Montefiore-Einstein Investigators Zero In On Who Will Respond to Cancer Treatments

Members of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Montefiore Einstein Center for Cancer Care and Albert Einstein College of Medicine's NCI—designated Albert Einstein Cancer Center will soon unveil new research findings at the 59th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO). The Montefiore-Einstein research focuses on predicting how patients will respond to chemotherapy and radiation, particularly for spine, lung, liver and head and neck cancers.

Montefiore-Einstein has five oral presentations and 13 poster presentations at this year’s ASTRO meeting, which is taking place at the San Diego Convention Center from September 24-27.

“Our Radiation Oncology department is delighted and proud to be an early adopter of personalized treatment regimens for our patients,” said Shalom Kalnicki, M.D., professor and chair, Department of Radiation Oncology, Montefiore-Einstein. “Sequential treatment imaging combined with use of molecular, biological and immunological markers, to identify where and how patients respond to treatment, have yielded dramatic improvements in tumor control, and patient quality of life and survival.”

Following are some of the oral presentations that Montefiore-Einstein investigators will deliver at the meeting. The presentations are embargoed until the time of presentation. Additionally, Wolfgang A. Tomé, PhD, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine will be honored as an ASTRO fellow for his research contributions to the field of radiation oncology. Dr. Tomé will be giving a talk at ASTRO on Modern Radiotherapy Techniques and Safety Considerations.

Investigators are available for interviews pertaining to their presentation or to comment on other reports of interest at ASTRO 2017.

1. In Vivo Assessment of the Spatial Distribution of Liver Injury Following Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma — Presented by Justin Tang, Resident, Radiation Oncology, Montefiore and Einstein, in the lab of Dr. Guha. Sunday, September 24 at 1:30PM. Radiation and Cancer Physics Track – Room #11 A/B. Presentation #173.

This presentation discusses a novel MRI technique to monitor liver defects and develop new models to quantify and correlate MRI results with specific treatments and dosages.

2. Early Response Assessment of Mid-Treatment CT Predicts Locoregional Recurrence in Oropharyngeal Cancer Patients Treated with Definitive Radiation Therapy — Presented by Rafi Kabarriti, M.D., Attending Physician, Montefiore. Sunday, September 24 at 2:00PM. Radiation and Cancer Physics Track – Room #31 A/B/C. Presentation #29. This study evaluates the use of new mid-treatment radiation markers in patients with oropharynx (throat) cancer to earlier predict tumor response rates and patient outcomes. It may also lead to modifying of care plans during treatment.

3. Exosomes from Adipose Derived Stromal Cells Mitigate Acute Radiation Injury in Mice — Presented by Sujith Baliga, Chief Resident, Radiation Oncology, Montefiore and Einstein in the lab of Dr. Guha. Tuesday, September 26 at 7:45AM. Radiation and Cancer Biology Track. Room #30 D/E. Presentation #160. · This presentation describes efforts to lessen the severity of radiation-induced gastrointestinal syndrome (a type of acute radiation injury) by treating radiation-exposed mice with exosomes (small membrane-bound vesicles) from stromal (connective tissue) cells derived from the adipose tissue of donor mice.

4. Prospective Evaluation of Adaptive, Staged Radiosurgery for Patients with Metastatic Epidural Disease in the Spine — Presented by Madhur K. Garg, M.D., Clinical Director, Department of Radiation Oncology, Montefiore and Professor of Clinical Radiation Oncology, Einstein. Tuesday, September 26 at 8:00AM. Radiation and Cancer Physics Track – Room #2. Presentation #147. · Preliminary efficacy data for a Phase I/II trial is presented. The trial assesses the use of novel target delineation and stereotactic radiotherapy techniques for patients with spinal cord compression due to metastatic disease.

5. PET-Adjusted Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy for Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Prospective Trial — Presented by Nitin Ohri, M.D., Attending Physician, Montefiore and Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology, Einstein. Tuesday, September 26 at 5:15PM. Lung Cancer Track – Room #7 A/B. Presentation #226. This prospective phase II study evaluates nuclear medicine metrics, including the maximum-tolerated dose of radiation, for use in modifying radiation doses to improve disease control and decrease tissue toxicity and overall treatment time.