NYP/Weill Cornell physician-scientists present latest cancer findings at ASCO meeting

LE-SN38 for metastatic colorectal cancer after progression on oxaliplatin: Results of CALGB 80402. [Abstract number: 4109; Poster number: 16A]

Time: Monday, June 2, 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Authors: A. J. Ocean, D. Niedzwiecki, J. N. Atkins, B. Parker, B. H. O'Neil, J. W. Lee, S. Wadler, R. M. Goldberg

Dr. Allyson Ocean will present data showing that LESN-38, the active molecule of the chemotherapy drug irinotecan, did not have benefit in slowing the progression of metastatic colorectal cancer. The drug was reformulated and packaged into a liposome, a spherical molecule resembling a bubble made from lipid (fat) molecules, for delivery into the body, with the hope of reducing common side effects of chemotherapy. However, while the results for reduced toxicity are promising, the findings show that the drug did not slow cancer progression at the dose and formulation tested in this trial.

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, located in New York City, is one of the leading academic medical centers in the world, comprising the teaching hospital NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medical College, the medical school of Cornell University. NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell provides state-of-the-art inpatient, ambulatory and preventive care in all areas of medicine, and is committed to excellence in patient care, education, research and community service. Weill Cornell physician-scientists have been responsible for many medical advances -- from the development of the Pap test for cervical cancer to the synthesis of penicillin, the first successful embryo-biopsy pregnancy and birth in the U.S., the first clinical trial for gene therapy for Parkinson's disease, the first indication of bone marrow's critical role in tumor growth, and, most recently, the world's first successful use of deep brain stimulation to treat a minimally-conscious brain-injured patient.

NewYork-Presbyterian, which is ranked sixth on the U.S.News & World Report list of top hospitals, also comprises NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Westchester Division and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/The Allen Pavilion. Weill Cornell Medical College is the first U.S. medical college to offer a medical degree oversees and maintains a strong global presence in Austria, Brazil, Haiti, Tanzania, Turkey and Qatar. For more information, visit www.nyp.org and www.med.cornell.edu.