University of Washington. Dr. Hood is a world-renowned scientist and a recipient of the National Medal of Science in 2011. He has developed ground-breaking scientific instruments which made possible major advances in the biological sciences and the medical sciences. These include the first gas phase protein sequencer, a DNA synthesizer, a peptide synthesizer, the first automated DNA sequencer, ink-jet oligonucleotide technology for synthesizing DNA and nanostring technology for analyzing single molecules of DNA and RNA. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the National Academy of Medicine. Of the more than 6,000 scientists worldwide who belong to one or more of these academies, Dr. Hood is one of only 20 people elected to all three.
The Cancer Questions Project, Part 29: Leonidas Platanias
Leonidas C. Platanias, MD, PhD, is the director of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University. He is the Lurie Family Professor of Oncology and Professor of Medicine and Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology and started his research career at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, followed by clinical training in Medicine in New York and Hematology-Oncology at the University of Chicago. Dr. Platanias’s research work focuses on cytokine signaling pathways in malignant cells and the targeting of such pathways for the treatment of leukemias. He has published more than 320 papers in national and international scientific journals. He is the recipient of several grants including R01, U54, T32, and P30 awards from the National Cancer Institute and an I01 Merit Review (VA). His work is recognized by numerous awards, including the Seymour and Vivian Milstein Award for outstanding contributions in cytokine research. A member of various scientific societies, Platanias served as President of the International Cytokine Society and in other national leadership positions. He serves as Associate Editor and/or in the editorial board of several scientific journals and has chaired and/or been a member of several NIH, VA and DOD study sections.
The Cancer Questions Project, Part 28: Jaroslaw Maciejewski
Jaroslaw Maciejewski, MD, PhD is a Chairman of Translational Hematology and Oncology Research at the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute, and a professor of medicine at Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University. He is also Associate Director for Translational Research and Co-Leader, Hematopoietic and Immune Cancer Biology Program, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Maciejewski is recognized for his leadership in finding better treatments and a cure for bone marrow failure diseases.
The Cancer Questions Project, Part 27: Robert A. Gatenby
Dr. Robert A. Gatenby is the pioneer of Integrative Mathematical Oncology making Moffitt Cancer Center the only one in the world that has completely integrated mathematical modeling and computer simulations into basic science and clinical research. His goal is to use mathematics to examine the physiology of a tumor, including factors such as phenotypic evolution, intracellular communication pathways and interactions with the microenvironment including therapies. He is currently the chair of the Moffitt Cancer Center Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Intervention Radiology with over 400 publications to his name.
The Cancer Questions Project, Part 26: Michelle M. Le Beau
Michelle M. Le Beau, Arthur and Marian Edelstein Professor of Medicine, is a leading authority in hematologic malignancies. Her groundbreaking research led to the identification of the recurring cytogenetic abnormalities in hematological malignant diseases, in defining the clinical, morphological, and cytogenetic subsets of leukemias and lymphomas, and in identifying the genetic pathways that lead to myeloid leukemias. She is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the American Association for Cancer Research, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the American Society of Hematology. Her current research focus is on therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia.
Dr. Azra Raza talks about cancer research and treatment in the U.S.
CGTN’s Rachelle Akuffo spoke to Dr. Azra Raza about the state of U.S. cancer research and treatment during World Cancer Day.
Dr. Azra Raza speaking at Trustees Lecture Series at New Canaan Library
New Canaan Library’s debut Trustees Lecture is honored to present guest lecturer Dr. Azra Raza, a world-class oncologist, professor and author who, in her book The First Cell, examines the current state of cancer and its devastating impact on the individuals it affects — including herself. The event will take place on Sunday, January 26 from 4-5 p.m. in the Adrian Lamb Room. Please register to reserve a seat, online at newcanaanlibrary.org.
The war on cancer wages on. At least $150 billion is spent annually to treat it, yet — a few innovations notwithstanding — a patient with cancer is just as likely to die of it as one was fifty years ago. Most new drugs merely add months to one’s life at agonizing physical and financial cost. In The First Cell, Azra Raza offers a searing account of how both medicine and our society (mis)treats cancer, how we can do better, and why we must. A journey from hope to despair and back again, The First Cell explores cancer from every angle: medical, scientific, cultural, and personal, as Raza describes how she bore the terrible burden of being her husband’s oncologist as he succumbed to leukemia.
DR. AZRA RAZA is the Chan Soon-Shiong Professor of Medicine and Director of the MDS Center at Columbia University in New York. Previously, she was the Chief of Hematology-Oncology and the Gladys Smith Martin Professor of Oncology at the University of Massachusetts. She is considered an international authority on pre-leukemia (MDS) and acute leukemia and is one of those rare physician-scientists who divide their time equally between caring for patients and supervising a state-of-the-art basic research lab which is well-funded by multiple large grants. Dr. Raza started collecting blood and marrow samples on her patients in 1984 and now her Tissue Bank, the largest and oldest in the country with more than 60,000 samples, is considered a unique national treasure.
Dr. Raza has published her original clinical and basic research comprising over 300 peer-reviewed manuscripts in high profile journals such as New England Journal of Medicine, Cell, Molecular Cell, Cancer Research, Blood, Leukemia. She has published more than 1000 abstracts, dozens of book chapters and edited a book devoted to MDS. She is a co-editor of 3quarksdaily, a website started by her brother Syed Abbas Raza. She is a sought after speaker in scientific circles and the recipient of numerous awards including The Hope Award in Cancer Research 2012 (shared with the Nobel Laureate Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn).
Dr. Azra Raza in conversation with Dr. Martin Raber
About the Speaker
Azra Raza is the Chan Soon-Shiong professor of medicine and the director of the MDS Center at Columbia University. Previously, she was the Chief of Hematology Oncology and the Gladys Smith Martin Professor of Oncology at the University of Massachusetts. She is considered an international authority on pre-leukemia (MDS) and acute leukemia and is one of those rare physician-scientists who divide their time equally between caring for patients and supervising a state-of-the-art basic research lab which is well-funded by multiple large grants. Dr. Raza has published her original clinical and basic research in high profile journals.
A sought-after speaker in scientific circles and the recipient of numerous awards including The Hope Award in Cancer Research 2012 (shared with the Nobel Laureate Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn), Dr. Raza is a member of the Founder Group designing Breakthrough Developments in Science and Technology with President Bill Clinton and met with Vice President Joe Biden to discuss the Cancer Moonshot initiative at his residence at the Naval Observatory in 2015.
She is a co-editor of www.3quarksdaily.com started by her brother Abbas Raza, with the idea of creating a curated retreat for everything intellectual on the web. She lives in New York City.
About the Moderator
Over a 37-year career at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, Dr. Martin Raber served as a clinician, clinical investigator, and teacher. As a clinician, he founded and directed a clinic for patients with Carcinomas of Unknown Primary Origin. As an investigator, he participated in the early development of some of our most commonly used anticancer drugs. As an educator, he directed a residency program in Internal Medicine and a Fellowship program in Medical Oncology. At the same time, he served in a number of senior Administrative positions at the Cancer Center. Major battles with Lymphoma and the complications of both the disease and its treatment caused him to interrupt his career a number of times, and contributed to his eventual retirement.
https://asiasociety.org/texas/events/azra-raza-human-costs-pursuing-cancer-last
The Cancer Questions Project, Part 25: Stavroula Kousteni
Stavroula Kousteni, is the Associate Professor of Medicine in Physiology and Cellular Biophysics at Columbia University Medical Center. The goal of her research is to understand the influence of the skeleton on various physiological processes, to uncover the pathogenesis of degenerative diseases and to suggest therapies for them. She is currently examining the role of…