Announcement of OncLive's 2015 Giants of Cancer Care Honorees Advances Legacy of Groundbreaking Treatment, Research

PLAINSBORO, N.J. (May 20, 2015) — Oncologists whose research and treatment innovations have changed the course of cancer care will join the elite roster of medical pioneers named OncLive’s Giants of Cancer Care™ when the 2015 honorees are announced Friday, May 29, during the 3rd Annual Giants of Cancer Care Award Ceremony to be held from 8:30 to 11 p.m. CDT at The Chicago Illuminating Company, 2110 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago, Ill.

In 2015, more than 1.6 million new cases of cancer are expected to be diagnosed in the United States — and nearly 590,000 people will die from the disease, according to the National Cancer Institute. The most common forms are projected to include breast cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, colon and rectum cancer, bladder cancer, melanoma of the skin, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and leukemia. Research scientists and clinicians honored as Giants of Cancer Care are leading the battle against these devastating diseases.

The Giants of Cancer Care Selection Committee, chaired by Dr. Hope S. Rugo, an oncologist and hematologist specializing in breast cancer research and treatment, comprises an exclusive group of oncologists, clinicians and researchers. The nomination process was open to a national audience. The Selection Committee then considered each final nominee’s body of work, including clinical impact, significant contributions, and overall accomplishments, in order to select 12 honorees in 8 tumor-specific categories and 4 specialty categories for the 2015 Giants program, sponsored by Novartis, Merck & Co., Inc. and Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.

“We are proud to applaud the pioneers whose unflagging efforts and determination continue to enhance patient care, uncover promising new treatments and provide hope to those living with cancer,” said Jack Lepping, vice chairman of Michael J. Hennessy Associates, Inc., parent company to OncLive/Giants of Cancer Care.

The 2015 honorees announced May 29 will join the world-class roster of clinicians and research scientists who have received OncLive’s Giants of Cancer Care award since the program began in 2013.

The Giants of Cancer Care inaugural class included such luminaries as Bernard Fisher, breast cancer pioneer widely credited with bringing clinical trials and statistical methodology to breast cancer research, which led to the elimination of the Halsted radical mastectomy, and Bert Vogelstein, who discovered the molecular basis of colorectal cancer. For more information about the 2013 Giants of Cancer Care, visit Committee of Elite Oncologists Selects World's Best to Receive OncLive's 2015 Giants of Cancer Care Awards
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The tradition of excellence continued in 2014, when OncLive’s Giants of Cancer Care awards recognized targeted anticancer therapies, immunotherapy, drug development, surgical techniques, psychosocial advocacy and policy leadership, among other breakthrough achievements. Honorees includes renowned oncologists such as Dennis J. Slamon, the eminent research scientist known for discovering Herceptin, a major advance in targeted cancer therapy that has been used to treat probably more than 420,000 cases of breast cancer worldwide; and George D. Demetri, developer of one of the first targeted anticancer therapies, which is now approved in 10 indications as a treatment for chronic myeloid leukemia and other hematologic malignancies and for gastrointestinal stromal tumors. For bios of the 2014 Giants of Cancer Care, visit http://giants.onclive.com/current.

About OncLive

OncLive.com is the official website for Intellisphere’s Oncology Specialty Group, which publishes Oncology & Biotech News, OncologyLive, Oncology Nursing News and Contemporary Oncology. OncLive offers oncology professionals resources and information they need to provide the best care for their patients. Intellisphere, LLC, a leading provider of healthcare publishing, research and education, is part of the Michael J. Hennessy Associates, Inc. family of businesses, based in Plainsboro, N.J. MJH also includes the acclaimed CURE Media Group, which combines science and humanity to make cancer understandable. Its flagship product is CURE™ magazine, the largest consumer publication in the U.S. focused entirely on cancer, reaching cancer patients, cancer centers and advocacy groups. To learn more, please visit http://www.OncLive.com.

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Please contact Becky Taylor at becky@btaylorpa.com or at 609-240-6886