In Brief

Stand Up To Cancer is supporting a translational research team to explore how chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, which has been applied in blood cancers, can be applied to pancreatic cancer, the American Association for Cancer Research, SU2C's Scientific Partner, announced.

Carlos Arteaga, a breast cancer expert, was named director of the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at UT Southwestern Medical Center. His appointment begins Sept. 1. Arteaga comes to UT Southwestern from the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, where he has been on faculty since 1989.

Philip DiSaia resigned as president of the GOG Foundation Inc. and as one of the three group chairs of NRG Oncology.

Edith Peterson Mitchell, researcher, medical oncologist, and retired brigadier general was chosen as the 2017 American Society for Radiation Oncology Honorary Member. Mtchell will receive the award on Sept. 26 at ASTRO's 59th Annual Meeting in San Diego. “Dr. Edith Mitchell has been a longtime proponent of combined modality treatment—using chemotherapy and radiation therapy together in order to provide cancer patients with the best possible outcomes,” says ASTRO chair David Beyer. “Our specialty is privileged to have a champion such as Dr. Mitchell, who is a widely respected clinician as well as decorated military veteran. Her service to both our country and our field is laudable.”

A report from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network and Georgetown University Center on Health Insurance Reforms shows that while opportunities for coverage have improved, cancer patients struggle with financial challenges in affording their treatment, despite reductions in out-of-pocket costs and patient protections under current law.

Leading national cancer organizations released a joint position statement to guide the future of cancer health disparities research.

Andrew Baschnagel was awarded the 2017 UW Carbone Cancer Center Young Investigator Award.