OncLive's 2015 Giants of Cancer Care Awards Announced

Twelve of the nation's leading oncology physicians, researchers and academicians were recognized by their peers as the 2015 Giants of Cancer Care at a ceremony hosted by OncLive at the Chicago Illuminating Company last night. The awardees included medical pioneers selected by a panel of eminent oncologists for landmark achievements in translational research, gene therapy, immuno-oncology and other groundbreaking work that has changed the course of cancer treatment.

CHICAGO, Ill. (May 30, 2015) — Twelve of the nation’s leading oncology physicians, researchers and academicians were recognized by their peers as the 2015 Giants of Cancer Care at a ceremony hosted by OncLive® at the Chicago Illuminating Company last night. The awardees included medical pioneers selected by a panel of eminent oncologists for landmark achievements in translational research, gene therapy, immuno-oncology and other groundbreaking work that has changed the course of cancer treatment.

Honorees were introduced and celebrated during the third annual Giants of Cancer Care ceremony, which was attended by international leaders in cancer treatment and research, journalists and executives from OncLive and parent company Michael J. Hennessy Associates, Inc.

The 2015 honorees, affiliated with medical centers across the U.S., were carefully chosen from hundreds of nominees to join the roster of world-class clinicians and research scientists who have been honored by OncLive’s Giants of Cancer Care™ Awards since the program began in 2013. The 2015 Giants program is sponsored by Novartis, Merck & Co., Inc., and Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

“Our third annual Giants of Cancer Care ceremony celebrates those physicians and researchers who have devoted their time, talent and resources to improving care for patients and families affected by cancer,” said Jack Lepping, vice chairman at Michael J. Hennessy Associates, Inc., parent company to OncLive/Giants of Cancer Care. “We applaud and appreciate their compassion and dedication to understanding this disease and developing life-changing treatments. By shining a spotlight on their work today, we not only honor their achievements but also hope to inspire more discoveries tomorrow.”

The 2015 Giants of Cancer Care are:

  • Breast Cancer — Gabriel N. Hortobagyi, MD, FACP, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
  • Community Outreach/Education — Harold P. Freeman, MD, The Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care and Prevention, New York, N.Y.
  • Gastrointestinal Cancer — Robert J. Mayer, MD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass.
  • Genitourinary Cancer — Maha H. Hussain, MB, ChB, University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, Mich.
  • Gynecologic Malignancies — Robert C. Bast, Jr., MD, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
  • Immuno-Oncology — Carl H. June, MD, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa.
  • Lung Cancer — John Minna, MD, University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.
  • Lymphoid Neoplasms — Emil J. Freireich, MD, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
  • Melanoma/Skin — Antoni Ribas, MD, PhD, UCLA School of Medicine, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, Calif.
  • Myeloid Neoplasms — Clara Bloomfield, MD, Ohio State University, Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio
  • Scientific Advances — Robert A. Weinberg, PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Whitehead Institute, Boston, Mass.
  • Supportive/Palliative Care — Charles Loprinzi, MD, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Rochester, Minn.

(Their full bios appear on http://giants.onclive.com/recipients/2015)

OncLive’s Giants of Cancer Care Awards reflect today’s new and dynamic world of cancer care and research. 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 cancers 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 2015 Giants of Cancer Care Selection Committee, chaired by Dr. Hope S. Rugo, an oncologist and hematologist specializing in breast cancer research and treatment, includes 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 from 8 tumor-specific categories and 4 specialty categories. For more information about the Selection Committee, visit http://giants.onclive.com.

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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Media inquiries: please contact Becky Taylor at becky@btaylorpa.com or at 609.240.6886