In the five decades since camptothecin was first isolated from the bark of a tree used in traditional Chinese medicine and identified as a powerful anticancer agent, several thousand chemicals with similar structures and functions have been investigated. And while two of these analog compounds, irinotecan and topotecan, have been approved in the U.S. as treatments for cancer, both are associated with significant shortcomings. Researchers from Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) have reported findings about a new synthetic form of camptothecin, known as FL118, that appears to have greater potency, longer efficacy and fewer adverse side effects than irinotecan and topotecan.

The size of a surgically removed tumor is generally thought to relate to the risk of the cancer spreading to other regions of the body. But because tumor cells may metastasize at different times and the rate of spread is difficult to assess, the relationship between tumor size and the relative risk of recurrence after surgery is challenging to calculate.

Acute kidney injury (AKI), also known as acute renal failure, is one of the main contributors to death and disability worldwide, yet no preventive treatment for the condition has been established.

Roswell Park Cancer Institute has been named a 2015 Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence Award winner in the area of Patient Experience. Guardian of Excellence awards recognize health care organizations that have consistently performed in the 95th percentile or above in a particular area of operations.

Large studies have shown improved survival for patients with esophageal cancer who receive both chemotherapy and radiation ahead of surgery to remove their tumors.