Valerie W. Rusch | |
---|---|
Born | New York City, New York, US |
Academic background | |
Education | BA, Vassar College MD, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons |
Academic work | |
Institutions | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center,University of Washington,University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
Valerie W Rusch,MD,FACS,is an American thoracic surgeon who is currently the Miner Family Chair for Intrathoracic Cancers and Vice Chair for Clinical Research,Department of Surgery,at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. [1]
Originally from New York,NY,Rusch graduated from Lycée Français de New York and then attended Vassar College,graduating in 1971. She earned her MD at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. She completed her surgical residency training in general surgery and thoracic surgery at the University of Washington from 1975 to 1982 and a fellowship at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center,Houston. [2]
After completing her training,she joined the faculty at University of Washington,serving as an Assistant Professor and then Associate Professor in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery. [3] In 1989,she was recruited to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center by Nael Martini,the Chief of the Thoracic Service in the Department of Surgery. [4] [5]
In 2004,she was a part of a team that identified EGFR mutations in patients with non-small cell lung cancer that responded to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (such as gefitinib and erlotinib) [6]
In 2015,the Meso Foundation honored Rusch with the Pioneer Award for clinical research in malignant mesothelioma. [7] Rusch was given the 2019 Earl Bakken Scientific Achievement award by the Society for Thoracic Surgeons. [8] This award was established in 1999 to honor individuals who have made outstanding scientific contributions that have enhanced the practice of cardiothoracic surgery and patients’quality of life. She was elected President of the American College of Surgeons from 2019 to 2020. [9] She been Chair of the Thoracic Committee for the American Joint Committee on Cancer 6th,7th,and 8th editions of the Cancer Staging Handbook.[ citation needed ]
Rusch has been an advocate for pre-operative therapy for patients with non-small cell lung cancer and is a recognized expert in management of Pancoast tumors [10] Her work established the standard of care for management of Pancoast tumors [11] More recently,she has been on the forefront of work incorporating immunotherapy into pre-operative treatment for early stage non-small cell lung cancer [12]
Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that develops from the thin layer of tissue that covers many of the internal organs. The area most commonly affected is the lining of the lungs and chest wall. Less commonly the lining of the abdomen and rarely the sac surrounding the heart,or the sac surrounding the testis may be affected. Signs and symptoms of mesothelioma may include shortness of breath due to fluid around the lung,a swollen abdomen,chest wall pain,cough,feeling tired,and weight loss. These symptoms typically come on slowly.
Gefitinib,sold under the brand name Iressa,is a medication used for certain breast,lung and other cancers. Gefitinib is an EGFR inhibitor,like erlotinib,which interrupts signaling through the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in target cells. Therefore,it is only effective in cancers with mutated and overactive EGFR,but resistances to gefitinib can arise through other mutations. It is marketed by AstraZeneca and Teva.
A Pancoast tumor is a tumor of the apex of the lung. It is a type of lung cancer defined primarily by its location situated at the top end of either the right or left lung. It typically spreads to nearby tissues such as the ribs and vertebrae. Most Pancoast tumors are non-small-cell lung cancers.
Quinazoline is an organic compound with the formula C8H6N2. It is an aromatic heterocycle with a bicyclic structure consisting of two fused six-membered aromatic rings,a benzene ring and a pyrimidine ring. It is a light yellow crystalline solid that is soluble in water. Also known as 1,3-diazanaphthalene,quinazoline received its name from being an aza derivative of quinoline. Though the parent quinazoline molecule is rarely mentioned by itself in technical literature,substituted derivatives have been synthesized for medicinal purposes such as antimalarial and anticancer agents. Quinazoline is a planar molecule. It is isomeric with the other diazanaphthalenes of the benzodiazine subgroup:cinnoline,quinoxaline,and phthalazine. Over 200 biologically active quinazoline and quinoline alkaloids are identified.
Erlotinib,sold under the brand name Tarceva among others,is a medication used to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and pancreatic cancer. Specifically it is used for NSCLC with mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) —either an exon 19 deletion (del19) or exon 21 (L858R) substitution mutation —which has spread to other parts of the body. It is taken by mouth.
Targeted therapy or molecularly targeted therapy is one of the major modalities of medical treatment (pharmacotherapy) for cancer,others being hormonal therapy and cytotoxic chemotherapy. As a form of molecular medicine,targeted therapy blocks the growth of cancer cells by interfering with specific targeted molecules needed for carcinogenesis and tumor growth,rather than by simply interfering with all rapidly dividing cells. Because most agents for targeted therapy are biopharmaceuticals,the term biologic therapy is sometimes synonymous with targeted therapy when used in the context of cancer therapy. However,the modalities can be combined;antibody-drug conjugates combine biologic and cytotoxic mechanisms into one targeted therapy.
Adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) of the lung —previously included in the category of "bronchioloalveolar carcinoma" (BAC)—is a subtype of lung adenocarcinoma. It tends to arise in the distal bronchioles or alveoli and is defined by a non-invasive growth pattern. This small solitary tumor exhibits pure alveolar distribution and lacks any invasion of the surrounding normal lung. If completely removed by surgery,the prognosis is excellent with up to 100% 5-year survival.
Afatinib,sold under the brand name Gilotrif among others,is a medication which is used to treat non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). It belongs to the tyrosine kinase inhibitor family of medications. It is taken by mouth.
Combined small cell lung carcinoma is a form of multiphasic lung cancer that is diagnosed by a pathologist when a malignant tumor,arising from transformed cells originating in lung tissue,contains a component of;small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC),admixed with one components of any histological variant of non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) in any relative proportion.
Treatment of lung cancer refers to the use of medical therapies,such as surgery,radiation,chemotherapy,immunotherapy,percutaneous ablation,and palliative care,alone or in combination,in an attempt to cure or lessen the adverse impact of malignant neoplasms originating in lung tissue.
Targeted therapy of lung cancer refers to using agents specifically designed to selectively target molecular pathways responsible for,or that substantially drive,the malignant phenotype of lung cancer cells,and as a consequence of this (relative) selectivity,cause fewer toxic effects on normal cells.
Adenocarcinoma of the lung is the most common type of lung cancer,and like other forms of lung cancer,it is characterized by distinct cellular and molecular features. It is classified as one of several non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC),to distinguish it from small cell lung cancer which has a different behavior and prognosis. Lung adenocarcinoma is further classified into several subtypes and variants. The signs and symptoms of this specific type of lung cancer are similar to other forms of lung cancer,and patients most commonly complain of persistent cough and shortness of breath.
Raja Michael Flores is an American thoracic surgeon and former candidate for mayor of New York City,currently Chief of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital and Ames Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai,both in New York City. On March 20,2021,Dr. Flores announced his campaign for mayor of NYC.
Daniel A. Haber is the director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center,a professor of oncology at Harvard Medical School,and an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI).
Adam Brook is an American thoracic surgeon who is a surgical attending at St. Joseph's Medical Center in New York.
David John Sugarbaker was an American physician who was chief of the division of general thoracic surgery and the director of the Baylor College of Medicine Lung Institute at CHI St. Luke's Health–Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center in Houston,Texas. He was an internationally recognized thoracic surgeon specializing in the treatment of mesothelioma,the surgical management of malignant pleural mesothelioma,and treatment of complex thoracic cancers.
Viviane Tabar is an American neurosurgeon,the Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York since 2017.
Roy S. Herbst is an American oncologist who is the Ensign Professor of Medicine,Professor of Pharmacology,Chief of Medical Oncology,and Associate Director for Translational Research at Yale Cancer Center and Yale School of Medicine in New Haven,Connecticut.
William Pao is an oncologist and Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer of Pfizer. He was previously the head of Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED) at Roche and a professor of medicine at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He is best known for his work in molecular oncology and cancer genomics.
Yolonda Lorig Colson is an American thoracic surgeon,working in Boston,who was the 103rd president and first female president of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS),succeeding Shaf Keshavjee,MD and preceding Lars G. Svensson,MD,PhD. Colson is the Chief of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital,Hermes C. Grillo Professor in Thoracic Surgery,and Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School. Colson is an Officer and Exam Chair for the American Board of Thoracic Surgery. She is also a collaborator of the Grinstaff Group.