The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) announced yesterday that Charles L. Sawyers, M.D., chair of MSKCC’s Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, has been selected as the president-elect for 2012-2013 of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). Sawyers is renowned for his clinical and translational research, and he is currently investigating the signaling pathways that drive the growth of cancer cells to design new treatment options for patients. MSKCC is one of the premier hospitals in the United States for treating mesothelioma patients.
Located in New York, MSKCC is the world’s oldest and largest private cancer center, and has a team of specialists including surgical oncologists, pathologists, and nurses who deal exclusively with mesothelioma and other thoracic cancers. The Center is known for innovative approaches to treatment and recently introduced a program that focuses on helping men and women with a terminal diagnosis of mesothelioma focus on the spiritual, emotional, and psychological aspects of cancer.
Mesothelioma is a signature cancer of asbestos and is diagnosed in close to 3,000 Americans each year. Patients with the rare disease are often referred to medical professionals that specialize in the treatment of mesothelioma.
Sawyers’ research has been instrumental in the development of two cancer treatment drugs – imatinib and dasatinib. Both drugs are used in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia. Dasatinib is currently undergoing a clinical trial at MD Anderson Cancer Center to learn how the drug affects biomarker levels in patients with resectable malignant pleural mesothelioma.
“We are in the midst of a transformative decade in cancer research, with many new therapies emerging from our work that are improving the lives of cancer patients around the world,” said Sawyer. He added that he will work closely with the AACR staff to ensure the government does not cut investments in cancer research at this critical time of development.
Sawyer has been a member of the AACR since 1998 and was a past member of the AACR Board of Directors. He is scientific editor of Cancer Discovery and associate editor of Clinical Cancer Research, journals of the AACR. Sawyers is past president of the American Society of Clinical Investigation; served on the National Cancer Institute’s Board of Scientific Councilors; and is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Medicine. In addition, he has an impressive list of awards and accolades, including the Dorothy Landon-AACR Prize for Translational Cancer Research, the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s David A. Karnofsky Award, and the Lasker~DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award.
“His [Sawyers] scientific achievements and research into the molecular forces that drive cancer growth and resistance to therapy have had a direct influence on the current treatment landscape, as well as on the patient experience,” said Memorial Sloan-Kettering President and CEO Craig Thompson on the announcement. “I’m certain he will be just as influential to the AACR.”
“Dr. Sawyers’ research has revolutionized the cancer therapeutics landscape,” said Margaret Foti, Ph.D., M.D. (h.c.), chief executive officer of the AACR. “We are thrilled that an esteemed expert in clinical and translational research has been elected to serve as the next AACR president-elect.”
The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is the oldest and largest scientific organization in the world focused on innovative cancer research. AACR’s membership includes 34,000 laboratory, translational and clinical researchers; population scientists; other health care professionals; and cancer advocates residing in more than 90 countries.