Category Archives: MSK in the News

Selected by library staff

A Career of Advances in Pediatric Oncology

Posted on by
Dr. Richard J. O’Reilly

Dr. Richard J. O’Reilly

In a recent feature for OncLive, MSK’s Dr. Richard J. O’Reilly reflects on his influences and long career as a pediatric oncologist. Most striking are the great strides made in treating children with cancer:

“One has to think about the fact that when I was a resident, I was told that it was unethical for people to tell a parent that their child was going to survive leukemia. Unethical. […] Now we’re talking about 90% of kids with the most common type of acute leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, who can achieve durable remissions and cures. These changes…occurred initially through development of intensive combinations of chemotherapeutic agents coupled with the development of exceptionally effective methods for supportive care that have sustained kids extremely well.”

Still, Dr. O’Reilly continues to push for continued research and questioning the status quo, concluding the article saying, “Never be satisfied.”

New Guidance for High-Risk Breast Cancer Screening

Posted on by
Dr. Mark Robson

Dr. Mark Robson. Photo by Richard DeWitt.

A new study in JAMA Oncology found that women at increased risk of breast cancer due to ATM, CHEK2, or PALB2 genetic mutations benefit from screening MRI starting at ages 30-35 and mammography starting at age 40.

MSK co-author Dr. Mark Robson told Medscape Medical News that while this advice may lead to false positive screenings, it will also find cancers earlier and save lives. “What I was excited by is just how impactful the MRI screen was in terms of projected reduction in the risk of death. I thought that great,” Robson said.

Need advice on which screening plan is right for you? Speak to your doctor, and find out more about MSK’s Breast Screening Program.

A Renewed Cancer Moonshot

Posted on by

Earlier this month, President Biden announced a renewed Cancer Moonshot initiative aimed at halving the cancer mortality rate within 25 years. The new plan focuses on increasing screening and access to care.

Larry Norton, MD, and Debra Schrag, MD, MPH

Left: Larry Norton, MD. Photo by Juliana Thomas.
Right: Debra Schrag, MD, MPH. Photo by Richard DeWitt.

Numerous outlets interviewed experts at MSK for their thoughts about the plan. In USA Today, Dr. Larry Norton expressed hope that the plan will improve coordinated access to and sharing of patient data, which could drive new advances. He told Grid News that he believes cutting the mortality rate in half may happen more quickly than anticipated.

In NBC News, Dr. Deb Schrag said that the goal is a realistic one, given that cancer is many diseases, and often a consequence of aging. She added in The Washington Post that we currently lack solutions for cancers linked to obesity, which are expected to rise. In VOA News, she said that the focus on care accessibility could allow vaccination and screening to reach more people.