Issue 3 | March, 2023

Welcome to another issue of the Legorreta Cancer Center at Brown University Newsletter. In the first quarter of 2023 we've welcomed new faculty, forged important community connections, and launched new research and treatment programs that benefit patients across Southern New England.

Spotlight

Cancer Prevalence in Rhode Island

Wafik El-Deiry, MD, PhD, director of the Legorreta Cancer Center at Brown University, was featured in an NBC 10 news piece regarding the high rates of cancer in the Ocean State. "It's a New England problem, but often Rhode Island is higher," Dr. El-Deiry told health reporter Barbara Morse. The segment highlighted how building a world-class cancer center that is recognized by the National Cancer Institute will improve the lives of Rhode Islanders with cancer.

Watch the Video

News and more

Partners in Fighting Cancer

On January 10, the Legorreta Cancer Center presented its first Public Service Awards to Rhode Island State Sen. Maryellen Goodwin and State Rep. Mia Ackerman at the ACS-CAN Meet and Greet.

National Leadership Role

Don Dizon, MD, director of the Pelvic Malignancies Program at Lifespan Cancer Institute, has been named vice chair for DEI and professional integrity for SWOG Cancer Research Network.

Research

First-in-Human Trial Enrolls First Patient

Researchers at Brown and the Lifespan Cancer Institute enrolled the first patient in Dragonfly Therapeutics’ first-in-human DF9001 TriNKET trial. DF9001 is an EGFR-targeting immunotherapy for use in patients with locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors. DF9001 is the sixth Dragonfly-developed drug to enter into clinical trials.

“Given our positive experience over the last two years with Dragonfly’s DF1001 HER2-targeting TriNKET, we are excited to begin offering patients with an even broader set of solid tumor cancers this new EGFR-targeting therapeutic,” said Howard P. Safran, MD, chief of Hematology/Oncology at the Lifespan Cancer Institute and medical director for the Brown University Oncology Research Group.

In brief

New Recruit

Sendurai A. Mani, PhD, has been appointed associate director for Translational Oncology, Dean's Professor of Translational Oncology, and professor of pathology and laboratory medicine. Mani came from MD Anderson Cancer Center, where he was co-director of the Metastasis Research Center and co-director of the Stem Cells and Developmental Biology Center.

Clinical Care

Lifespan Launches First Robotic Navigational Bronchoscopy Program

Drs. Abbas Abbas, Andrew Foderaro, and Douglas Martin along with a team of nurses and technicians have established the first robotic navigational bronchoscopy program in Rhode Island. This state-of-the-art tool at Rhode Island Hospital can provide valuable diagnostic information and builds on the recent establishment of the lung nodule and screening program at The Miriam Hospital. These two programs offer world-class care for the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer deaths in the state.

Community

Marking World Cancer Day in the Ocean State

Legorreta Cancer Center marked World Cancer Day on Feb. 4 by lighting up the Rhode Island State House orange and blue. This year's theme was "Close the care gap" and focused on inequities in access to cancer care for people around the world.

Colorectal Cancer Awareness

Gov. Dan McKee signed the State of Rhode Island’s Proclamation of March 2023 as Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.