Popular DCI Virtual Grand Rounds Comes to a Close

Launched as the COVID-19 pandemic was taking hold in the state, the Duke Cancer Institute Virtual Grand Rounds Series came to a successful summer close. The popular series was held every Friday from April 24 to June 19.

Organized by Duke Cancer Institute CMO Ted Alyea, MD, and bone marrow transplant physician-scientist Stefanie Sarantopoulos, MD, PhD, the series featured Duke "superstars" from Medical Oncology, Surgical Oncology, Radiation Oncology, Hematological Malignancies & Cellular Therapy and the Private Diagnostic Clinic, as well as two guest speakers from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Weill Cornell Medicine.

The series kicked off with a presentation on the launch of a home-based care program for ABMT patients. Other topics included telehealth during a pandemic, endocrine toxicities from immune check point inhibitors, personalized cancer immunotherapy, sarcomas and immunotherapy, the immune-compromised state in patients with liquid vs. solid tumor cancers, basic and clinical research advances in brain metastasis, targeted therapy in leukemia stem cells, and lung cancer and health inequity.

Alyea conceived the forum as "a way to bring investigators of different disciplines to together to hear of exciting research that is going on at Duke and other institutions."

"Despite the pandemic, the work at the Duke Cancer Institute never stopped," Alyea stressed.

Andrea Oakley, assistant to Alyea and DCI deputy director Steven Patierno, PhD, handled the technical aspects, including Zoom set-up, e-mail distribution, and recording of the sessions. Jessica Hyland, communications strategist with the DCI Center for Prostate and Urologic Cancers, pitched in to create the flyers.

"Virtual Grand Rounds was rapidly implemented," said Sarantopoulos, who moderated most of the sessions. "Attendance was great right from the first talk — always 50 to 100 across all disciplines at DCI. The series was a terrific platform for bringing people together, both to talk science and medicine and to develop collaborations."

"This has been one of my favorite things about COVID time," said radiation oncologist and associate professor Nicole Larrier, MD, MSc, who tuned in every week. "I rush home on Fridays, settle in with a beverage and watch. I've also tried to advertise the talk to folks who might not ordinarily get invited. For example, I invited the pediatric oncology fellows and radiation oncology research nurses to today's talk (6/19). Thanks to everyone who helped to organize it."

The DCI Virtual Grand Rounds series is currently on hold as other seminar series reopen. However, members of the Duke community can still access the recordings of the talks (listed below) on the DCI COVID-19 response intranet site. (Net ID and password required)

List of Topics & Speakers

"Telehealth in Oncology Today" (6.19.20)

"Endocrine Toxicities from Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: The Duke Experience and the Future of Interdisciplinary Care at DCI" (6.12.20)

Featuring:
Afreen Shariff, MD,
Duke Cancer Institute

[Moderated by Stefanie Sarantopoulos, MD, PhD]

"Optimizing Personalized Cancer Immunotherapy Approaches through Predictive Medicine" (6.5.20)

Featuring:
Landon C. Brown, MD,
Duke Cancer Institute

[Moderated by Stefanie Sarantopoulos, MD, PhD]

"Sarcomas: Opportunities and Challenges for Integrating Immunotherapy" (5.29.20)

Featuring:
David Kirsch MD, PhD,
Duke Cancer Institute
Yvonne Mowery MD, PhD,
Duke Cancer Institute

[Moderated by Stefanie Sarantopoulos, MD, PhD]

"The Immune Compromised State in Oncology Today: 'Liquid' vs. 'Solid' Tumor Patients" (5.22.20)

Featuring:
Stefanie Sarantopoulos, MD, PhD,
Duke Cancer Institute
Hope Uronis, MD,
Duke Cancer Institute

"A DCBSM Scientific Update: Basic and Clinical Research Advances in Brain Metastasis" (5.15.20)

Featuring:
Peter E. Fecci, MD, PhD,
Duke Cancer Institute
Cary Anders, MD,
Duke Cancer Institute

[Moderated by Stefanie Sarantopoulos, MD, PhD]

"Tailoring Therapies to Target Leukemia Stem Cells" (5.8.20)

Featuring:
Monica Guzman, PhD,
Weill Cornell Medicine

[Moderated by Stefanie Sarantopoulos, MD, PhD]

"Lung Cancer and Health Inequity" (5.1.20)

Featuring:
Christopher Lathan, MD,
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

"It Takes a Pandemic: The Evolution of Cancer Care" (5.1.20)

Featuring:
Yousuf Zafar, MD, MHS,
Duke Cancer Institute

[Moderated by Stefanie Sarantopoulos, MD, PhD]

"Home-based Care of Complex Patients Before & In Crisis" (4.24.20)

Featuring:
Anthony Sung, MD,
Duke Cancer Institute
Nelson Chao, MD,
Duke Cancer Institute

[Moderated by Stefanie Sarantopoulos, MD, PhD]