FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
January 4, 2012
CONTACT: Kelly Baldwin
571-483-1365
kelly.baldwin@asco.org
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Four noteworthy studies from the 2012 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium will be featured in an embargoed presscast for reporters on Tuesday, January 17, 2012, from 12:00-1:30 PM (EST). Highlighted studies will focus on the latest improvements being made in the detection and treatment of several gastrointestinal cancers. The presscast will be moderated by Morton Kahlenberg, MD, a member of the 2012 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium News Planning Team and ASCO’s Cancer Communications Committee.
During the presscast, which will be held via live teleconference and webinar, researchers will present results from the following four studies:
- A study evaluating use of optical biomarkers to detect individuals with Barrett’s esophagus who are at high risk of developing esophageal cancer (Randall Brand, MD, University of Pittsburgh)
- A trial analyzing effects of a targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor agent, regorafenib, in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who have progressed after standard therapies (Axel Grothey, MD, Mayo Clinic)
- An analysis of prognostic factors and use of the drug everolimus in a large study of patients with advanced neuroendocrine tumors (James Yao, MD, University of Texas’ M. D. Anderson Cancer Center)
- A study examining use of a blood serum-based test to detect early-stage pancreatic cancer (David Gold, PhD, Center for Molecular Medicine and Immunology/Garden State Cancer Center)
Gastrointestinal cancers include those of the colon/rectum, stomach, pancreas, esophagus, small intestine, anus and other digestive organs. In 2011, an estimated 278,000 people in the U.S. were diagnosed with these cancers, and an estimated 140,000 have died from them.1
This year’s Symposium will take place January 19-21, 2012, at The Moscone West Building in San Francisco and feature nearly 700 abstracts on the latest research in gastrointestinal cancers. On-site facilities for reporters will include a working newsroom and access to leading experts in the field.
Four leading medical specialty societies co-sponsor the three-day, multidisciplinary symposium, including the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) and the Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO).
Media Registration: To register to attend the meeting or participate in the presscast, visit ASCO’s online Media Headquarters. The deadline to register for the presscast is Friday, January 13. Please note: If you were already credentialed for the 2011 ASCO Annual Meeting or Breast Cancer Symposium, you will automatically receive the presscast login information and do not have to register again. For further assistance please contact Kelly Baldwin at kelly.baldwin@asco.org or 571-483-1365 or contact Nicole Fernandes at nicole.fernandes.@asco.org or 571-483-1354. News and other information about the Symposium is available at www.asco.org/GIpresskit.
1Cancer Facts & Figures 2011. Atlanta, GA; American Cancer Society: 2011.
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