Vol. 39 No. 14 April 5, 2013

© Copyright 2013 The Cancer Letter Inc. All rights reserved. Price $405 Per Year. To subscribe, call 800-513-7042 or visit www.cancerletter.com. PO Box 9905 Washington DC 20016 Telephone 202-362-1809 Conversation with The Cancer Letter Friedman: Cancer Centers Must Adapt; "Not Losing Sleep" Over Sequestration Cancer centers will need to show greater ingenuity and flexibility than they have in the past, Michael Friedman, CEO of City of Hope, said to The Conversation with TCL Cancer Letter. Friedman: “The really “For centers that do extraordinary things clinically, I believe they will be fine centers will able to demonstrate their value and will be strong components of organizations continue to evolve.” going forward,” said Friedman, who will retire at the end of 2013 after a . . . Page 3 decade of running City of Hope, an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center. “But to do this, they are going to have to be very cost-effective—that “These are really doesn’t mean cheap—it means cost effective. “They will have to demonstrate the value of the treatments or the strenuous, difficult times services that they provide, and the idea that these are good academic and will be increasingly so.” institutions generating knowledge, that won’t be enough in the future, I fear.” . . . Page 4 (Continued to page 2) Capitol Hill A recording of the conversation is posted on The Cancer Letter website. A Work in Progress: The 2014 Federal Budget Capitol Hill . . . Page 7 Patient Care Emerges as Major Concern Following Sequestration Cuts to Medicare In Brief By Matthew Bin Han Ong AACR Appoints Members Two weeks after Congress voted to keep the government open through To its Board of Directors the end of the fiscal year, cancer researchers and physicians nationwide are . . . Page 11 feeling the first palpable impacts of sequestration. The 5.1 percent across-the-board cuts will decrease the NIH budget by $1.553 billion, and NCI’s by as much as $219 million. These cuts must be made in the remaining six months of this fiscal year. Reports indicate that Medicare patients are among the first to be directly affected by the cuts. Sources say that, at some practices, patients are being turned away because of a 2 percent cut in reimbursement, which is intended to save the government $588 million. (Continued to page 7) In Brief THE RALLY FOR AACR Presents Awards at Annual Meeting MEDICAL RESEARCH THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR CANCER RESEARCH will be held April 8 will present awards for outstanding achievements in basic and clinical cancer in Washington, D.C. research, as well as contributions to the biomedical research community, at its annual meeting in Washington, April 6-10. (Continued to page 9) Cancer Centers Can Succeed we can manage, and the social systems—the support systems—are not. And so we have this explosion of By Providing Niche Services wonderfully interesting scientific ideas and an increasing (Continued from page 1) inability for us to capitalize on them efficiently. Friedman, who will turn 70 in August, is a Great work is being done, great work will continue former acting commissioner of the FDA. He came to to be done. City of Hope from his job as senior vice president of I have no doubts about that. But cancer centers will research and development, medical and public policy, need to understand how best to function in a modern for Pharmacia Corp. In addition, he served as chief environment where there will be fewer resources, more medical officer for biomedical preparedness at the good ideas, greater competition, and overall, greater Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America stress on the people and the systems involved. following the events of Sept. 11, 2001. PG: How has this changed over the past decade, Before FDA, Friedman worked at the NCI Division and maybe how will this change over the next decade? of Cancer Treatment, rising to the position of associate MF: Well a decade ago, things were much more director of the division’s Cancer Therapy Evaluation straightforward. I would never say that things were Program. Prior to that, he directed the clinical oncology easy, but they were much more straightforward. The programs at University of California, San Francisco. federal government had considerable resources to apply Robert Stone, the institution’s current president, to good research and there were systems in place to will assume the dual role of president and CEO. do this. Universities and free-standing cancer centers Friedman spoke with Paul Goldberg, editor and were capable of funding the research and education publisher of The Cancer Letter. A transcript of the from a mixture of patient care and philanthropy, and conversation follows: other systems. Today, that’s simply not the case. I think that the PG: As you look over the oncology field with the pressures on delivering really wonderful medical care perspective you have acquired over the years, what are will get greater and greater. The money that will be the challenges you now see for cancer centers? available will be less and the expectations of reporting MF: This is, at the same moment, the most exciting and transparency, meeting quality standards will be and the most confusing time I can imagine. And I’m even greater. sure that people five years from now will look back on And so, whereas in the past there was some this as a simple time, but it seems really complex to me. flexibility, fungibility of finances from one area to The science is evolving much more rapidly than another, it is not at all clear to me how academic medical centers can, with the same vigor, pursue their educational, their research and their care missions as vigorously as they have in the past. That doesn’t mean they won’t do it—I believe ® The Cancer Letter is a registered trademark. they will—but what I think it calls for is much greater Editor & Publisher: Paul Goldberg creativity, much greater flexibility, and the need to really Associate Editor: Conor Hale leave behind some of the old techniques that we’ve had Reporter: Matthew Bin Han Ong and strike out looking for new ways in which to support Editorial, Subscriptions and Customer Service: the important missions of the cancer centers. 202-362-1809 Fax: 202-379-1787 PG: I guess what I am really asking is what would PO Box 9905, Washington DC 20016 be the best case scenario for 2023, a decade from now? General Information: www.cancerletter.com MF: I think the best case scenario would be that there would be stable, predictable funding for the cancer Subscription $405 per year worldwide. ISSN 0096-3917. Published 46 times a year by The Cancer Letter Inc. Other center enterprise as a whole. than "fair use" as specified by U.S. copyright law, none of Now, where that comes from and how it’s done, the content of this publication may be reproduced, stored in I’m not sure if I can see a decade ahead to predict that, a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form (electronic, but stability of funding is a very important thing, that photocopying, or facsimile) without prior written permis- the opportunity for young investigators to move into the sion of the publisher. Violators risk criminal penalties and system successfully—it might be a smaller number of damages. Founded Dec. 21, 1973, by Jerry D. Boyd. young investigators, but I want them to be the best and

The Cancer Letter • April 5, 2013 Vol. 39 No. 14 • Page 2 the brightest to be successful. institution as I am right now. The idea that the tremendous intellectual capital PG: Maybe I can address that in the context of the that has been built up over the past 20, 30, 40 years will next question: Are cancer centers, in effect, becoming a now be utilizable, and that people will be able to employ niche business? Is there still room for a behemoth cancer those great insights in ways that we’ve never done center, or is that a thing of the past? before. Will there be new consortia of cancer centers? MF: Well, I don’t know how to answer that Will there be new federal mechanisms for funding them? question. It’s a little like the beginning of Anna Will there be greater reliance on philanthropy as the Karenina, you know, all happy cancer centers share flexible engine to drive research? I think all of those things in common and are alike and all unsuccessful and things are entirely possible. unhappy cancer centers are unique in their own ways. PG: Are these challenges any different for free- I think there will be good opportunities for cancer standing cancer centers like City of Hope, and are they centers that exploit their unique talents—whether these a dwindling tribe? are clinical talents or research talents or educational MF: Well, there are relatively few, absolutely, talents—to exploit those and really serve a niche kind unaffiliated cancer centers and I don’t see that trend of market. changing. I think there’ll be great pressures on free- The American medical system appears to be standing cancer centers. growing more interconnected and linked. I think that’s The advantages of being linked to a major a trend that’s undeniable. And so, cancer centers must university or a major educational system are many. understand what position, what niche—to use your Greater resources, greater power of the institution; often, word—they occupy within that greater ecosystem. greater academic For centers resources—schools that do extraordinary of engineering “I think that really fine centers will continue to things clinically, I and chemistry evolve, to identify the value that they bring, both believe they will be and physics locally in their areas and also nationally, and they able to demonstrate and computing can be very successful, but in those niche areas.” their value and will be and so forth, strong components bioengineering—but of organizations the disadvantage of those large institutions are equally going forward. But to do this, they are going to have great. to be very cost-effective—that doesn’t mean cheap—it They are relatively inflexible, they have very means cost effective. mixed agendas, and so, while it is good to be part of a They will have to demonstrate the value of the large institution, it’s not so good because your interests treatments or the services that they provide, and the aren’t the interests of the institution. idea that these are good academic institutions generating And looking very narrowly, very parochially, knowledge, that won’t be enough in the future, I fear. selfishly, what I care most about is, how to make I really regret that, I mourn that, but I fear that progress for cancer patients, and to do that, freestanding what’s going to happen in the future is, notwithstanding centers often have really important advantages. what your reputation is or what you’ve done in the What I see in the future is the need for greater past, or how good your intentions are—and I have the ingenuity and flexibility about how to do things, and greatest respect for cancer centers in general around the not being bound by the same old ways that have been country, they are wonderful institutions in many, many successful in the past and have served us well, but I fear ways—those things won’t matter in the future. are going to be increasingly less useful in the future. What will matter is how you serve the needs of I mean, freestanding cancer centers have the either a system or a population of patients in the most opportunity to really develop in ways that larger effective way. And so, yes, I think that really fine centers institutions will be more slow and more cumbersome, will continue to evolve, to identify the value that they and perhaps more risk-averse. bring, both locally in their areas and also nationally, and So I think there are risks for free-standing cancer they can be very successful, but in those niche areas. centers, I also think there are tremendous opportunities. PG: Well, maybe I can make this question less For City of Hope, I think this is a very exciting Tolstoyan. It would seem that the number of reasons for moment and I have never been so optimistic for our a patient to go to a cancer center is not increasing. It

The Cancer Letter • April 5, 2013 Vol. 39 No. 14 • Page 3 actually seems to be shrinking, which is what seems to would have to be somewhat gloomy about looking at be making it a niche business. So, for example, at City the future. If you are not gloomy, then you’re not seeing of Hope, if I’m right. Am I right, by the way? things as they really are. MF: I think that our patient population can These are really strenuous, difficult times and continue to grow, but it’s not growing as fast as the aging will be increasingly so, again, for the foreseeable next of the population and the demographics of cancer in our 10 years. But that doesn’t mean that the opportunities aren’t even greater. I mean, the game is still worth a candle—this is the most exciting, the most wonderful, “We have really an exceptional the most meaningful kind of activity that I can imagine. hematologic cancer program, the largest So, I’m very sympathetic for both the institutions in the state, performing more than 11,000 that are doing it now and those other institutions bone marrow transplants, really an that aspire to do it in the future. Yes, it is a difficult, exceptionally high quality program by any competitive climate, but there are opportunities, and measures or standards.” as I say, I remain guardedly, but definitely optimistic about the future. PG: Now, looking back at your decade at City of area. And I think this is true for all institutions. Hope, what was your strategy going in? Did you have More and more care is being provided in the a strategy, or were you thinking on your feet? general community. And often it is extremely good care. MF: Well, I think that this is a wonderful So primary of breast or colon cancer patients, prostate institution that had some opportunities for focusing cancer patients, often this is done highly competently on bringing our laboratory research more effectively in local community facilities, a part of networks, or a in line with our clinical activities. The institution has part of familiar systems. a wonderful history of doing research that’s a real But I do think, just to use City of Hope as an pragmatic value—really turns into products and really example, we have really an exceptional hematologic helps people in amazing ways. cancer program, the largest in the state, performing We’ve estimated that, globally, research that’s been more than 11,000 bone marrow transplants, really an done by our scientists here result in medicines that are exceptionally high quality program by any measures used by 100 million people globally each year. or standards. And that’s a phenomenal number, things from And so that kind of care won’t be so easily recombinant human insulin and growth hormone to available, or so well available in the community, and for humanized monoclonal antibody technologies, and so that, hospital systems, physicians, are referring patients forth. So to try and exploit that, my goal has been to to us are doing so at an increasing rate and will continue strengthen the infrastructure of the institution, because to do so for the foreseeable future. although we certainly have been a venerable institution, I think that cancer centers must provide those we weren’t as financially strong on our facilities or as complicated, elegant, difficult services where there is real benefit for the patient, and do so in the most cost effective way that they can. So for us, and hematologic “These are really strenuous, difficult malignancy is just one example, but for us, this is a very times and will be increasingly so, again, successful model. for the foreseeable next 10 years. But PG: So this is what you did? that doesn’t mean that the opportunities MF: This is what has been happening at City aren’t even greater. I mean, the game is of Hope for three decades. It’s getting more elegant, still worth a candle.” it’s getting more powerful, and I think seeing this as a resource to the community, but also to the nation. PG: I hear all gloomy prognoses for cancer good as they needed to be. centers and yet, many new players are standing poised to Our systems weren’t as robust or as modern as enter the field. Why do you think that is, and what would they needed to be. As an institution, we weren’t well be your advice to people who are staying in the ring? configured. MF: Anyone who looks at the future of academic Our physician leadership was not aligned well medical centers, not even focusing on cancer centers, with the institution, and it was clear that in the future,

The Cancer Letter • April 5, 2013 Vol. 39 No. 14 • Page 4 that is today, what will be needed is a really modern positions, so none of them were without tremendous—at institution with greater alignment between all the various least for me it would seem tremendous—challenges at components. the time. And so, with a lot of very talented people PG: Were you happy as you were going to work here, we’ve all worked together to try and create an on each of these jobs? environment that positions us for potential success as MF: This morning. But that’s each day—I love we move forward to the future. some of the things I did at NCI. I was very happy and PG: So you had that as a plan… privileged to do things at FDA and the pharmaceutical MF: I did. industry, and there had been many days that I’ve just PG: What was your biggest achievement and been absolutely happy to just come to work here. smartest move, and since I’m asking that, it is only fair So every job, every opportunity has its challenges that I would ask, what your biggest mistake was as well. and its frustrations. And I think it is unrealistic to think MF: I think my biggest mistake—it’s a series of that it’s going to be wonderful, wonderful every day. mistakes—really is not taking action on certain things But I did not have a plan—my life sort of turned out even more quickly than I did. And they’re a whole like a Hardy novel that turned out happy rather than sad. series of things. I tend to be so busy day in and day out Just a series of accidents that I’ve been unbelievably that some things don’t get the attention that you’d like lucky in—the people that I ever worked for and worked them to. with really insanely fortunate to be associated with such And the idea that we could have done more, or a wonderful and caring people who have been so helpful sense of impatience of wanting to have created more and even today, formative of how I think and act. So I opportunity for people—I think those were the general feel like I’ve just been extraordinarily lucky. failings. PG: I guess with The thing I’m every one of these most proud of at “I think it’s much more important to leave when occupations, every one City of Hope really things are going extremely well rather than of these positions, is is the quality of the when they’re going poorly.” potentially a silo, and leadership of the yet you did not end up institution. These are in any of those silos. individuals and people in the sciences and the You sort of jumped from one to another—not jumped, you administration throughout the institution that are such stayed a long time and did a good job—but you know… terrific people, and leave the opportunity for doing so MF: Well, the transition wasn’t a conscious one, much more in the future, palpably, right there. and at each moment when I made a change, something I’m very, very proud of being part of an institution was offered that I hadn’t necessarily anticipated, and in where we really gained strength in that direction. I think many hadn’t anticipated at all. good leadership for institutions in the future will be key Things happened by sort of accident, but these to success in the future. were really wonderful opportunities, my years of public PG: So it’s all in the leadership and the faculty? service I’m very grateful for. MF: Wonderful people, wonderful people. And I Government service, I think, is still a very was very fortunate to be at a terrific institution with so important and very crucial activity and I was glad to many attributes and talented folks here to begin with do that, but I also enjoyed very much time in academia and then really building on that. and in the private sector as well. PG: In the quarter of a century that you and I have PG: What was the least favorite part of your least known each other, you’ve done an astonishing number favorite job? I can think of potential answers but, when of really big jobs at NCI, at FDA, big pharma and were you least happy going to work? biodefense even, and finally, here you are at a cancer MF: They are probably associated with some center. Was there ever a plan that you were pursuing, oversight activities in the federal government, I have and I guess, what was your most favorite part of your to say, was probably my least favorite general category. most favorite job? And it’s probably wise to go no further than that. MF: Well, I can’t answer the last one, because PG: Well, [former NCI Director] Sam Broder there had been so many wonderful and also, I must say, used to say, and still says, I’m sure, that the worst day honestly, so many difficult moments at each of those in the private sector is better than the best day in the

The Cancer Letter • April 5, 2013 Vol. 39 No. 14 • Page 5 government. and will probably join a couple of more boards of for- MF: I don’t agree with that. But, you know, I profit companies. respect his opinion, but no. I think that each is unique I want to continue to do some public service on and wonderful in his own way. at least a couple of not-for-profit boards and continue And there are moments in the government when I that activity. just could not have been happier, and there are moments I want to take some time to think and study some in the private sector when I couldn’t have been happier. things that I haven’t done since college and want to get PG: And the other way around. back to the sort of, just think about different things, and MF: Yeah, exactly. really enjoy a little leisure. PG: Why are you retiring now? What are you This is not something I’ve ever had before, so it all going to do next? feels a little novel to me, but I’m very excited about it. MF: Well this is—I’ve been thinking about this for PG: So some of this is going to be outside at least the past three years. This is the ideal moment for medicine? me to step aside and to transition to new leadership here. MF: Yes. It’s our 100th anniversary, our centennial celebration PG: I remember having seen your CV years ago, this year. and it would have to do a Shakespeare, I would suspect. MF: Yes, that’s right. Elizabethan and Jacobean drama still really fascinate me. “I did not have a plan—my life sort PG: That’s really incredible, and nice to know. I of turned out like a Hardy novel that won’t ask any further about that, that’s personal life, turned out happy rather than sad.” spiritual life, intellectual life, it’s all good. Another question I have, a more pedestrian question—sequestration has just pretty much gone So, emotionally that feels like a really terrific time into effect. Is that going to affect City of Hope in any to transfer. We’re just completing our first multi-year particular way? fundraising campaign, and by the end of the year we’ll have raised a billion dollars. The institution is enormously stronger, financially, “I don’t want to be cavalier and say, ‘Oh, our endowment increased fivefold, our assets doubled, no, no it won’t have any effect whatsoever.’ our bond rating increased, we’ve added almost a It will, but it is entirely manageable.” million square feet of facilities, systems are in place, our leadership is, as I’ve mention earlier, is so much stronger, and our systems, our medical foundation is MF: It will affect us the way that it will affect such a key component of a modern institution and our many institutions in terms of a diminution in funding physicians are so important to our success in the future. and options—that’s certainly, for sure. So many things have been accomplished here that I don’t expect it to be dramatically impactful at this I think it’s much more important to leave when things time, we are working hard to generate other sources of are going extremely well rather than when they’re going revenue, and to be more efficient, to use the money that poorly. we have more effectively. And I don’t want to be one of those people who Both of those things are to mitigate the lack of hang on longer than he should. The fact that things are federal dollars and the lack of flexibility from federal going so well and that there will be things that I will dollars, which is probably equally important. miss having a hand in the fruition. But it is real, like our sister institutions, it affects That’s bittersweet, but that’s always the case, so all of us and I don’t want to be cavalier and say, “Oh, this is an ideal moment to transition and I feel, as I said, no, no it won’t have any effect whatsoever.” It will, but very confident about the quality of the leadership that it is entirely manageable. will take the institution forward. I think we’re really well PG: And so you are not losing sleep? positioned to do great things in the future. MF: I’m not losing sleep, no. PG: What are you going to do next? PG: Thank you. MF: Well, I want to continue to help out here at the City of Hope in any ways that I can. I am on boards

The Cancer Letter • April 5, 2013 Vol. 39 No. 14 • Page 6 Capitol Hill and the scientific enterprise. Murray also proposed $1.85 trillion in deficit reduction over the next decade through Patient Care Emerges As Concern new revenue and cuts to defense and non-discretionary Following Sequestration Cuts programs. (Continued from page 1) The Senate’s budget was rejected in a 154-261 The continuing resolution attempted to ease this House vote, with 35 Democrats voting against it. pain, and adds $67 million to the NIH budget and about While specifics on funding for NIH have not $10 million for NCI (The Cancer Letter, March 22). been revealed, members of the Senate are advancing a Both institutions have yet to reveal their plans for bipartisan amendment to create a deficit-neutral reserve managing sequestration, and sources say that the details fund which would help grow NIH’s budget through 2023. of the NIH budget for the rest of fiscal 2013 will not “As the Senate considers amendments to the surface until mid-to-late April. FY2014 Budget Resolution, it is our hope that they “Medicare reimbursement for cancer drugs is will continue to make NIH a national priority,” said a specifically fixed by law at ASP+6%, as opposed to statement from United for Medical Research. “In the services or budgets cut by sequestration,” said an April past decade, NIH’s budget has already suffered a 20 1 joint statement by the American Society of Clinical percent decline in purchasing power, and the devastating Oncology, Community Oncology Alliance, ION impact of the March 1 sequester, which could lead to the Solutions and the US Oncology Network. loss of more than 20,000 jobs and $3 billion in economic “The reduction of the 6 percent add-on to activity, has already begun to be felt. effectively 4.3 percent (after sequestration is applied) “Morale among the best and brightest scientific is a 28 percent cut, not a 2 percent cut.” talent is already alarmingly low, even as they stand on “According to a recent survey, sequestration the brink of unprecedented scientific opportunity, and will force 72 percent of cancer clinics to not see new we are in real danger of losing an entire generation of Medicare patients or send all Medicare patients to the medical innovators. hospital for treatment,” the statement said. “These “It is critical that we restore hope to millions of impacts do not have to occur.” patients and restore our place as the world leader in More than 60 percent of cancer patients in the U.S. cutting edge biomedical research by restoring the nearly rely on Medicare. $1.5 billion cut from NIH’s budget.” President Barack Obama will release his budget Work in Progress: 2014 Budget request April 10, which plans to remove the major cuts The financial situation could conceivably change to Medicaid, a program that is a key component of his as Congress returns from its two-week spring recess health care overhaul plan. April 8. It will also include a previously promised inflation Both chambers have formally rejected each other’s gauge, chained CPI, that would reduce cost-of-living blueprints before the end of March, setting the stage for increases for Social Security beneficiaries—a move months of debate and amendments to the budget. that will draw opposition from Democrats, according The House and Senate plans share the same top line to recent news reports. budget number for next year—a discretionary spending Obama recently asked Congress to spend $100 limit of $966 billion for fiscal 2014. million next year on a brain-mapping research initiative The House austerity budget, written by Rep. Paul that he said could create jobs and help find cures for Ryan (R-Wis.), calls for a $5 trillion cut in federal stroke, autism and Parkinson’s. spending—and includes the repeal of the Affordable Care Act and an overhaul of Medicare. The plan supports some funding for basic science research, but removes Biomedical research groups are staging loan guarantees and other dollars for sectors such as a Rally for Medical Research during alternative energy. the American Association for Cancer The Senate’s blueprint, spearheaded by budget Research annual meeting, April 8 at 11 a.m. chair Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), would instead in Washington, D.C., across from the increase spending on infrastructure, transportation and Walter E. Washington Convention Center. technology, and reverse sequestration for the next nine years. This means funds would be restored for research

The Cancer Letter • April 5, 2013 Vol. 39 No. 14 • Page 7 Restore NIH Funding, Advocates Say nationwide, as news outlets look for the local angle The loss to NIH’s purchasing power may total on the story. 23 percent over the past decade, according to a recent Coverage of this sort, if it continues, could well fact sheet published by the Federation of American alter the political landscape of sequestration, as voters Societies for Experimental Biology. weigh in on deciding whether it’s acceptable to deny After a stretch of flat funding and inflation, care to cancer patients. sequestration would reduce the NIH funding capacity Practices will start seeing the reduction in to $20.7 billion—nearly a one-quarter loss. payments in about two weeks. The cut, which will be “FASEB urges Congress to make investment effective for services rendered April 1 forward, will in research a priority and requests that, in fiscal year cause practices to lose 2 percent off the Medicare 2014, NIH receive at least $32 billion,” FASEB payment for all services, including drugs. Practices President Judith Bond said at a Washington press would be precluded from billing for this shortfall. conference April 4. “Terminating ongoing studies and The joint statement by ASCO, COA, ION the diminishing availability of grant support will result Solutions and the US Oncology Network follows: in the closure of laboratories and the loss of highly Today, America’s seniors and the physicians skilled scientific and research positions.” who care for them will begin to feel the impact of a Anecdotal evidence suggests that the number federal government policy that was never supposed to of faculty positions and grants to universities is happen. Sequestration has been applied to Medicare, plummeting because of the cuts, and that private reducing payments to physicians and care providers. funding isn’t making up for the gap sequestration has This is bad news for all seniors, but likely devastating created, Bond told The Cancer Letter. for seniors struggling with cancer. The Administration “At a time when we are trying to encourage more has decided to apply the sequester cuts not only to students to pursue science and engineering studies, services physicians and others provide, but also to the talented young scientists are being driven away by fixed, pass-through costs of chemotherapy and related the disruption of their training and lack of career cancer-fighting drugs used to treat and manage this opportunities,” Bond said. life-threatening disease. The chances of restoring sequestration cuts to More than 60 percent of cancer patients in research by 2014 will depend on support from both the United States rely on Medicare. A series of chambers of Congress, said Jennifer Zeitzer, FASEB’s misguided Medicare reimbursement cuts has created director of legislative relations. an unsustainable situation whereby many community “The Murray budget assumes that sequestration cancer care providers operate at a loss when providing ends—I think Murray will have the support of others treatment to Medicare patients. Medicare reimburses behind her,” Zeitzer said. “She’s obviously sort of the community cancer clinics for chemotherapy based on ringleader, so we have stronger support from the Senate an average sales price (ASP) and an additional services to cancel sequestration right now. payment (6%) for administrative costs and financial “There is a desire from the appropriations risks associated with handling, storage, preparation, committees to get back to what is called the regular administration, and disposal of these highly toxic order. drugs. Unfortunately, Medicare payment falls short, “But the problem is, Congress will have to get and many cancer clinics are currently paid less than it together and agree on an alternative deficit reduction costs to treat seniors fighting cancer. plan—every time they get to that point, things fall Community cancer care providers are struggling apart.” to survive in this unsustainable environment. Until recently, more than 80 percent of the nation’s Negative Publicity from Medicare Cuts cancer patients were treated in physicians’ offices The first round of Medicare cuts has triggered a in the community setting. Since 2008, more than national wave of coverage that suggests that oncology 1,200 community cancer care centers have closed, practices are turning away cancer patients, because consolidated, or reported financial problems. The result treating them has become financially not sustainable. has been patient access problems, increased costs to This phenomenon, which reportedly has affected seniors, Medicare, and taxpayers due to the migration “thousands” of cancer patients, was first reported by of Medicare patients to costlier care settings, and new The Washington Post. The story is being replicated barriers to care for elderly patients in remote areas.

The Cancer Letter • April 5, 2013 Vol. 39 No. 14 • Page 8 When community cancer clinics close their doors, to cancer drugs. Our organizations will continue to access to cancer care is compromised for all cancer provide support and guidance to cancer clinics and their patients, but especially vulnerable seniors. patients throughout this crisis. It is imperative that the The sequester cut to cancer drugs threatens cancer community raises its voice to protect patients viability of community cancer care. In effect, the and a vital national resource: community cancer care. government is forcing clinics to subsidize Medicare— We will be providing materials to educate physicians, that is, to make up the difference between what staff, patients, and the public to help in reaching out to Medicare pays and the actual cost of cancer drugs. the Administration and Congress in a unified, strong Health care providers are never comfortable putting voice. their work in purely economic terms, but the fact is community cancer clinics are small businesses held to In Brief the economic reality that operating at a loss cannot be sustained. It is hard to imagine any business—small or AACR to Present Awards otherwise—accepting a policy that requires operating At its 104th Annual Meeting at a loss. Oncologists should not be put in the untenable (Continued from page 1) position of continuing to treat patients at a loss, which The award winners are: will result in clinic closings, or being unable to treat Hagop Kantarjian—18th Annual AACR Joseph Medicare seniors fighting cancer in order to keep the H. Burchenal Memorial Award for outstanding clinic doors open. achievements in clinical cancer research. Kantarjian is It would be one thing for community oncologists professor of medicine and chairman of the Department to absorb the 2 percent Medicare sequester applied of Leukemia at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. His to physician and provider services, but it is entirely lecture, “Leukemia Research and Progress – A Look another for the sequester cut to apply to the market- Back at the Future,” is at 4 p.m., April 9 in Ballroom priced, underlying drug costs paid by practices. This A-B. is unlike any other payment reduction to Medicare and Alexander Levitzki—Seventh Annual AACR has an inordinate impact beyond 2 percent. Medicare Award for Outstanding Achievement in Chemistry reimbursement for cancer drugs is specifically fixed in cancer research. Levitzki is Wolfson Family by law at ASP+6%, as opposed to services or budgets Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry, Unit of Cellular cut by sequestration. The reduction of the 6 percent Signaling of the Department of Biological Chemistry add-on to effectively 4.3 percent (after sequestration is at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. his lecture, applied) is a 28 percent cut, not a 2 percent cut. A recent “Eradicating Tumors by Targeting Nonviral Vectors survey indicates the sequester cut will force 72 percent Carrying PolyIC,” is at 3 p.m., April 9 in Ballroom A-B. of cancer clinics to not see new Medicare patients or Michael Stratton—53rd Annual AACR G.H.A. send all Medicare patients to the hospital for treatment. Clowes Memorial Award for outstanding recent Access problems will multiply and costs will increase accomplishments in basic cancer research. Stratton is for both seniors fighting cancer and Medicare. director of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. His These impacts do not have to occur. There are lecture, “The Causes of Mutations in Human Cancer” several ways that the Administration and Congress is at 3:30 p.m, April 8 in Ballroom A-B. can act to avoid the most devastating of sequestration James Allison—First Lloyd J. Old Award in impacts. CMS has the authority to exempt cancer Cancer Immunology for outstanding and innovative drugs from the sequester cut or to apply the 2 percent research in cancer immunology. Allison is chairman sequester cut only to the 6 percent services payment. of the immunology program at the MD Anderson Congress can pass H.R. 800 to bring Medicare drug Cancer Center. His lecture, “Mobilizing the Immune reimbursement closer to costs in order to sustain System for Cancer Therapy” is at 10 a.m., April 10 in community cancer care. However addressed, this Ballroom A-B. must be done immediately to preserve patient access Katie Couric—2013 AACR Award for to community cancer care. Distinguished Public Service. Couric is a journalist, In the absence of government action to stop author and correspondent for ABC News. She will the dismantling of community cancer care, practices receive the award 8:30 a.m., April 7 in Halls D-E. have signaled they will have no choice but to adopt Gabriel Hortobagyi—Jane Cooke Wright emergency measures to deal with the sequester cut Lectureship Award for meritorious contributions

The Cancer Letter • April 5, 2013 Vol. 39 No. 14 • Page 9 to cancer research and the advancement of minority Ballroom C. investigators in cancer research. Hortobagyi is Fadlo Khuri—2013 AACR-Richard and Hinda professor and chair of the Department of Breast Rosenthal Memorial Award for research that has Medical Oncology at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. made or promises to soon make a notable contribution His lecture, “Dual Targeting for Endocrine Therapy of to improved clinical care in the field of cancer. Khuri Breast Cancer,” is at 4:15 p.m., April 7 in Ballroom C. is professor and chair of hematology and oncology Roger Lo—Outstanding Achievement in and deputy director of the Winship Cancer Institute Cancer Research Award for meritorious achievement at the Emory University School of Medicine. His in cancer research before 40 years of age. Lo is assistant lecture, “Causes and Consequences of microRNA professor of the Department of Dermatology at the Dysregulation in Cancer,” is at 4:30 p.m., April 8 in University of California Los Angeles. His lecture, Ballroom C. “How Melanoma Escapes From BRAF Inhibition,” is The Pancreatic Cancer Sequencing Team in at 4 p.m., April 9 in Ballroom C. the Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center Guillermina Lozano—16th Annual AACR- at Johns Hopkins University, Seventh Annual AACR Women in Cancer Research Charlotte Friend Team Science Award for outstanding interdisciplinary Memorial Lectureship for outstanding contributions research that has advanced or likely will advance our to the field of cancer and the advancement of women fundamental knowledge of cancer. The team will in science. Lozano is professor and chair of the receive the award 8:30 a.m., April 7 in Hall D. Team Department of Genetics and the MD Anderson cancer members: David Klimstra, Kenneth Kinzler, Ralph Center. Her lecture, “Activities of Mutant p53 Proteins Hruban, Bert Vogelstein, Nicholas Papadopoulos, in Cancer,” is at 5:15 p.m., April 6 in Ballroom C. Michael Choti, Victor Velculescu, Christopher Robert Young—Margaret Foti Award for Wolfgang, Joseph Herman, Laura Wood, Scott leadership and extraordinary achievements in cancer Kern, N. Volkan Adsay, Alison Klein, Christine research or in support of cancer research. Young is Iacobuzio-Donahue, Peter Allen, Luis Diaz, James president of RCY Medicine. He will receive the award Eshleman, Michael Goggins, Anirban Maitra and 8:30 a.m., April 7 in Halls D-E. Alan Meeker. Harold Moses—10th Annual Award for Lifetime Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard—Ninth Annual Achievement in Cancer Research for significant AACR-Irving Weinstein Foundation Distinguished fundamental contributions to cancer research and a Lectureship for outstanding innovations in science lifetime commitment to progress against cancer. Moses and leadership potential to inspire creative thinking is professor and chair of cancer biology, Hortense B. and new directions in cancer research. Nüsslein- Ingram Professor of Molecular Biology, and director Volhard is director of the Department of Genetics at emeritus of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center at the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology. the Vanderbilt School of Medicine. He will receive the Her lecture, “The Development of Color Patterns in award 8:30 a.m., April 7 in Hall D. Zebrafish: Toward an Understanding of the Evolution Peter Vogt—Pezcoller Foundation-AACR of Beauty,” is at 5:30 p.m., April 6 in Ballroom A-B. International Award for Cancer Research for Laurence Kolonel—AACR-ACS Award for international renown in major scientific discoveries Excellence in Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention or contributions to cancer research. Vogt is professor for outstanding research accomplishments in the fields of the Department of Molecular and Experimental of cancer epidemiology, biomarkers and prevention. Medicine at the Scripps Research Institute. His lecture, Kolonel is a professor at the University of Hawaii. “PI3K – from simplicity to complexity and back,” is His lecture, “Advancing Epidemiologic Research: at 5:30 p.m., April 8 in Ballroom A-B. Studies in ‘Special’ Populations,” is at 3 p.m., April Carlo Croce—2013 AACR Princess Takamatsu 9, in Ballroom A-B. Memorial Lectureship for far-reaching impact on The following Landon Foundation-AACR the detection, diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of Innovator award recipients will be honored 6:30 p.m., cancer, and dedication to multinational collaborations. April 9 in the Independence Foyer and Independence Croce is director of human cancer genetics at the Ohio F-I: State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. His Kenneth Tsai—Sixth Annual Landon lecture, “Causes and Consequences of microRNA Foundation-AACR Innovator Award for Cancer Dysregulation in Cancer,” is at 4:30 p.m., April 8 in Prevention Research for outstanding achievement

The Cancer Letter • April 5, 2013 Vol. 39 No. 14 • Page 10 of an early-career assistant professor in the field of Committee, the Clinical and Translational Cancer cancer prevention, and to provide support for cancer Research Committee and the steering committee for prevention research of significant scientific merit in the Cancer Immunology Working Group. He was any discipline across the continuum of research. Tsai is also chairperson for the Annual Meeting Program assistant professor of the Department of Dermatology, Committee in 2009 and a member of the editorial Division of Internal Medicine at the MD Anderson boards of Molecular Cancer Therapeutics and Clinical Cancer Center. Cancer Research. David Carbone—Sixth Annual Landon Hans Clevers, president of The Royal Netherlands Foundation-AACR Innovator Award for Academy of Arts and Sciences in Amsterdam and International Collaboration in Cancer Research professor in molecular genetics at the Academic for highly meritorious research that is being conducted Biomedical Center at the University of Utrecht, in collaboratively by investigators in different countries Utrecht, Netherlands. around the world. Carbone is a professor of the Clevers has served on several AACR selection College of Medicine at the Ohio State University committees including the AACR-Princess Takamatsu Comprehensive Cancer Center. Memorial Lectureship Selection Committee, the Nikhil Wagle—Fourth Annual Landon Landon Basic Prize Selection Committee and the Foundation-AACR Innovator Award for Research Laboratory Research Awards Selection Committee. He in Personalized Cancer Medicine for meritorious was also on the editorial board of Molecular Cancer studies that hold promise for near-patient benefit. Research. Wagle is instructor in medicine and associated Elizabeth Jaffee, a professor of oncology researcher at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. and pathology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Md., active staff in THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR oncology at Johns Hopkins Hospital, associate CANCER RESEARCH has elected the following director for translational research and co-director of scientists to serve on the board of directors for the the Gastrointestinal Cancers Program at the Sidney 2013-2016 term: Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Mary Beckerle, chief executive officer and Hopkins. She is also medical director of the Johns director of the Huntsman Cancer Institute at the Hopkins Oncology Center Cell Processing and Gene University of Utah in Salt Lake City. She is also Therapy Facility, deputy director of the Institute for associate vice president for cancer affairs, distinguished Translational and Clinical Research and on the faculty professor of biology and adjunct professor of of the graduate programs in immunology, cellular and oncological sciences at the University of Utah. molecular medicine, and pharmacology at the Johns Beckerle is a member of the AACR Science Hopkins University School of Medicine. Policy and Government Affairs Committee and served Jaffee is chair of the AACR Cancer Immunology as a scientific lecturer at the Meet-the-Expert Session, Working Group and a member of the Tumor “Genesis and Impact of Cytoskeletal Changes in Microenvironment Working Group and the Science Transformed Cells,” at the AACR Annual Meeting Policy and Government Affairs Committee. She has 2011. served as co-chairperson of Mentored Grants and Michael Caligiuri, chief executive officer of the Research Fellowships and of the special conferences, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute at “Tumor Immunology: Multidisciplinary Science The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. He is also Driving Basic and Clinical Advances” and “Tumor director of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Immunology: Basic and Clinical Advances.” She Cancer Center; vice president for health sciences, was also an associate editor of Cancer Research and cancer programs; chair in cancer research at the John L. member of the editorial boards of Clinical Cancer Marakas Nationwide Insurance Enterprise Foundation; Research and Molecular Cancer Therapeutics. and professor in the departments of molecular virology, Victor Velculescu, professor of oncology at immunology, medical genetics and internal medicine Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, co- at Ohio State University. director of the Cancer Biology Program at the Sidney Caligiuri is chair of the AACR Publications Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Committee and a member of the Council of Scientific Hopkins and director of cancer genetics at the Ludwig Advisors, the Science Policy and Government Affairs Center for Cancer Genetics and Therapeutics at the

The Cancer Letter • April 5, 2013 Vol. 39 No. 14 • Page 11 Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at in Physiology or Medicine, is scientific editor of Johns Hopkins University. Cancer Discovery, deputy editor of Cancer Prevention Velculescu is chair of the AACR Basic Cancer Research and a member of the Stand Up To Cancer Research Grants Scientific Review Committee and a Scientific Advisory Committee, the AACR Cancer member of the Education and Training Committee. Prevention Committee and the Science Policy and Additionally, he was a member of the Annual Meeting Government Affairs Committee. Blackburn served as 2012 Program Committee, the Breast Cancer Research AACR president from 2010 to 2011, co-chairperson Foundation-AACR Grants for Translational Breast of the AACR Cancer Progress Report 2011 Writing Cancer Scientific Review Committee and was a Committee, and chairperson of the AACR Award for keynote speaker at the 2007 International Conference Lifetime Achievement in Cancer Research Committee. on Molecular Diagnostics in Cancer Therapeutic She was also on the board of directors (2006-2009) and Development. a senior editor of Molecular Cancer Research. AACR will induct Charles Sawyers as president In addition, Blackburn will be inducted to the of the AACR April 9, at 7 a.m. during the AACR inaugural class of fellows of the AACR academy. Annual Meeting Business Meeting. Kenneth Kinzler, director of the Ludwig Center Sawyers is chair of the Human Oncology and for Cancer Genetics and Therapeutics at the Sidney Pathogenesis Program at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Cancer, and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Hopkins and professor of oncology at Johns Hopkins investigator. He is also a professor in the Cell and University School of Medicine. Developmental Biology Program at the Joan and He is a member of the Fight Colorectal Cancer- Sanford I. Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences AACR Award Selection Committee and the Publications of Cornell University. He is co-leader of the Stand Up Committee. Kinzler has served as chairperson of the To Cancer-Prostate Cancer Foundation Prostate Cancer Editor-in-Chief Search Committee for Molecular Dream Team: Precision Therapy of Advanced Prostate Cancer Research and the AACR Laboratory Research Cancer, and is scientific editor ofCancer Discovery. Awards Selection Committee. He was also a member Sawyers will succeed Frank McCormick, of the board of directors for 2008-2011. director of the University of California, San Francisco Scott Lowe, an investigator at the Howard Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. Hughes Medical Institute, member of Memorial McCormick holds the E. Dixon Heise distinguished Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and chair of the professorship in oncology and the David A. Wood Geoffrey Beene Cancer Research Center at Memorial distinguished professorship of tumor biology and Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. He is also adjunct cancer research at UCSF. Additionally, he is the associate professor in the Department of Physiology associate dean of the UCSF School of Medicine and a and Biophysics at Stony Brook University School distinguished professor in residence in the department of Medicine in Stony Brook, N.Y. and an adjunct of microbiology and immunology as well as in the professor at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, in Cold department of biochemistry and biophysics. Spring Harbor, N.Y. McCormick served with distinction as AACR Lowe is chair of the AACR International president for the 2012-2013 term and will assume the Conference on Frontiers in Basic Cancer Research 2013. role of past-president for 2013-2014. He was a co-committee member and keynote speaker The following scientists have been elected to at the 2011 AACR-Japanese Cancer Association joint serve as members of the nominating committee for the conference, “The Latest Advances in Liver Cancer 2013-2015 term: Research: From Basic Science to Therapeutics,” Elizabeth Blackburn, the Morris Herzstein chairperson of AACR Laboratory Research Awards Professor of Biology and Physiology in the departments Selection Committee, chairperson of the special of biochemistry and biophysics, and microbiology conference, “Mouse Models of Cancer” and a member and immunology at the University of California, San of the board of directors (2005-2008). Francisco. Martine Piccart, a professor of oncology at the Blackburn, recipient of the 2009 Nobel Prize Université Libre de Bruxelles in Brussels, Belgium, and head of the medicine department at the Institut Follow us on Twitter: @TheCancerLetter Jules Bordet in Brussels. She is president-elect and a board member of the European CanCer Organization

The Cancer Letter • April 5, 2013 Vol. 39 No. 14 • Page 12 and president of the European Society for Medical Professor; Chief Scientific Officer, The Cancer Institute Oncology. of New Jersey; University Professor of Medicine & Piccart is a member of the AACR-Women in Pharmacology, UMDNJ-RWJMS; interim director, Cancer Research Council. She was co-chairperson of The Stem Cell Institute of N.J. the 2010 Annual Meeting Education Committee, the J. Michael Bishop, professor, Department of 2010 AACR Dead Sea International Conference on Microbiology and Immunology; director, G. W. Hooper Advances in Cancer Research: From the Laboratory Research Foundation; chancellor emeritus, University to the Clinic, and the 2004 and 2010 Annual Meeting of California, San Francisco. Program Committees. Mina Bissell, Distinguished Scientist, Life Piccart will be inducted to the inaugural class of Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National fellows of the AACR academy. Laboratory. Elizabeth Blackburn, Morris Herzstein THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR Endowed Chair in Biology and Physiology and CANCER RESEARCH has formed the AACR professor, Departments of Biochemistry/Biophysics Academy to recognize scientists who have contributed and Microbiology/Immunology, University of to innovation and progress against cancer. California, San Francisco. The inaugural group of fellows of the academy Sydney Brenner, founder, Acidophil, LLC; consists of 106 individuals, symbolizing the age of Senior Distinguished Fellow of the Crick-Jacobs the organization upon establishment of the Academy. Center, Salk Institute for Biological Studies. These fellows have been selected through a Angela Brodie, professor of Pharmacology and peer review process that evaluates individuals on the Experimental Therapeutics, University of Maryland basis of their stellar scientific achievements in cancer School of Medicine. research. Mario Capecchi, Distinguished Professor, The fellows of the academy is a separate entity Human Genetics and Biology, University of Utah within the AACR. School of Medicine; investigator, Howard Hughes Future classes of fellows shall consist of no Medical Institute. more than 11 individuals, in honor of the 11 founding Webster Cavenee, director, Ludwig Institute for members of the AACR. The fellows will be elected by Cancer Research; Distinguished Professor, University of California, San Diego. a vote of all the fellows of the academy. Martin Chalfie,William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor AACR will induct the fellows on April 5, at the of Biological Sciences, Department of Biological National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, Sciences, Columbia University. at 6:30 p.m. Zhu Chen, vice-chairman, 12th Standing The induction ceremony will be followed Committee of the National People’s Congress; by a meeting of the Academy April 6, and special chairman, 15th Chinese Peasants and Workers recognition of the inaugural fellows during the opening Democratic Party, Central Committee. plenary session April 7. These events will be annual Aaron Ciechanover, Distinguished Research occurrences at future AACR annual meetings. Professor, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. The inductees are: Bayard Clarkson, member and head, Laboratory Karen Antman, John Sandson Professor of of Hematopoietic Cell Kinetics, Memorial Sloan- Health Sciences; dean, Boston University School Kettering Cancer Center. of Medicine; provost, Boston University Medical Donald Coffey, Catherine Iola and J. Smith Campus. Michael Distinguished Professor of Urology, Johns David Baltimore, Robert Andrews Millikan Hopkins University School of Medicine. Professor of Biology, president emeritus, California Stanley Cohen, Kwoh-Ting Li Professor in Institute of Technology. the School of Medicine, Professor of Genetics, and Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, professor and Professor of Medicine, Stanford University. director, Regulation of Retroviral Infections Unit, Suzanne Cory, Honorary Distinguished Virology Department, Institut Pasteur. Professorial Fellow, Molecular Genetics of Cancer Paul Berg, Cahill Professor of Biochemistry, Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical emeritus, Stanford University School of Medicine. Research and Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow, University Joseph Bertino, American Cancer Society of Melbourne.

The Cancer Letter • April 5, 2013 Vol. 39 No. 14 • Page 13 Carlo Croce, professor and chair, Department Southwestern Medical Center. of Molecular Virology, Immunology and Medical Carol Greider, Daniel Nathans Professor and Genetics; director, Institute of Genetics, The Ohio State Director, Department of Molecular Biology and University School of Medicine. Genetics; professor of oncology, Johns Hopkins Tom Curran, deputy scientific director, Division University School of Medicine. of Cancer Pathobiology; Mai and Harry F. West Chair Roger Guillemin, Distinguished Professor, Salk in Pediatric Research, The Children’s Hospital of Institute for Biological Studies Philadelphia Research Institute; Professor of Pathology Sir John Gurdon, Distinguished Group Leader, and Laboratory Medicine, Cell and Developmental Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research U.K. Gurdon Biology, Perelman School of Medicine; associate Institute. director, Translational Genomics, University of William Hait, global head at Janssen Research Pennsylvania. and Development, LLC. Brian Druker, director, Knight Cancer Institute, Leland Hartwell, Virginia G. Piper Chair of Oregon Health and Science University; JELD-WEN Personalized Medicine, chief scientist, Center for Chair of Leukemia Research; investigator, Howard Sustainable Health, Biodesign Institute, Arizona Hughes Medical Institute. State University; president emeritus, Fred Hutchinson Raymond DuBois, executive director, The Cancer Research Center. Biodesign Institute; Dalton Chair, School of Health Avram Hershko, Distinguished Professor at Solutions, Arizona State University. the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Sir Martin Evans, chancellor, Cardiff University. Institute of Technology; adjunct professor of pathology, Emmanuel Farber, chairman emeritus and New York University School of Medicine. professor, Department of Pathology, University of James Holland, Distinguished Professor of Toronto. Neoplastic Diseases, Mount Sinai Medical Center. Napoleone Ferrara, Distinguished Professor of Jimmie Holland, Wayne E. Chapman Chair Pathology, senior deputy director for Basic Sciences, in Psychiatric Oncology; attending psychiatrist, Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Diego. Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Isaiah Fidler, professor, Department of Cancer Waun Ki Hong, vice provost, Clinical Research; Biology, R.E. “Bob” Smith Distinguished Chair in head, Division of Cancer Medicine; Samsung Cell Biology, Head, Cancer Metastasis Laboratory, Distinguished University Chair in Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Bernard Fisher, Distinguished Service Professor, Leroy Hood, president and co-founder, Institute Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh. for Systems Biology; full member, University of Joseph Fraumeni Jr., senior investigator and Washington Molecular and Cellular Biology Program; advisor, NCI Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Professor at Large, Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Genetics. Life Sciences. Emil Frei III, physician-in-chief emeritus, H. Robert Horvitz, David H. Koch Professor Richard and Susan Smith Distinguished Professor of of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Medicine Emeritus, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, member, MIT Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Harvard Medical School. Research; member, MIT McGovern Institute for Brain Elaine Fuchs, Rebecca C. Lancefield Professor, Research; investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Laboratory of Mammalian Cell Biology and Institute. Development, Rockefeller University; investigator, Susan Band Horwitz, Distinguished Professor, Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Rose C. Falkenstein Chair in Cancer Research, Judy Garber, director, Center for Cancer associate director for therapeutics, Albert Einstein Genetics and Prevention, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Cancer Center; co-chair, Department of Molecular Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School. Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Walter Gilbert, Carl M. Loeb University Sir R. Timothy Hunt, emeritus group leader, Professor Emeritus, Department of Molecular and Clare Hall Laboratories, Cancer Research U.K. Cellular Biology, Harvard University. Tony Hunter, director, Salk Institute Cancer Alfred Gilman, Regental Professor of Center; American Cancer Society Professor of Pharmacology Emeritus, University of Texas Molecular and Cell Biology, Renato Dulbecco Chair,

The Cancer Letter • April 5, 2013 Vol. 39 No. 14 • Page 14 The Salk Institute for Biological Studies. Tak Mak, director, Advanced Medical Discovery Tyler Jacks, director, David H. Koch Institute Institute and director, The Campbell Family Institute for Integrative Cancer Research; professor of biology, for Breast Cancer Research, Ontario Cancer Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; investigator, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre; professor, Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Departments of Medical Biophysics and Immunology, Peter Jones, Distinguished Professor of Urology University of Toronto. and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology; Mark A, Lynn Matrisian, vice president for scientific and J. Ruth, and Stillman F. Sawyer Chair in Cancer medical affairs, Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. Research, University of Southern California (USC) Frank McCormick, director, Helen Diller Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. Family Comprehensive Cancer Center; associate V. Craig Jordan, professor of oncology dean, School of Medicine, University of California, and pharmacology, Vincent T. Lombardi Chair of San Francisco. Translational Cancer Research, vice chair, Department John Mendelsohn, director, Sheik Kalifa Bin of Oncology; Scientific Director, Lombardi Zayed Al Nahyan Institute for Personalized Cancer Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University. Therapy and past president, MD Anderson Cancer Yuet Wai Kan, Louis K. Diamond Professor of Center. Hematology, Departments of Laboratory Medicine Donald Metcalf, professor emeritus, University and Medicine, University of California, San Francisco. of Melbourne; Carden Fellow in Cancer Research, Mary-Claire King, American Cancer Society Division of Cancer and Hematology, the Walter and Professor, Departments of Medicine and Genome Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. Sciences, University of Washington. Enrico Mihich, presidential scholar and special Eva Klein, professor emeritus, Department of assistant to the President for Sponsored Research, Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Institutet. Beatrice Mintz, professor and Jack Schultz Chair George Klein, professor emeritus, Department in Basic Research, Fox Chase Cancer Center. of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Luc Montagnier, co-founder and president, Institutet. World Foundation for AIDS Research and Prevention; Alfred Knudson Jr., Distinguished Scientist and director of research emeritus, Centre National de la Senior Advisor to the President, Fox Chase Cancer Recherché Scientifique; professor emeritus, Pasteur Center. Institute. Brian Kobilka, professor, Molecular and Harold Moses, Hortense B. Ingram Professor Cellular Physiology and Medicine, Stanford University of Molecular Oncology; professor of cancer biology, School of Medicine. medicine and pathology; director emeritus, Vanderbilt- Margaret Kripke, chief scientific officer of the Ingram Comprehensive Cancer Center. Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas; Sir Paul Nurse, director, Francis Crick Institute, Vivian L. Smith Distinguished Chair in Immunology London; president, The Royal Society. Emerita and professor emerita, Department of Olufunmilayo Olopade, Walter L. Palmer Immunology, and professor emerita, Graduate School Distinguished Service Professor of Medicine & Human of Biomedical Sciences, MD Anderson Cancer Center. Genetics; associate dean for global health; director, Philip Leder, professor emeritus, Department of Center for Clinical Cancer Genetics, University of Genetics, Harvard Medical School Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. Robert Lefkowitz, investigator, Howard Arthur Pardee, professor of biological chemistry Hughes Medical Institute; James B. Duke Professor and molecular pharmacology emeritus, Harvard of Medicine; professor of biochemistry and chemistry, Medical School. Duke University Medical Center. Martine Piccart, professor of oncology, Arnold Levine, professor, Simons Center for Université Libre de Bruxelles; director of medicine, Systems Biology, Institute for Advanced Study; Jules Bordet Institute. professor, Cancer Institute of New Jersey. Sir Bruce Ponder, founding director, Cancer Lawrence Loeb, professor of pathology, Research U.K. Cambridge Research Institute; professor Biochemistry and Director, Joseph Goldstein Memorial and head of oncology, University of Cambridge; Cancer Research Laboratory, University of Washington honorary consultant physician, Cambridge University School of Medicine. Hospitals.

The Cancer Letter • April 5, 2013 Vol. 39 No. 14 • Page 15 Sir Richard Roberts, chief scientific officer, Medical School; professor of chemistry and chemical New England Biolabs, Inc. biology, Harvard University; Alexander Rick Irwin Rose, distinguished professor emeritus, Distinguished Investigator, Department of Molecular Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital. of California, Irvine. Roger Tsien, professor of pharmacology, Janet Rowley, Blum-Riese Distinguished chemistry and biochemistry, University of California, Professor of Medicine, Molecular Genetics and Cell San Diego; investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Biology, and Human Genetics, University of Chicago. Institute. Frederick Sanger, emeritus professor, Laboratory Arthur Upton, emeritus professor of for Molecular Biology, University of Cambridge. environmental medicine and clinical professor of Alan Sartorelli, Alfred Gilman Professor of environmental and community medicine, University Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine. of Medicine and Dentistry, Robert Wood Johnson Andrew Schally, distinguished medical research Medical School. scientist; head, Endocrine, Polypeptide and Cancer George Vande Woude, distinguished scientific Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Department fellow, Van Andel Research Institute. of Veterans Affairs; Distinguished Leonard M. Miller Bert Vogelstein, director, Ludwig Center for Professor of Pathology, Miller School of Medicine, Cancer Genetics and Therapeutics, Sidney Kimmel University of Miami. Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins Phillip Sharp, institute professor and faculty University School of Medicine; investigator, Howard member, David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Hughes Medical Institute. Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Peter Vogt, executive vice president for scientific Institute of Technology. affairs; professor, Department of Molecular and Charles Sherr, Herrick Foundation Chair, Experimental Medicine; The Scripps Research Department of Tumor Cell Biology, St. Jude Children’s Institute. Research Hospital; investigator, Howard Hughes Daniel Von Hoff, physician in chief, distinguished Medical Institute. professor, Translational Genomics Research Institute; Osamu Shimomura, distinguished scientist, professor of medicine, Mayo Clinic; chief scientific Marine Biological Laboratory; professor of physiology officer, Scottsdale Health Care; professor, University emeritus, Boston University School of Medicine. of Arizona College of Pharmacy. Dennis Slamon, director, Clinical/Translational Geoffrey Wahl, professor, Gene Expression Research; director, Revlon/UCLA Women’s Cancer Laboratory; Daniel and Martina Lewis Chair, Salk Research Program, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Institute for Biological Studies. Center; professor of medicine; Chief of the Division James Watson, chancellor emeritus, Cold Spring of Hematology/Oncology; executive vice chair for Harbor Laboratory. research, David Geffen School of Medicine, University Lee Wattenberg, professor of laboratory of California, Los Angeles. medicine and pathology emeritus, Masonic Cancer Oliver Smithies, Weatherspoon Eminent Center, University of Minnesota. Distinguished Professor, University of North Carolina Robert Weinberg, member, Whitehead Institute School of Medicine at Chapel Hill. for Biomedical Research; professor, Department Michael Sporn, professor of pharmacology and of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; medicine, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. director, Ludwig/MIT Center for Molecular Oncology. Louise Strong, Sue and Radcliffe Killam Chair, John Weisburger, research professor of Department of Genetics, and professor, Department pathology, Graduate School of Basic Medical Sciences, of Genetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson New York Medical College. Cancer Center. Jane Cooke Wright, Deceased (1919 – 2013). Takashi Sugimura, president, Toho University; Shinya Yamanaka, director and professor, president emeritus, National Cancer Center. Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto Sir John Sulston, professor and chair of the University; senior investigator, Gladstone Institute of Institute for Science, Ethics and Innovation, University Cardiovascular Disease; and professor of anatomy, of Manchester. University of California, San Francisco. Jack Szostak, investigator, Howard Hughes Harald zur Hausen, professor emeritus, German Medical Institute; professor of genetics, Harvard Cancer Research Center.

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