As we ring in 2023, here's a look back on highlights of the last year at Winship. Thanks to our faculty, staff and supporters for working tirelessly to discover cures for cancer and inspire hope. We have much to celebrate, and much more work to do, in the new year.
The challenge from the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation in providing Emory University with its largest-ever single donation of $200 million for a new oncology center was to build something never seen or imagined: Winship Cancer Institute at Emory Midtown. Thanks in part to the support of generous philanthropic donations, the 17-story, full-service inpatient and outpatient cancer care center is set to open in May 2023.
To understand why young cancer survivors often opt out of HPV vaccination—which is highly effective in preventing infection with the HPV types most commonly associated with cancer—Winship researchers analyzed data from an open-label clinical trial of the HPV vaccine among cancer survivors who were 9–26 years old and 1–5 years from completing their cancer treatment. Survivors (or their parents) who declined participation in the trial were asked their reasons for declining.
In a recent National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) study with nearly 34,000 women, researchers discovered that women who use hair straightening products are more likely to develop uterine cancer. But Winship gynecologic oncologist Susan Modesitt, MD, explains that the risk is tiny. "Even a roughly double risk is minimal when the risk for women who never use hair straighteners is less than 2%," she says.
Hosted by Purdue University Center for Cancer Research and Indiana University Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, the annual NCI-funded workshop Big Data Training for Cancer Research will be held May 19-28. This workshop will help cancer researchers develop skills for managing, visualizing, analyzing and integrating various types of omics data in cancer studies. Applications are due Jan. 6.
Join a multidisciplinary group of Emory practitioners for a symposium on the early detection of lung cancer using robotics technology at Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. This free continuing education event will discuss state-of-the-art robotic bronchoscopy and how this new tool is improving outcomes for patients.
Co-hosted by Winship Cancer Institute and partners from across the state, the 2023 Georgia Cancer Summit will be held at Georgia Tech Global Learning Center in Atlanta on Tuesday, Jan. 31. With the theme "Advancing Cancer Health Equity through Innovation and Partnerships," this in-person, full-day event aims to catalyze efforts to promote cancer health equity and reduce the burden of cancer in Georgia. (Image courtesy of Georgia Tech)
Below are four selected Winship publications out of 90 published over the past week:
Yaeger R, Weiss J, Pelster MS, Spira AI, Barve M, Ou SI, Leal TA, Bekaii-Saab TS, Paweletz CP, Heavey GA, Christensen JG, Velastegui K, Kheoh T, Der-Torossian H, Klempner SJ. Adagrasib with or without Cetuximab in Colorectal Cancer with Mutated KRAS G12C.The New England Journal of Medicine. 2022; PubMed PMID: 36546659.
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About Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University The coordinating center for cancer research, education and care throughout Emory University and Emory Healthcare, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University is Georgia’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, a prestigious distinction given only to the top 3% of cancer centers nationwide for conducting cancer research, and providing training, that is transforming cancer care, prevention, detection and survivorship.
