Inova Cancer Research 2022 Donor Impact Report

Your Impact on Cancer Research in 2022

Research is central to what we do at Inova Schar Cancer Institute and helps improve patient care by increasing cure rates and prolonging the lives of patients with recurrent cancers. Your generosity helped propel us forward on so many important fronts – showing the power of philanthropy in action.

Thanks to your investment in cancer research at Inova Schar Cancer Institute, we had a record 970 active studies in 2022 – and a 41% patient increase enrolled compared to 2021.

These achievements would not be possible without your partnership. In this impact report, you will be able to read how your support has benefitted innovative initiatives in so many areas, including:

Funding new clinical studies and clinical trials, including five active trials focusing on cancer prevention and early detection in our new Inova Saville Cancer Screening and Prevention Center that opened in May 2022

Recruiting Nagla Abdel Karim, MD, Ph.D., as Director of the Early Phase Developmental Therapeutics Program. This hire has drawn local and national attention, putting Inova Schar on the map as a renowned and groundbreaking research facility

Being the largest community-based enroller in the U.S. to a phase 3 breast cancer study for proton therapy versus standard photon radiation

Addressing healthcare inequities by expanding mobile clinics and clinical trials into underserved communities through our Inova Saville Cancer Screening and Prevention Center

This was truly a team effort to achieve what we did in 2022 – and more importantly it is a testament to the transformational impact your philanthropy has on research. You have our deepest gratitude.

Warmly, John Deeken, MD President

Inova Schar Cancer Institute

2022 RESEARCH UPDATE

In 2022, our research efforts continued to gather momentum as our investigators sought to gain new understandings of cancer so that we can ultimately find new treatments and cures for these devastating diseases. Here are some of our notable achievements from our Clinical Trials Office you helped make possible:

active clinical studies

4 investigational pharmacy team members added (3 pharmacists and 1 pharmacy tech)

subjects enrolled in clinical study; 102 in therapeutic clinical trials and 453 enrolled in additional studies

Launching the inaugural Schar Clinical Research internship with 6 interns selected from 50 competitive applicants

Largest communitybased enroller in the U.S. to a phase 3 breast cancer study for proton

8 new research investigators onboarded to support a total of 100 investigators

new studies were activated publications and presentations at conferences

therapy versus standard photon radiation. This study is designed to help discover if one type of radiation is better, about the same, or worse in terms of side effects, cure rates, length of life or quality of life after radiation

“When I had invasive skin cancer a few years ago I was asked by the folks at Inova Schar if I was interested in taking part in a research study. I immediately said yes, for two reasons. I would continue to get top-notch care and regular CT scans, and in my own way, I felt I might be helping others. ”

Jack Briggs, Inova Schar Cancer Institute patient

Meet Three of The Researchers Your Gifts Help Support

At Inova Schar Cancer Institute, many of our physicians, in addition to treating patients, are also investigating causes and treatments for many different types of cancers. We’d like to introduce you to three of our researchers and let them tell you, in their own words, about their work, what motivates them, and what it means for patients and our community.

Nagla Abdul Karim, MD, PhD

Director of Phase I Clinical Trials Inova

Schar Cancer Institute

Dr. Karim is on a mission. “I want to develop a better understanding of cancer so that we can create more personalized treatments for our patients. ”

As the Director of the Early Phase Developmental Therapeutics Program, Dr. Karim explains the importance of Phase 1 trials in cancer research and ultimately cancer care

“Phase 1 is the first step in testing how a drug interacts with the human body in the development of new treatments, ” says Karim. "At this stage, we are evaluating safety and determining the optimal dose with the least significant side effects in a small group of people. ”

Phases of a Clinical Trial

Laboratory Studies

Cell or animal studies test to see if the new treatment will be safe and will work on people.

Phase I

Studies the safety of medication and treatment on people to find the right dose

Phase II

Studies the safety and effectiveness on people.

Phase III

Studies whether the new treatment is better than the current standard treatment.

Seeing patients is equally important to Dr. Karim. “My day may begin with clinics and patient rounds, ” says Dr. Karim. “Another day, I may be holding one of my Phase I meetings, where we look at protocols and which clinical trials we could bring here. ”

As the program grows, Dr. Karim has exciting plans for 2023, including holding Inova’s first Phase 1 Symposium, where she’s reached out to Phase 1 leaders across the nation to share information in early clinical trials that are critical to cancer research. “We have to keep moving forward. We should continue to fight for the ones we love. ”

“I am passionate about my work. I want to allow my patients to have hope and access novel treatments to improve their outcomes.

I was really young when my dad died of liver cancer and I’ve wanted to be a medical oncologist ever since. ”

Nagla Karim, MD, PhD

Timothy Cannon, MD

Sheridan Director, Molecular Tumor Board

Co-Director, Gastrointestinal Cancer Program

Inova Schar Cancer Institute

As the Sheridan Director, Molecular Tumor Board, Dr. Cannon understands the critical role philanthropy plays in research.

“The Sheridan Director position and the Molecular Tumor Board are fueled by philanthropy, ” Dr. Cannon explains. “Philanthropy has direct and indirect impact on research. It has funded many great projects that are making a difference in people’s lives. But there are so many indirect impacts. For example, when there is money from philanthropy available to do internally funded research projects, oncologists are more likely to want to join our team. ”

“The Molecular Tumor Board is a new innovation of the last few years, ” says Dr. Cannon. “For most cancers, there were not a lot of options outside of chemotherapy. Then as we started to apply advanced knowledge in molecular medicine and genetics, we could look at the genetic profiles of tumors and test for over 400 different genes. We developed a program that would help physicians and patients understand their options, prompt potential changes in their treatment plan or determine if the patient is eligible for clinical trials. ”

Studies his team are working on right now include:

Testing proteomics through a Cancer Moonshot grant, which is a direct way of measuring the proteins a DNA encodes. This aims to develop better a understanding on how to treat patients more effectively

Finding the extent that a protein named “HER2” plays a role in causing pancreatic cancer

“Philanthropy helps in ways donors might not perceive, “ says Dr. Cannon. “It supports projects that real people benefit from every single day. ”

Timothy Cannon, MD Sheridan Director, Molecular Tumor Board Co-Director, Gastrointestinal Cancer Program Inova Schar Cancer Institute

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At my fourth year of medical school, I did an oncology rotation and I would see how the patient relationship develops, how dynamic cancer research was, and how things changed when there was success in the clinical trial. ”

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I was an art history major when my mother encouraged me to take some science classes. That’s how I started my journey into medicine. My mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer when I was an intern and died when I was a junior resident. That experience, as well as my experience as a medicine resident taking care of cancer patients and working in cancer research, influenced me to apply for fellowship in hematology and oncology. ”

Raymond Wadlow, MD Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology Program Director, Hematology-Oncology Fellowship Inova Schar Cancer Institute

Raymond Wadlow, MD

Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology Program Director, Hematology-Oncology Fellowship Inova Schar Cancer Institute

Dr. Wadlow’s dedication to balancing his research with actively seeing patients is what first drew him to Inova.

Since joining the team in 2020, he has been one of Inova Schar’s highest enrollers in clinical trials. For example, Dr. Wadlow started and participated in a clinic at the Saville Center for patients at high risk of pancreatic cancer, serving as the principal investigator for Inova in the international research collaborative, The Pancreatic Cancer Early Detection Consortium.

“Because of my family history with pancreatic cancer, I too was enrolled as a patient under their protocol, ” says Dr. Wadlow. “We are going to learn how to prevent pancreatic cancer, and we aim to increase the long-term survival rate from 10% to 50%. I said I wanted to bring this to my community and I did that when the Saville Center opened in 2022. Since then, we’ve enrolled 95 people to the Early Detection Consortium protocol. ”

Caring for patients is central to him. “It’s a balance. I am in clinic 50% of the time seeing patients and meeting with multidisciplinary teams to do rounds, ” says Dr. Wadlow. “A typical clinic day is 15-20 patients, some who are being screened, some newly diagnosed, or others might be in the middle of their chemotherapy and we’re looking for clinical trials. Thursdays and Fridays are reserved for research. It’s a good balance. ”

We are grateful to all our donors, including transformational support from Win Sheridan who make Dr. Wadlow’s research possible.

“As I reflect back on those first days and weeks after being diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma cancer, I recall how absolutely life altering the experience was for me and my family. Once the initial shock, fear, and general emotion subsided, I began to look at my options for recovery.

My participation in the clinical trial is something that I am proud of and something that I feel good about in the overall struggle to find a cure for both me and others. The excellent medical care that I received during the trial definitely saved my life and allowed me to maintain a fairly normal lifestyle in the process. ”

Clint Downing, Inova Schar Cancer Institute Patient

Welcoming 12 New Cancer Researchers to Our Team in 2022

Megan R. Slocum, PA Saville Center

Sheinei S. Alan, MD, PhD Sickle Cell Clinic

Nagla F. Karim, MD Phase 1 Clinical Trials

Elizabeth Stark

Peter Learn, MD Surgical Oncology

Jafar Al-Mondhiry, MD Melanoma/Skin Cancer

Janakiraman Subramanian, MD Lung Cancer

Tara A. Berman, MD Medical Oncology, Internal Medicine

Jessica Lee, MD Mid Atlantic Gynecologic Oncology and Pelvic Surgery Associates

Teja Poosarla, MD Breast Cancer

Jasmine C. Huynh, MD Medical Oncology, Hematology, Internal Medicine

Melissa N. Yacur, MD Medical Oncology, Hematology, Internal Medicine

Outreach and Education Manager and Cancer Genetic Counselor, Saville Center

EMPOWERMENT AND EQUITY FIGHTING CANCER

Inova Saville Cancer Screening and Prevention Center

The Saville Center, part of the Inova Schar Cancer Institute, opened in 2022 and focuses on cancer screening and prevention while also seeking to eliminate barriers for underserved, under-resourced communities.

With the backing of a robust research infrastructure within the Inova Schar Cancer Clinical Trials Office, some of these research studies include:

Launching groundbreaking new research using nasal swabs for lung cancer screening under the direction of Kei Suzuki, MD, aimed at addressing potential gaps in current screening guidelines

Creating a registry study to follow patients with military burn pit exposure using state-of-the-art detection methods including radiographic imaging, blood-based tumor markers and genetic profiling to determine if there is a link to specific medical conditions

2022 Cancer Research

Giving Snapshot: $1.4 Million RAISED DEPLOYED $3.3 Million

Our team remains committed to raising dollars and deploying those funds towards our mission with the utmost transparency and efficiency. You, our philanthropic partners, continue to play a key role in all of our efforts, and we want to assure you that every dollar donated is used to make a meaningful impact in the communities we serve. We are so grateful for the donors who enable us to activate and sustain these programs and projects that extend over multiple years. Thank you for your ongoing support and trust in us.

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2023 AND BEYOND

Stephanie Van Bebber Senior Director, Clinical Trials Office Inova Schar Cancer Institute

“As we enter 2023 and our research gains even more momentum, we are grateful to our philanthropic partners like you who continue to play a key role in all our efforts and make this groundbreaking work possible. ”