- MSK is highlighted in a recent report as one of the 100 Great Hospitals in America, 2014. A brief profile states that MSK, established in 1884, is the oldest and largest private cancer center in the world. It also reports that between 1980 and 2012, 10 drugs developed at MSK were approved by the FDA, which is a greater number than were developed at any other cancer center in the country.
- The State of Cancer Care in America: 2014, the first report of its kind published by ASCO, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, focuses on the increased need for cancer care and an insufficient oncology workforce. ASCO’s president and MSK’s Chief of the Breast Cancer Medicine Service, Dr. Clifford A. Hudis, stated at a Capital Hill briefing at which the report was released, that “access to the care we have developed is being threatened…” On a positive note, Dr. Hudis mentioned plans to develop new care delivery and payment models.
- At a press conference for the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, MSK’s Dr. Eytan Stein, reported the results of a study of the drug AG-221, developed by Agios, a biotechnology company. The drug was studied in acute myeloid leukemia patients whose tumors have a mutation in a specific gene. In three patients in the study, all cancer cells disappeared which is a complete remission. Dr. Stein said patients on AG-221 might not have to undergo a bone marrow transplant which is usually the case to try to bring about a cure. Larger studies are needed to confirm the results.
- A new drug developed by Pfizer, shows promise in stopping advanced breast cancer from progressing. The drug, palbociclib, may also prolong survival but the increase is not significant. Dr. José Baselga, MSK’s Physician in Chief, said the results are very positive but cautioned they might have been biased since the researchers who determined whether tumors had progressed, were aware of which patients were getting palbociclib.