Letter from the Director
Jonathan W. Friedberg, MD, MMSc Director, Wilmot Cancer Institute
Editor / Writer
Leslie Orr Leslie_Orr@urmc. rochester.edu
Contributors
Barbara Balcaen, Tyler Bowers, Sandra Parker, Ruth Harper-Rhode
Beth Carr
Feature Photography
Erich Camping, Adam Fenster , Jeff Witherow, Matt
Wilmot
Strong Memorial
Hello friends of the Wilmot Cancer Institute,
We did it! As many of you know, we have been on a long journey to achieve a special designation from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) that positions Wilmot among the most elite centers in the nation and world.
Last month, the news became official, and I am filled with pride for our team and our patients.
On these pages you can read about what NCI designation means, how our outstanding research is the cornerstone of this success, and how we hurdled the high bar at the NCI by persevering despite significant roadblocks, such as the Covid-19 pandemic and a rejected initial application in 2021.
I am humbled by the confidence that the University of Rochester and the medical center have shown in me as Wilmot’s leader. I am profoundly thankful for our faculty and for our external advisors, who have been selfless with their time for the greater good. I know we will fulfill the promise of future cancer breakthroughs with this extraordinary NCI support.
Most importantly, I am thrilled for our patients throughout upstate New York. They deserve to have an NCI-designated cancer center in their backyard. NCI designation will only increase the pace of discovery at Wilmot, with world-class recruitment and new cutting-edge clinical trial options.
I am so proud to be at Wilmot. I know this feeling extends to our faculty and staff—and to all of you in our dedicated community.
With gratitude,
Jonathan Friedberg, MD, MMSc Director, Wilmot Cancer Institute
About Wilmot Cancer Institute
Wilmot Cancer Institute at the University of Rochester is a National Cancer Institute-designated center in upstate New York. Its goal is to prevent and conquer cancer through innovation in science, patient care, education, and community outreach.
Based in Rochester, N.Y., as part of the University of Rochester Medical Center system, Wilmot serves approximately 3 million people in a 27-county region in western and central New York. Wilmot features an 88-bed flagship cancer hospital, 13 locations, and one of the state’s largest Blood & Marrow Transplant (BMT) programs. Wilmot is a component of Strong Memorial Hospital and home to the area’s first cancer survivorship clinic, one of the nation’s first specialized geriatric oncology clinics, and an integrative oncology center free to all patients.
Established in 1974, Wilmot has a long history of outstanding clinical and research breakthroughs — including pivotal contributions to the pioneering HPV cancer vaccine, and the study of cancer-related nausea and the role of anti-nausea drugs.
13 locations 3M people 27 counties
Wilmot is proud to be part of the NCI National Clinical Trials Network, and to serve as a hub for the NCI Community Oncology Research Program.
7,000
National Cancer Institute Designation: What it is, why it matters
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has awarded the Wilmot Cancer Institute a special designation that places it in the top 4% of all cancer centers in the United States.
As the 73rd NCI-designated cancer center in the nation, Wilmot joins an elite class of institutions at the forefront of research, community engagement, education, training, and life-saving clinical care.
“We view this major validation as a new beginning,” says Wilmot Director Jonathan Friedberg, MD, MMSc, who led the effort to achieve NCI designation.
The NCI commends Wilmot for serving a unique and diverse part of New York—27 counties in the western and central part of the state—plagued by high cancer rates and challenges related to an aging population, poverty, and vast rural areas, which can impede access to care.
Wilmot is the only center covering this broad region, which is larger than Vermont and New Hampshire combined.
“It’s an extraordinary moment in the history of the cancer center at the University of Rochester. We are honored for our major achievements, persistence, and triumphs—big and small—that make Wilmot first-class,” Friedberg says. “But we’re not sitting on our laurels. This will unlock progress in many areas.”
What is NCI Designation?
It’s an exceptional level of support and investment from the NCI, which is part of the National Institutes of Health. Founded in 1937, the NCI is the government’s principal agency for cancer research and care.
Getting designated requires a demanding, years-long evaluation during which the NCI scrutinizes every aspect of leadership, strategy, operations, and research.
Wilmot’s award includes a $10 million grant, renewable after five years, and access to additional funding only available to NCI-designated centers.
The NCI raises expectations for designated centers to network and deliver breakthroughs in cancer care—and to provide exceptional access to clinical trials and public education and community outreach.
Of an estimated 1,500 cancer centers in the country, only 73 have received this powerful designation.
“There is no other verification program in medicine with rigor quite like the NCI designation process,” says University of Rochester Medical Center CEO David Linehan, MD, who has been involved since the beginning of Wilmot’s effort. He is an oncology surgeonscientist and former leader of Wilmot’s clinical trials office.
David LInehan, MD, the URMC CEO, and Jonathan Friedberg, MD, Wilmot's director.
Left: Faculty and staff celebrated the public announcement of NCI designation on March 19, 2025, with the unveiling of a banner and a press conference.
Why Does it Matter?
NCI designation is critical for innovation and superior cancer treatment.
NCI-designated centers must commit ample resources toward research, clinical trials, recruitment of outstanding scientists and physicians, and effective technology and facilities that will lead to better approaches to cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
The NCI continually re-evaluates its designated centers to confirm they are meeting the highest standards and advancing national scientific goals.
Cancer care has become more complex, and it can take years for the most modern treatment approaches—cultivated by research—to reach all cancer clinics in the country. But NCI centers are hardwired to be at the forefront.
“There’s a massive halo effect if you invest in the scientific mission that spills over to patient care,” Friedberg says.
“I wouldn’t want to work at a place that wasn’t heavily committed to research.”
How Does NCI Designation Advance Patient Care?
Cancer patients may do better at NCI-designated centers.
Why? Because pioneering and progressive leaders are working as oncologists and researchers at NCI-designated centers—and patients benefit from the brightest minds, the boldest strategies, and adherence to the latest treatment recommendations.
Scientists also structure their research programs so that discoveries move quickly toward safe and effective clinical trials, some of which are available to patients only at NCIdesignated cancer centers.
“Magic happens when you have that infrastructure in place, when each side—clinicians and researchers—understand the unmet patient needs and work together in partnership to share their expertise,” Linehan says.
What Sets Wilmot Apart?
With NCI designation, Wilmot Cancer Institute embarks on a new level of leadership regionally and nationally.
Plans include building new facilities, starting a drugdevelopment program, and extending networks in the region. Wilmot will continue to make major strides toward the next generation of therapies, including promising immunotherapies and stem cell treatments, while providing exceptional community-based cancer prevention services, supportive care, and survivorship care.
The NCI prizes teamwork among researchers and clinicians because collaboration holds the most promise for breakthroughs in cancer care.
Team science is a hallmark of Wilmot and the University of Rochester. Patients seek out Wilmot for its highly respected multidisciplinary care, which, simply put, amounts to having up to a dozen cancer experts and caregivers working together on each case.
Wilmot’s reputation has long been celebrated at the national and international level—for leadership in writing new guidelines for cancer care, for clinical studies that change oncology practice, and for research that has contributed to two of the top five advances in care during the past 50 years: the HPV vaccine and anti-nausea treatments.
“Iam
delighted and immensely proud to see that our longtime partners at Wilmot Cancer Institute have achieved NCI-designated Cancer Center status—a milestone that reflects years of dedication, innovation, and leadership in cancer research. It has been an honor to support their efforts and witness their commitment to excellence firsthand as one of their advisory board committee leaders. The Roswell Park team applauds our colleagues in Rochester and celebrates the expanded opportunities this achievement will bring for transformative research and lifesaving care — benefiting patients across New York and around the world.”
– Candace S. Johnson, PhD, President and CEO, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY
Kah Poh (Melissa) Loh, MD, and Allison Magnuson, DO, at the press conference announcing NCI designation.
Maddie Harper and her son, Noah, a cancer survivor.
Achieving the NCI Moonshot:
What Did it Take?
Victory in hand, the Wilmot Cancer Institute is entering an exciting era.
But looking back to a gray day in March 2016, Wilmot Director Jonathan Friedberg, MD, MMSc, faced a steep climb.
On that Saturday, he had asked Wilmot faculty and staff and a handful of top leaders at the University of Rochester to sacrifice part of their weekend, sit alongside each other and say their piece: Should the cancer center apply for special designation from the National Cancer Institute?
The NCI is the federal agency, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), that coordinates cancer research nationwide. It offers a special designation to the most distinguished of the nation’s cancer centers.
The challenges to achieving this designation would be far-reaching, Friedberg told the group that day. It would mean collectively jumping over an exceedingly high bar—one that the NCI has been known to raise, without warning—and to pass a rigorous evaluation unlike any other in medicine.
Specifically, it would require years of preparation and change—which can be either a welcome guest or an interloper.
It would involve restructuring the entire organization, doubling Wilmot’s research funding, and converting the workplace culture from one that emphasized individual achievement to a team approach. It would require creating a bold strategic plan; meeting stringent deadlines; initiating innovative programs in education, training, and community outreach; recruiting topflight scientists and clinicians to Rochester; and winning unprecedented resources and commitment from UR leaders.
“Part of the difficulty was that a university is not a company and has many divergent goals,” says Wilmot Deputy Director Hucky Land, PhD. “We had to convince the University that cancer is a top priority.”
The Wilmot group that came to listen and learn on that Saturday in 2016 answered the multi-million dollar question with a resounding “yes.”
“NCI designation will have an enormous impact on Wilmot’s ability to advance cancer treatment and to better serve generations of patients in the catchment area. Thank you to Jonathan Friedberg and the entire team for the incredible effort this took to accomplish.”
– John McKenna, Wilmot Advisory Board Member
David Linehan, MD, CEO of the University of Rochester Medical Center (center), and Sarah Mangelsdorf, president of the University of Rochester, celebrate Wilmot at a March 19 press conference. To the right of Mangelsdorf are Congressman Joe Morelle, Rochester Mayor Malik Evans, and County Executive Adam Bello.
Friedberg left the meeting energized and with a symbolic artifact that has motivated him for years: A whiteboard signed by those who attended the rally, declaring they were “all in” to meet the NCI designation goal. Now, Wilmot had its own moonshot.
In 2016, the Wilmot team could not have imagined the unseen challenges that would lie ahead, such as a deadly and historic COVID-19 pandemic that started in 2020 and would forever change lives and the workplace, and a shifting political climate with some in society questioning science and medicine in stunning new ways.
Making the Case
Still, Wilmot steadily made progress. The administrative group, led by Brian Martin, MPA, expanded and dove deep into the NCI requirements; it also assembled an external advisory board of highly regarded oncologists and scientists from across the country to coach and support Wilmot leaders in shaping the new direction.
At the same time, Wilmot established an award-winning IT team that would invent a homegrown mapping tool and collect data about cancer’s impact on the surrounding community and patient needs. (See related News Brief on page 19.)
The sobering statistics about higherthan-expected cancer incidence in the region would go a long way toward proving to the NCI: Why Rochester? Why is designation at Wilmot needed, despite having other first-rate cancer centers in the state, including Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo and several in New York City?
Wilmot Director Jonathan Friedberg holds the 1,400-page NCI application and stands in front of his prized whiteboard of employee signatures.
Data painted a clear picture that Wilmot’s patient territory was “a different New York” – set apart by the largest per-capita Deaf population in the country, and aging and impoverished residents from the city and from farming communities in the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions. In fact, 12 counties served by Wilmot are part of Appalachia, a region lagging the rest of the nation on a number of socioeconomic indicators.
Local, state, and federal government representatives supported Wilmot’s quest from the beginning. Rochester Mayor Malik Evans participated in a video for the NCI, driving home the “Why Rochester?” theme and sharing his own parents’ story of treatment at Wilmot.
Steps Toward NCI Designation
Meanwhile, Wilmot executives, with financial support from the University of Rochester, went on a recruitment binge.
Over several years, they persuaded 30 oncology stars from across the U.S., most of whom worked at other NCIdesignated centers, to join Wilmot and lead more than 100 basic and clinical researchers. Collaboratively, the group set up three distinct research programs, focusing on how cancer cells work, how they interact with their surrounding cellular environment, and how cancer impacts people. They also built a community outreach program from scratch and invigorated the culture and raised expectations
“It’s
very important to me to belong to a cancer center that has the designation; it’s more than a title. The designation means that you have not only established and developed core elements but that you are excelling. Clearly this was a labor of commitment, love, and a team effort at Wilmot.”
– Patricia Rivera, MD, who joined Wilmot in 2022 from the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of North Carolina
for what it means to be a designated cancer center.
Among these vital recruits was cancer epigenetics expert Paula Vertino, PhD, a secret weapon from Emory University who had served on NCI review committees and therefore gained inside knowledge of the designation process; Ruth O’Regan, MD, with 20 years of distinguished experience as a clinician-scientist who agreed to serve on Wilmot’s executive team and lead the UR’s Department of Medicine; Paula Cupertino, PhD, a champion for solving health disparities; and Patricia Rivera, MD, an esteemed lung cancer specialist who has shaped a robust screening program that is already seeing results.
“I cannot overstate how important all of the recruits are to Wilmot and to everyone who has helped to lift up the cancer center,” Friedberg says. “And it’s not only the dedication of faculty and staff during this long journey—but the steadfast support from University President Sarah Mangelsdorf, former Medical Center CEO Mark Taubman, and from Wilmot’s Advisory Board.” He also spotlighted Wilmot’s first
Community Cancer Action Council (CCAC), a group created to inform research priorities and engage closely with Wilmot’s faculty and executives. CCAC members come from the public health sector, school districts, nonprofits, advocacy groups, and faithbased organizations. The CCAC is an essential partner, and Friedberg meets with them monthly.
“They’ve showed us in new ways that it’s a two-way street between the cancer center and those who need our care,” Friedberg says.
In September of 2021, despite the burden of Covid on the health system, Wilmot leaders submitted an initial application to the NCI for the special designation.
In 2022, NCI reviewers asked for revisions and invited Wilmot to resubmit its application. The revised version went to the NCI in January of 2024. A customary lengthy review process occurred throughout 2024, including an NCI team visiting Wilmot and the University of Rochester Medical Center in the spring of 2024. The process ended with formal designation in March 2025.
A Thriving Team Spirit
The challenging work for eight years toward NCI designation broke down silos and opened doors.
Years ago, cancer scientists spread across the UR did not always know what their peers were doing. Collaboration was not top of mind. It took time to “adopt” these researchers and have them join Wilmot to reach common goals and begin “rowing in the same direction,” Friedberg says.
Now, these individuals are rooted in connectedness.
They attend structured meetings to share ideas and learn. They form teams across disciplines to work on projects unheard of in the past—for example, a cellular biologist might pair up with a population scientist who studies yoga interventions or an investigator who is trying to reduce smoking rates among Latino youths. They partner with the community to address the unique needs of upstate New York and not just their own scientific interests. They also compete for seed funding from Wilmot to fuel larger grants.
Pictured are many members of the core team of scientists, physicians, and leaders at Wilmot who worked tirelessly on achieving NCI designation.
“To an investigator, there is always: ‘What’s in it for me? Why change?’” says Supriya Mohile, MD, MS, coleader of Wilmot’s Cancer Prevention and Control research program. The answer to the hypothetical question, she says: “The science is better.” Wilmot leaders also launched new cancer-focused education and training initiatives that include the Deaf community and supporters of cancer awareness and prevention services across upstate New York.
“We created a vibrant, active network that didn’t exist before,” says Karen Mustian, PhD, MPH, associate director for Population Science at Wilmot. “It’s brought excitement and confidence, and it fuels passion toward successful research.”
The camaraderie at Wilmot is not just professional.
More than ever, Wilmot administrators, leaders, researchers, and clinicianscientists are like family who celebrate and commiserate ups and downs.
For example, in May 2024, when a blue-chip panel from the NCI was to
arrive on campus, the Wilmot team was nervous about the intense day-long vetting that was about to begin. They assembled in a holding room at 6:30 am and sipped coffee, looking uneasy.
Suddenly, Jamie Flerlage, MD, the effusive chief of pediatric oncology and a Wilmot clinical trials leader, strode into the room and broke the ice. She carried a life-sized cardboard cutout of Josh Allen—and a message from the beloved Buffalo Bills quarterback: “You Got This!!!!”
Before long, Wilmot leaders were taking phone selfies with cardboard Josh and were ready to win the game.
“There’s a new sense of pride and of belonging to this very special group,” says Mustian. “It’s like an entire team getting to go up to the podium to receive the gold medal. And that changes people. It makes us internally raise our expectations and set our sights higher.”
What’s Next?
A struggle common to all research institutions is finding ways to move
laboratory discoveries faster and more efficiently into treatments for patients.
To clear this bottleneck, NCI designation allows creation of a major new program, called “Developmental Therapeutics” (DT).
Even among NCI-designated centers, DT is a rare niche, and Friedberg’s vision is for Wilmot to become a leader in DT—an elite program among the most elite cancer centers.
Essentially, Developmental Therapeutics is a formal drugdevelopment plan of action that encompasses other novel treatments, such as advanced radiation and new types of cellular treatments and immunotherapies.
Efforts are underway to recruit a DT leader and to fund a specialized laboratory. It would also involve recruiting experts with the training, experience, and distinct skills to design first-in-human clinical trials.
“It’s a thrilling place to be right now,” Friedberg says, “for research and for patients.”
Why Research is the Backbone of NCI Designation
National Cancer Institute designation brings cachet to the clinical side of any cancer center. So, it might be surprising to learn that achieving this highest honor is primarily based on research success.
The designation recognizes Wilmot Cancer Institute’s ability to advance science toward impactful treatments and to meet the unique needs of the community.
To emphasize the importance of groundbreaking science, NCI designation comes with a $10 million award, called a Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG).
Wilmot submitted a 1,400-page CCSG application, which described the center’s mission, funding streams, highlights of outstanding research, and leadership capabilities. Now that Wilmot has received the coveted CCSG, it must maintain the NCI’s rigorous standards and re-apply for the grant every five years.
Why Does Research Matter?
“It’s simple: because without research there would be no cancer treatments,” says Hucky Land, PhD, deputy director of Wilmot and chair of the Department of Biomedical Genetics at the University of Rochester.
scientists to accelerate their work—and to be mindful that patients must be able to benefit not only in future generations but more immediately.
The NCI insists upon teamwork and relevancy.
“The world is very complex, and you can only solve complex questions by collaborating closely with people from multiple disciplines,” Land says.
45 oncology FDA drug approvals, including 17 new-tomarket drugs
2024
Over 60 oncology FDA drug approvals, including 11 first-inclass therapeutics
Source: American Association for Cancer Research
“The CCSG honors this,” he says, “and provides an investment in the future.”
The $10 million grant is also a “carrot,” Land says, pushing
Immunotherapies, which have become sought-after cancer treatments in recent years, are an example of how patients benefit when scientists in different fields work together. These therapies harness a person’s own immune system to fight cancer.
It took 40 years before early discoveries suggested that immunotherapy could become a reality. But thanks to team science, an explosion of immunotherapies has become available in the past decade, and just since 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved two dozen new treatments. Teams are continually looking for ways to improve immunotherapies and broaden their versatility to help more individuals with a larger variety of cancers.
“Cancer care is like getting called up to major leagues. Suddenly, people will consider you if you are an NCI center. It entices people because you have met the bar.” He adds that NCI-designated cancer centers add incredible value to a university: “Cancer centers don’t impede other areas; what we learn in a cancer center helps in other disciplines.”
– John DiPersio, MD/PhD (’80), University of Rochester alumnus and Wilmot external advisory board member for the NCI bid; he is the director at the Center of Gene and Cellular Immunotherapy at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
A Member of the Club
NCI designation provides access to a “very exclusive club,” Land says. Members can mine select data sets, tap into the most advanced technology, and work collaboratively with the nation’s top investigators to probe and answer the newest questions as they emerge on the cancer horizon.
To ready itself for this opportunity, Wilmot spent years restructuring its scientists and promoting teamwork—culturally and operationally.
What used to be loosely associated bands of cancer research faculty across UR morphed into three well-defined Wilmot research programs with membership criteria, goals, accountability, and shared visions. They are: Cancer Prevention and Control; Cancer Microenvironment; and Genetics, Epigenetics, and Metabolism.
“What emerged was a Wilmot identity, a crystallization of an ‘us’ as opposed to a collection of individuals,” Land says. “That happens when you trust each other and you realize that together you’re much more powerful.”
2021 4.1 MILLION LIVES SAVED Source: American Cancer Society 1991
33% Reduction in Overall Cancer Death Rate
In the end, cancer patients benefit as motivated research teams not only join forces but also turn toward the community, to seek input and ensure that their painstaking work connects to the needs of the people in western and central New York.
“We are getting a hold of cancer,” Land says. “It’s not a miraculous victory. It’s a protracted war, which we are clearly winning. Just look at the growing number of cancer survivors.”
“It’s just an amazing experience to be on the outside as a donor and to be welcomed on the inside, to see the progress, to meet researchers and to review clinical trials. I’ve learned so much. I’m very humbled and proud to be a small part of the transformation at Wilmot. My involvement has made me want to do more.”
– Karen Hermance, president, Edelman-Gardner Cancer Research Foundation and co-chair of Wilmot’s Community Cancer Action Council
Faculty, staff, patients, and supporters celebrate Wilmot's public announcement of NCI designation on March 19, 2025. Pictured at top, left to right: U.S. Congressman Joe Morelle and Rochester Mayor Malik Evans; cancer survivor Meghan Lowell, of Nunda, Livingston County. Middle row: Frehiwol (Meley) Gmedhin, RN, and Wilmot Director Jonathan Friedberg, MD. Botton row: Wilmot Deputy Director Hucky Land, PhD; UR alum Courtney Thomas hugging UR President Sarah Mangelsdorf; and Jamie Littleton, RN, and Erin Cebula, MPH, of Wilmot's Clinical Trials Office.
Why are Cancer Rates High in Upstate New York?
Wilmot Cancer Institute serves three million people across 27 counties in western and central New York. The region has excessive rates of cancer. In fact, if these 27 counties were a state, it would have the second highest incidence of cancer in the U.S. behind only Kentucky.
While the incidence of cancer is high, that doesn’t necessarily mean that living in this area puts a person at greater risk of cancer. Rather, the reasons for the high rates include: an aging population; more tobacco use, and sedentary lifestyles compared to state and national averages; and poverty and challenges to accessing health care in rural and urban areas. Wilmot is the only center in the region equipped to study and reverse this disturbing trend.
Supported by the National Cancer Institute, Wilmot has a Community Outreach and Engagement office to track cancerrelated statistics in the region, work with communities, and ensure that researchers are addressing the needs.
■ An aggressive effort is underway to decrease tobacco use and boost cancer screenings for early detection, which can improve survival. Smoking is linked to at least 16 types of cancer, and thus a high smoking rate may explain more cancer here.
■ The population is older in western and central New York than the rest of the state and the nation. Since cancer is mostly a disease of aging, this may explain higher overall rates. Wilmot has a renowned geriatric oncology research program and clinical teams to address the complex issues that accompany a cancer diagnosis in older adults.
■ Wilmot researchers are exploring other potential drivers of cancer, such as pesticide use and toxins in the environment.
What Can You Do?
■ Quitting smoking is the most important thing for better health. To get help, call (585) 287-4539 or email quitcenter@urmc.rochester.edu.
■ People ages 50 and older and who have been smoking for 20 years or more should talk to their physicians and consider screening for lung cancer, even with no symptoms or no family history. Screening can catch cancer early and increase the chances of successful treatment. Early detection for all cancers (for example, breast and colon) can improve outcomes.
■ Exercise to control body weight. Simple and affordable activities include walking or jogging, yoga, or resistance training with bands or weights; research shows that exercise can improve health and reduce cancer risk.
How influential is genetic or inherited risk?
It predicts only about 10 percent of all cancer.
For those who have first-degree relatives (mother, father, sisters, brothers, children) with cancer or family members with the same type of cancer, genetic counseling and testing may be appropriate. Wilmot offers genetic counseling services. To learn more, call: (585) 486-0600.
However, smoking and obesity predict more cancers than genetics do, which is why experts say the best strategy is to work on controllable risk factors associated with lifestyle and daily behaviors.
“NCI
designation really brings credibility to the Wilmot Cancer Institute when it comes to community outreach. Credibility goes a long way— knowing that Wilmot has gone through the rigor of evaluation on a national level and now has this stamp of approval. It’s a very big deal.”
– Jeffrey Freeman, MBA, health coalitions manager at Common Ground Health and co-chair of Wilmot’s Community Cancer Action Council
newsbriefs
Wilmot Strengthens Roots in the Community
Last fall, Wilmot Cancer Institute’s Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) office held its fifth annual retreat. More than 200 people attended—a new record—including Wilmot researchers and physicians who were excited to spend a day with community members to share research advances and gain new insights. The retreat brings together community partners representing public health agencies, school districts, nonprofit groups, and faith-based organizations to interact with Wilmot leaders and clinicianscientists. These connections, structured through a Community Cancer Action Council (CCAC), assure community input into research priorities, clinical trials, cancer prevention, and patient resources in the 27-county area from which Wilmot draws patients.
Trailblazer Joins Wilmot to Lead Cancer Survivorship and Cardio-Oncology
Susan Dent, MD, has built a career around recognizing that cancer care does not end when patients finish treatment. Survivors need appropriate resources, advice on recurrence anxiety, and plans to manage common issues such as cognitive impairment and sleep issues. Even when a person is years out from treatment, survivorship programs help people to thrive.
Wilmot Cancer Institute recently recruited her from Duke Cancer Institute to serve as director of the Judy DiMarzo Cancer Survivorship Program, the first such program in the region, and to lead Wilmot’s Cardio-Oncology program, which addresses heart health and cardiovascular risks before, during, and after cancer treatment.
A new cardio-oncology clinic opened in January 2025 at Strong Memorial Hospital. Call 585-2752877 for more information.
Dent is well-positioned for this role: She chairs the Global Cardio-Oncology Summit advisory committee, serves as president of the International Cardio-Oncology Society, and years ago opened Canada’s first cardio-oncology clinic.
A medical oncologist who specializes in breast cancer, Dent plans to build on a solid foundation at the DiMarzo Survivorship Program established by previous director Louis (Sandy) Constine, MD.
Wilmot Director Jonathan Friedberg, MD, MMSc, calls Dent a “trailblazer” and says he is confident she will advance the cancer institute’s goal to ensure that Wilmot’s patients and survivors throughout western and central New York have the best quality of life possible.
newsbriefs
Wilmot Has Two New Associate Directors
John Ashton, PhD, MBA, recently joined six others as part of the Wilmot Cancer Institute executive leadership team. His promotion to associate director for Shared Resources ensures that state-of-theart technology remains a priority for the research mission. It also gives Ashton a voice in policies, decisions, and issues related to Wilmot operations.
Shared Resources is the group that manages advanced technologies used for cancer research; Shared Resources faculty and staff also assist and consult with cancer scientists. Since 2012, Ashton has served as director of the University of Rochester Genomics Research Center and has strategically positioned Wilmot as a cancer research leader amid fast-changing technology and equipment. Wilmot’s six Shared Resources are: Biobank (a tissue repository); Biostatistics and Bioinformatics; Cytometry (a sophisticated tool for cell analysis); Genomics (to study genes and gene networks); Human Biophysiology (to assess the body’s performance); and Imaging and Radiation. A seventh shared resource, Metabolomics, is in development.
Charles Kamen, PhD, MPH, also joined the Wilmot executive team as associate director for Community Outreach and Engagement (COE); he had been an assistant director of COE. The COE office aligns Wilmot’s research and patient-care priorities with the needs of the communities in 27 counties in western and central New York, where cancer incidence rates are higher than in the rest of New York state and in the U.S.
In his new role, Kamen will galvanize community support and continue to build links between community partners and Wilmot scientists, with the goal of improving the health of local and regional residents. A major source of community input comes from organized groups known as Community Cancer Action Councils (CCACs). They help to inform research priorities, address cancer disparities, and circulate relevant health information to communities.
Kamen is an associate professor of Surgery, Cancer Control. His own research focuses on behavioral medicine and health equity.
Cancer Specialist to Chair Department of Surgery
Ryan C. Fields, MD, from Washington University, St. Louis, is joining the University of Rochester Medical Center in July 2025 to chair the Department of Surgery, a role previously held by URMC CEO David Linehan, MD.
An accomplished surgeon-scientist with special interest in pancreatic and gastrointestinal cancers, Fields fits well with Wilmot Cancer Institute’s mission and goals: He is known to be collaborative, a strong mentor, and has 10 consecutive years of research funding from the National Cancer Institute. His science centers on the biology and genetics of how cancer spreads, and to understand how tumors resist treatments. He will direct Wilmot’s Translational Research program.
Fields also has led several large-scale NCI projects, including two grants with colleagues and coinvestigators.
A Detroit native, Fields will be the Seymour L. Schwartz Professor in Surgery and Chair, and Surgeon-in-Chief at Strong Memorial Hospital. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan and graduated from Duke University School of Medicine. He completed a general surgery residency at Barnes-Jewish Hospital at Washington University, and a surgical oncology fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
Research Roundup
Landmark Study Boosts Survival of Advanced Hodgkin Lymphoma
Hodgkin lymphoma is a rare blood cancer that mostly afflicts younger people, and it already has a rate of survival higher than many other cancers. But a new treatment combination proved to be even more effective, lifting remission rates to a remarkable 92 percent after two years.
Wilmot Director Jonathan Friedberg, MD, MMSc, led the clinical trial that evaluated this new therapy for advanced Hodgkin lymphoma. The high-impact New England Journal of Medicine published the practice-changing study. Nearly 1,000 people enrolled in the nationwide trial that compared the latest standard care to a combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy. The latter treatment resulted in the higher remission rates. The study is also notable for fewer treatment complications, in part by avoiding radiation therapy—which can cause second cancers later in life and other side effects.
Another exceptional feature: the study included children and adults in the same trial. Most often, oncologists treat children and adults separately with distinct types of cancer therapies. The new trial may serve as a model for combining patients of all ages and thus moving innovative treatments more quickly into practice.
Collaboration was important for this study, Friedberg says, as it involved 200 cancer centers in North American through the SWOG Cancer Research Network. Oncologists at Wilmot recruited the second-largest number of patients to the study, which means that local and regional individuals with Hodgkin lymphoma gained access to cutting-edge care long before it was widely available.
How the Immune System Fails as Cancer Arises
Immune cells usually protect the body against infection and other invaders like cancer. However, new research confirms that a certain molecule can reprogram immune cells and turn them into bad guys that promote cancer growth.
The molecule, known as PAF (platelet-activating factor) also suppresses the immune system’s ability to fight back against disease. Researchers discovered that multiple cancers rely on the same PAF signals.
“This is what could be most significant,” says Minsoo Kim, PhD, who led the research. “Because if we find a treatment that could interfere with PAF, it could potentially apply to many types of cancer.”
Kim is a professor of Microbiology and Immunology and a member of Wilmot’s Cancer Microenvironment research program. His team published the work on “pro-tumor” immune cells in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Ankit Dahal, PhD, a member of Kim’s lab and a student in the UR Medical Scientist Training Program, designed the research project and wrote the journal article with Kim.
New Method to Classify Colon Cancer Might be More Precise
When a person is diagnosed with colon cancer, a crucial first step occurs: scientists quickly identify the unique characteristics and molecular properties of the tumor. This helps doctors to find cancer treatments that target those specific malignant properties.
The current method of classifying subtypes of colon cancer is based on gene expression patterns. Wilmot Deputy Director Hucky Land, PhD, and his team published data showing there may be a better way—a process known as RNA splicing. This technique could be more dependable because variation in RNA splicing holds relevant information in each cancer specimen, Land says. Calling the discovery “a significant advance based on biological principles, which is highly translational,” he adds that the next step is to develop a diagnostic test suitable for the clinic.
The journal, Gastroenterology, published the work. Land credits Aslihan Ambeskovic, PhD, lead bioinformatics analyst in his lab, for conducting most of the work using RNA sequencing data from hundreds of human colon cancer tissue samples. Matthew McCall, PhD, associate professor of Biostatistics, was also instrumental in the study.
Minsoo Kim, PhD
Asli Ambeskovic, PhD, and Hucky Land, PhD
Ankit Dahal, PhD
Influencers: Their Power is Real When a Person Has Cancer
Many people have social networks they cherish: Family and friends. A church community. Book clubs. Sports leagues. Colleagues at work. What happens with these networks when a person gets cancer?
It’s a question worth studying, say Wilmot Cancer Institute researchers—because social networks influence the decisions of nearly every patient who walks into an oncologist’s office.
This is especially true for older adults, who comprise 60 percent of those with cancer. They tend to have more serious illnesses and complex relationships with the people in their support systems, says Supriya Mohile, MD, MS, an expert in geriatric oncology and co-leader of Wilmot’s Cancer Prevention and Control research program.
The National Cancer Institute is supporting a Wilmot team to study the ways that social networks impact care, and how networks change through a person’s cancer journey. Researchers will ask patients to use a mapping tool and will track how the networks impact treatment decisions.
HEALTH
PRIMARY
“We know that most people don’t just go and do whatever the doctor tells them,” Mohile says. “First, they’re likely going to talk to people, maybe a spouse, a sister, a neighbor — and whether the information they receive is right or wrong, technically, and medically, it goes into every decision. As medical providers, we must understand that patients live in the context of social networks.”
Cross-Campus Collaboration Improves Liquid Biopsies for Cancer Detection
What is a liquid biopsy? It is a non-invasive test that uses blood, urine, and other bodily fluids to find cancer cells or other molecules released by tumors. A liquid biopsy can screen for cancer or monitor progression of the disease and how the body responds to cancer treatment. It sounds simple, but currently available liquid biopsies have limitations, and ongoing research is seeking ways to improve their accuracy.
This is where a University of Rochester research team comes in: They have developed a tool that collects the genes and proteins in extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are nano-sized particles released by cells that provide valuable information about diseases in the body.
The UR imaging-based tool takes a digital approach to liquid biopsies and has proven in early studies to be more sensitive as it sorts hundreds of thousands of EVs. Researchers say it can detect cancer at more curable stages, and unpack the function of EVs, which play a role in the spread of cancer and the way the immune system responds to the disease.
The scientific journal, Small, a nanotechnology publication, recently described the team’s work, which is led by James McGrath, PhD, professor of Biomedical Engineering, and Samuel Walker, a biomedical engineering student. They are collaborating with Wilmot scientists Jonathan Flax, MD, a research assistant professor in Urology, and Scott Gerber, PhD, associate professor of Surgery, to see if their method can detect whether immunotherapy is working against cancer. Future plans: using the new tool in clinical research to guide results of treatment-based clinical trials, McGrath says.
Accolades & Innovation
DIGITAL TEAM
The national Digital Health Awards, a program that honors the best digital resources developed for consumers and health professionals, presented Wilmot’s Technology and Innovation Group with a “gold” award in 2024 for its proprietary Hyperion platform.
Hyperion is the engine that powers all Wilmot Cancer Institute data and app innovations. It is a centralized, integrated medical analytics platform that consists of a vast warehouse—billions of records of patient and research data—protected by a custom security framework. Compared to similar systems in health care, Hyperion uniquely focuses on sorting through changes in the data warehouse in real-time and to reliably and accurately aggregate information from multiple sources with exceptional security.
Hyperion improves patient care, clinical trials, basic science, health equity, and Wilmot operations. Wilmot’s IT leaders are Erika Ramsdale, MD, and Eric Snyder, executive director of the group.
SURGERY
Hats off to the University of Rochester Medical Center surgery team, many of whom perform life-saving operations to remove cancer.
Led by Larissa Temple, MD, they are developing innovative ways to cut costs while maintaining or improving patient care. They started with brainstorming sessions that included gathering outdoors around picnic tables on campus—and soon the diverse group of thinkers had turned their ideas into a trendsetting program that’s in the national spotlight
Although medicine is steeped in tradition, their approach re-examined the old ways of doing things and built new ways.
For example: a longstanding custom at UR Medicine has been to draw blood and do routine complete blood counts (CBCs) for every hospitalized patient, every day. The team wondered: Is a daily blood-draw necessary? Especially in the middle of the night when patients are trying to rest.
A pilot study among colorectal cancer patients showed that skipping the daily bloodwork 50 percent of the time in appropriate cases not only saves laboratory costs and valuable work hours but does not impact the outcome of care. And importantly, it makes patients happier. Other improvements are afoot in chest-tube management and in the operating room.
Their innovations follow evidence-based guidelines and have appeared in peerreviewed surgical journals and at important scientific meetings, such as the American College of Surgeons (ACS) National Quality and Safety Conference and its Clinical Congress.
Cancer and Your Mental Health: Tips from an Expert Team
Cancer doesn’t only impact people physically, but also mentally, emotionally, and socially. Wilmot Cancer Institute is dedicated to helping patients through all aspects of care after a diagnosis.
Daniel McFarland, DO, MS, joined Wilmot in 2022 as director of the Psychosocial Oncology Program, which works closely with Wilmot’s social workers to provide extra support to patients with mental health challenges. The team—which includes Chris Gropp, RN; and two therapists, Erin Brazill, LCSW, ATR-BC; and Lee Kehoe, PhD—offers individual counseling and group therapy that allows patients to interact with others who have had cancer.
The team provided the following information:
Can poor mental health cause cancer?
Most large population-based studies so far suggest there is no direct association, but the relationship between mental health and a cancer diagnosis is complicated and still being studied.
Attention to mental health once you have cancer is extremely important as there may be indirect connections. For example, chronic mental health issues might lead to lifestyle choices linked to cancer such as a poor diet, lack of exercise, and smoking. However, most people who develop cancer have not had any history of mental health concerns. Cancer can impact anyone and caring for mental health promotes physical well-being and healthy lifestyle choices.
What are signs that you might need to seek professional help?
After a cancer diagnosis, we often see patients who have never dealt with mental health issues before. It can be tricky to sort out depression symptoms from cancer treatment side effects because there is overlap.
Concerning issues to look for include changing self-esteem or thought patterns, avoiding socializing with friends or family, lacking appetite, or struggling with sleep—a barometer for mental health. Depression can challenge relationships as patients (or loved ones) take on uncharacteristic behaviors and thought patterns.
Also, cancer patients experience understandably tough time periods, like at the diagnosis or during a recurrence. Other difficult times are less intuitive, like when active treatment has stopped, or the patient has fewer visits to the cancer center. Even though most people are glad to complete treatment, some people may be afraid to lose the support of their medical team as treatment ends.
Patients who begin feeling unlike themselves for more than a few days or who have difficulty with sleeping or “turning off your brain” may benefit from an assessment from a mental health professional.
Patients who experience these symptoms should mention them to their oncology team. It’s important to get depression and anxiety under control. This can improve outcomes, including quality of life and potentially long-term survival.
Which types of mental health professionals can help cancer patients?
Many licensed therapists can counsel cancer patients and their family or close friends. However, it can be helpful to meet with a licensed therapist who has extra training and expertise in cancer; these professionals understand the jargon and common experiences among patients. It is vital that patients let their teams know when they are struggling or looking for support.
What is the biggest piece of advice you’d give to patients for coping with cancer?
There is no exact road map. Patients are allowed to feel and to prioritize themselves and their mental health. Rest is productive for healing and coping. Communication is huge. After a cancer diagnosis, communication and managing expectations can be challenging. Therapists can help guide communication with friends and family.
Should people with cancer focus on remaining positive all the time?
The pressure to remain positive can feel overwhelming for many people. Feeling sad, disappointed, or angry are normal reactions to a cancer diagnosis, treatment, or recurrence. Many people feel positive or adopt a positive attitude and that is great—but if that is not your experience, that is okay, too.
Left to right : Chris Gropp, Daniel McFarland, Lee Kehoe, and Erin Brazill.
Wilmot Community Partners Shine
Community support of Wilmot Cancer Institute is unparalleled and shines through in dozens of activities and locations throughout the Rochester region.
For 2024, cumulative donations exceeded $400,000—from hot dog stands, tractor pulls, craft fairs, sports events, and other activities. Many donations come from longstanding community supporters and others from groups that have only just begun generating funds for Wilmot patients and research.
A heartwarming and resolute community spirit exists across the 27-county area that Wilmot serves, from the city and suburbs of Monroe County to Oswego up north, and across the entire Finger Lakes region.
2024 Highlights
Best-Ever
Pull for the Cure celebrated a recordbreaking year and donated $15,000 to Wilmot. This brings their cumulative total to $80,000, with donations still coming in from the September 2024 event. Tom Bellanca, the Pull for the Cure organizer, donates his land in Dansville, Livingston County, and shares the event with wonderful volunteers who donate equipment and time. The tractor pull began in 2017 in memory of Tom’s fiancé who passed away in 2014 after battling bladder cancer. His goal is to support Wilmot and bring the community together for a worthy cause.
Upgraded Event
Hot Dogs for Wilmot started as a small lemonade stand in 2023 and has grown into a community-wide food fundraiser on Main Street in Nunda, Livingston County. Presley and Haylee’s Hots Dogs for Wilmot raised $7,350 for lymphoma research, in support of lymphoma survivor Meghan Lowell. Her daughter, Haylee, and niece, Presley, are the heart of this event.
Long-Standing Support
Pancreatic Cancer Association of Western New York held its annual golf tournament on July 15 and presented Wilmot with $30,000. PCAWNY has been a strong patron for Wilmot and pancreatic research since 2011. Combining the PCAWNY golf tournament and an annual November event, the Step It Up—Cure Pancreatic Cancer Walk, the group has donated over $760,000. Their commitment has had a significant impact on Wilmot research.
NEW EVENT
The Goodness Fest Concert was in memory of Michael Goodness, a gifted musician who passed away from prostate cancer. His daughter, Lizzie, inherited the Goodness music gene and played the drums with her band, the Shut Ins. Band members include Kenton DeCross, Logan Everhart, Sal Montgomery, and Brendan Duran. Justin DeCross, Kenton’s brother is the artist for the band. The Shut Ins established the Goodness Fest as a fundraiser for prostate cancer research and raised $1,025. They look forward to an even bigger event in 2025.
CRAFTS IN OSWEGO
Flavors of Fall is organized by Rich and Debbie Hilton, whose mission is to bring awareness to the support they’ve received from Wilmot. They started fundraising shows in their home 20 years ago, and now Flavors for Fall has grown into a craft festival with 57 of central New York’s fine artisans who gather at Curtis Manor, a rustic barn venue in Oswego. After the 2024 event, their cumulative total reached $35,000. The community spirit is evident with a committee of more than 10 members in addition to the Hiltons.
BRAVE RESPONDERS
Retired Professional Firefighters Cancer Fund has been a supporter of Wilmot since 2016, raising $110,000 for cancer research. Bill and Trisha Newland coordinated the 2024 check presentation of $25,000—and built excitement by inviting Rochester firefighters, who arrived in a fire engine in front of Wilmot’s hub location in Rochester. Wilmot scientist Scott Gerber, PhD, greeted the group; Eddie Santiago, president of International Association of Fire Fighters, was in attendance as was Matt Murphy, vice president of IAFF. Their support of research and cancer prevention is an ongoing commitment for which Wilmot leaders are grateful.
10TH ANNIVERSARY
Wilmot Survivors Night with the Rochester Red Wings exceeded past participation with 2,200 survivors, family, friends, faculty, and staff at the 2024 event. In celebration, Monroe County Executive Adam Bello presented a proclamation to Wilmot Director Jonathan Friedberg, MD, MMSc.
Wilmot Warrior Weekend: Motivated Supporters Seek to “Leave Cancer in the Dust”
Wilmot Cancer Institute held its second annual Warrior Weekend fundraiser in September 2024, combining a walk, run, and cycling event and other fun outdoor activities into one day. It was enormously successful, raising more than $500,000—a 40 percent increase over the previous year.
All proceeds stay at Wilmot to fund the Judy DiMarzo Survivorship Program and cancer research via the Warrior Weekend Team Science Award. As the event continues to grow, the goal is to use additional funds to sponsor a clinical trial.
On a sunny Sunday last fall at the Xerox campus in Webster, N.Y., more than 250 riders, 1,300 walkers and 5K runners, and 250 volunteers representing 21 states, and the District of Columbia gathered to support Wilmot. Cyclists chose between four scenic ride distances along Lake Ontario and through the orchards of Wayne County.
Moving all activities to one day at a specific location—a departure from previous years—created a celebratory atmosphere for participants, which included cancer survivors, families, community members, and University of Rochester and Wilmot faculty and staff.
“What makes this event most special is the fellowship that occurs, the camaraderie, and the positivity,” says Wilmot Director Jonathan Friedberg, MD, MMSc. “It’s also very gratifying to see the growth potential after only two years of being a combined walk, run, and bike event. Thank you to the community for supporting Wilmot. We are looking forward to further growth and bringing people together to make an impact against cancer.”
SAVE THE DATE for the next Wilmot Warrior Weekend on Sept. 27-28, 2025.
The first day will be for packet pick-up and a kick-off celebration, and the second day is for the walk, run, and bike ride.
Thank you to all who participated in 2024, with special recognition to these sponsors: Constellation Brands, J & J Innovative Medicine, Daiichi Sankyo, Doug and Diana Phillips in honor of the Fields Family, Wegmans, Xerox, Admar, Harter Secrest & Emery, Tompkins Financial, Trident Precision Manufacturing, Van Bortel Ford, YMCA of Greater Rochester, Canandaigua National Bank, Genentech, Cobblestone Capital Partners, Garber Chevrolet Subaru, ESL Federal Credit Union, Towpath Bike Shop, and Rochester Running Company.
Cancer Institute
WILMOT WARRIOR WEEKEND
Honorary Board Members
