Pancreas cancer: A relentless attack; New treatment for adult leukemia; Becoming fluent on liquid biopsies; Colon cancer is becoming ageless. Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center experts present their latest findings at the upcoming AACR annual meeting.
 

WHAT: The Annual Meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research

WHEN: March 29 – April 2, 2019

Elizabeth Jaffee, M.D.
March 31 @ 5:30 p.m. – Georgia Ballroom 1, Building C

Pancreatic Cancer: It’s personal to Elizabeth Jaffe, M.D. Pancreas cancer has touched her family and part of the reason she’s dedicated her career to tacking one of the most deadly cancers.  As a physician-scientist, she directs the pancreatic cancer program at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and is an internationally recognized leader in immunotherapy. As president of the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR), Jaffee will deliver her keynote address on the latest advances to overcoming the challenges of breaking through the conundrum of pancreatic cancer.
 

Mark Levis, M.D., Ph.D.|
April 1 @ 1:00 p.m. – Room A402

Adult Leukemia Treatment. The FDA recently approved a new drug, gilteritinib, for treatment of adult patients who have returning acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with a FLT3 (pronounced flit-3) mutation. Mark Levis, M.D., director of the Adult Leukemia Service at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center will discuss how his clinical trial of gilteritinib showed the benefits of the drug for AML patients. Levis is considered an expert in the FLT3 mutation in leukemia patients and developed a test that identifies how FLT3 mutation is impacted by drugs.
 

Nickolas Papadopoulos, Ph.D.
March 30 @ 3:15 p.m. – Room B312
April 2 @ 3:35 p.m. – Room A406

Liquid Biopsies. Cancer cells travel through the blood, saliva and even urine. Liquid biopsies are emerging as a useful tool in finding cancer at an early stage and, in some cases, helping to plan a treatment course. It’s fast, relatively easy and cost effective. Researcher Nickolas Papadopoulos, Ph.D., at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, describes the status of this technology and how patients are benefiting from it.
 

Nilo Azad, M.D.
April 1 @ 10:30 a.m. – Marcus Auditorium, Building A

Colon Cancer. Colon cancer was always considered a ‘Boomers’ cancer and now that is changing. Young adults are being diagnosed with colon cancer at an alarming rate. Nilo Azad, M.D., associate professor of oncology at Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, and Cynthia Sears, M.D., a professor at the Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at Johns Hopkins are studying this trend and how it connects to the microbiome.
 

Suzanne Topalian, M.D.
March 31 @ 12:45 p.m. – Marcus Auditorium, Building A
Julie Brahmer, M.D.
EMBARGOED UNTIL 3:00 P.M. EST ON 03/29/2019
April 2 @ 1:00 p.m. – Building B, Poster Exhibits, Section 16

Immunotherapy. Harnessing the body’s own defenses, immunotherapy can now be used as a first line of defense against lung cancer, melanoma, and a growing list of other cancers. Suzanne Topalian, M.D., professor at the Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, and Julie Brahmer, M.D., lung cancer program leader at the Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute, provide insights on predicting responses in patients.

For a complete listing of events featuring Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researchers, check out the AACR itinerary of sessions and presentations.