Press Releases

As new cancer treatments become available, some of the most important ongoing research must look at ways to optimize those new approaches so that more patients can benefit from groundbreaking therapies. In work newly published in Blood Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, a team of collaborators from Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and Moffitt Cancer Center report the first strategy for identifying before treatment which patients are at risk for poor outcomes from CAR T-cell therapy — pointing to opportunities to improve the safety and efficacy of this new and fast-growing class of cancer immunotherapies.

Subcutaneous injection of the immunotherapy nivolumab (brand name Opdivo) is noninferior to intravenous delivery and dramatically reduces treatment time in patients with renal cell carcinoma, as seen in the results of a large phase 3 clinical trial reported today at the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Genitourinary Cancers Symposium in San Francisco, California. Saby George, MD, FACP, Professor of Oncology and Medicine and Director of Network Clinical Trials at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, will deliver an oral abstract summarizing the findings of “A Study of Subcutaneous Nivolumab Versus Intravenous Nivolumab in Participants with Previously Treated Clear Cell Renal Carcinoma That Is Advanced or Has Spread (CheckMate-67T)” (NCT04810078).

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has awarded Orphan Drug Designation to Canget BioTekpharma LLC for FL118, a drug candidate developed at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, as a possible treatment for pancreatic cancer.

In recognition of his dedication toward advancements in lung cancer care as well as his contributions as a valued mentor, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center Chair of Thoracic Surgery, Sai Yendamuri, MD, MBA, FACS, has recently been honored with prestigious leadership roles, awards, and grant funding from both local and national organizations.

Following a national search, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center has selected George T. “Buddy” Hickman as its new Chief Digital & Information Officer. Hickman succeeds Tom Furlani, PhD, who retires this month.

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center has launched registration for the fourth annual IceCycle fundraising event, presented by the West Herr Automotive Group. This event is bringing together 13 WNY fitness studios and more than 1,000 participants on March 8 and 9 to take a 45-minute cycling class on ice while raising funds for research and programs at Roswell Park. 

Ahead of the new year, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center celebrates the 136 physicians across 34 specialties named to Buffalo Spree magazine’s Top Doctors list for 2024. The annual list is compiled through surveys submitted by Western New York physicians.

In recognition of the countless hours she has dedicated to designing and leading practice-changing research and advocating for higher standards of care for children and young adults with cancer, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center Chair of Pediatrics Kara Kelly, MD, has been honored with both awards and new leadership positions by several national and international oncology organizations.

Senator Tim Kennedy joined pediatric hematologist/oncologist Steven Ambrusko MD, MS, at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center to urge the New York State Department of Health to expedite the coverage approval process for a new groundbreaking gene therapy that is being hailed as a cure for sickle cell disease.