Letter from the Director

Changing the cancer conversation

As we head into 2012, I am delighted to share
with you some exciting examples of progress
towards defeating cancer through cutting-edge
research, compassionate patient care, education
and service to the community.

As you’ll read, in December we held a symposium called “Fighting a Smarter War Against Cancer: Linking Policy to the Patient” on the campuses of Georgetown University and Georgetown University Law Center. This symposium, organized by our Ruesch Center for the Cure of Gastrointestinal Cancers, created a jumping off point for a national conversation about how to define value in cancer care and where the cancer drug industry needs to go to provide more efficient and cost-effective treatment options for patients. This was the third major symposium held by the Ruesch Center, and we look forward to the next one this December. Stay tuned for details!

I am also excited about the other stories inside. From the public launch of the Georgetown Database of Cancer (G-DOC®), to a landmark lung cancer screening study, to the discovery of a gene that may cause cancer, you’ll see that it’s been a busy time and the pace of discovery continues to be rapid.

One other major development for Georgetown Lombardi is the announcement of our new deputy director, Michael B. Atkins, MD. You’ll read more about Dr. Atkins in the months to come, but we could not be more pleased to welcome him here in April. Dr. Atkins comes to us from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at Harvard University, where he is deputy chief of hematology and oncology and leader of the Harvard Cancer Center’s efforts in kidney cancer and melanoma therapy. He succeeds Dr. Peter Shields, who left in the fall for an opportunity at Ohio State Comprehensive Cancer Center. We wish Peter all the best in his new role.

I hope you enjoy this issue of Lombardi Magazine. Visit our website http://lombardi.georgetown.edu to keep up with our cancer-fighting activities
throughout the year and to see how you can help in the fight.

Louis M. Weiner, MD
Director, Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center