The findings of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center experts will be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting, May 29 to June 2, at McCormick Place in Chicago. Each year, the world’s largest clinical cancer research conference draws more than 45,000 participants from around the world, including clinicians, scientists, and patient advocates.
Roswell Park physician-scientists are helping shape the future of cancer treatment. Being invited to present their findings before this distinguished group reflects the quality and far-reaching impact of their research. ”
Renier Brentjens, MD, PhD, Vice President and Chair, Roswell Park School of Medicine
Five major presentations by Roswell Park faculty and researchers:
- GLP-1 receptor agonists are widely used drugs to lower blood sugar levels and promote weight loss, and research published by Zunaira Shah, MBBS, Oncology/Hematology Research Fellow, shows that GLP-1 receptor agonists may have additional benefits related to breast cancer. Dr. Shah is the lead author of “GLP-1 Therapy and Hormone Receptor Positive Breast Cancer Risk and Survival: A Real-World Analysis” (Abstract 10548, Poster 509), which she will discuss in Hall A on Monday, June 1, from 1:30 to 4:30 PM CDT. Dr. Shah will present the results of a large, real-world study of non-diabetic, overweight/obese women who have never been diagnosed with breast cancer. Exposure to GLP-1RA is associated with a reduced risk of developing HR+/HER2- breast cancer or improved overall survival after diagnosis.
- CAR T-cell therapy has dramatically improved outcomes for patients with hematologic malignancies and is beginning to make inroads into solid tumors, but barriers limit patient recruitment into clinical trials that advance the science. Dr. Rahul Thakur, chief administrative scientist in hematology/oncology, addresses the challenges posed by both the geographic location and the number of regional institutions equipped to provide this treatment. He is the first author and author of the Assessment of Availability and Accessibility of CAR-T Clinical Trials in the United States (Abstract 1558, Poster 308). Ethan Marek, MD, associate professor of oncology and director of multiple myeloma translational research, is the senior author of the study, which will be presented in Hall A on Saturday, May 30th from 9 a.m. to noon (CDT).
- Dr. Thakur is also the lead author of Geographic Accessibility of Clinical Trial Recruitment for Rare and Common Gastrointestinal Malignancies in the United States (Abstract 1540, Poster 264). This study points to the fact that approximately 40 million adults live in clinical trial “deserts” where access to clinical trials for gastrointestinal malignancies is severely restricted. Dr. Archit Patel, Research Associate in Hematology/Oncology, will present his research in Hall A on Saturday, May 30th from 9 a.m. to noon (CDT).
- Jayasree Krishnan, MBBS, is lead author of CAR-T in the Elderly: Real-World Survival and Toxicity Study in Patients Age 75 and Older with Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma (Abstract 7541, Poster 420). The researchers investigated whether patients aged 75 and older who received B-cell-directed CAR T-cell therapy were more likely to experience cytokine release syndrome and other adverse reactions. Dr. Krishnan will present the team’s findings on Monday, June 1, from 9 a.m. to noon CDT in Hall A. Hamza Hassan, MD, assistant professor of oncology, and Jens Hillengas, MD, professor of oncology and internal medicine, from the Myeloma/Amyloidosis Team at Roswell Park, are co-senior authors.
- Artificial intelligence (AI) systems, called large language models, are increasingly being used in the field of breast cancer to synthesize and interpret large amounts of information to support decisions about diagnosis and treatment. Reproducible benchmarks are a way to assess their accuracy, but so far the use of this important double-checking process has been limited. Mariam Haji Ahmad, MBBCh, Research Fellow in Hematology/Oncology, will discuss her team’s evaluation of four large-scale language models in her study, “Standardized Exam Style Benchmarking of Large-Scale Language Models in Clinical Decision-Making in Breast Cancer” (Abstract 553, Poster 38). Lead author Dr. Haji Ahmad will present the study in Hall A on Monday, June 1, from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. CDT. Sheheryar Kabraj, Chief of Breast Medicine and Director of Breast Translational Research at BMBCh, is the senior author.
Dr. Eunice Wang invited to discuss FDA-approved drugs for relapsed/refractory AML
Eunice Wang, M.D., Director of Leukemia, will give an invited opening day presentation on diftomenib and levmenib for relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia as part of the “New Drugs in Oncology: Integrating into Practice” educational session on Friday, May 29 from 3:45 to 3:55 p.m. CDT. Dr. Wang will discuss these recently FDA-approved drugs and provide clinicians with details about safe dosing, potential adverse events and how to manage them, and other important factors to consider. FDA approval of diftomenib for AML in patients with a specific genetic mutation (NPM1 alteration) was based on the results of a clinical trial co-led by Dr. Wang.
Five Fellows Recognized for Research Contributions
Five Roswell Park Fellows will receive the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting Distinguished Service Award from the ASCO Foundation, Conquer Cancer, in recognition of their contributions to research and cancer treatment. Award recipients are all trainees who are first authors of abstracts selected for presentation at the ASCO Annual Meeting. Yu Fujiwara, MD. Fayaz Aijaz Ahmed Khan, MBBS. Jayasree Krishnan, MBBS. and Zunaira Shah, MBBS.
Other notable Roswell Park research
Saturday, May 30th, 9am-noon CDT, Hall A
- Dr. Mrinalini Ramesh, University at Buffalo/Roswell Park resident, is the first author and author of Hospital Assignment and Survival Disparities in Juvenile Gastrointestinal Cancer (Abstract 1535, Poster 259).
Saturday, May 30th, 1:30pm-4:30pm CDT, Hall A
- Pranthesh Jain, MD, assistant professor of oncology in the School of Medicine, is senior author of a phase 1b two-arm study of trododekin alfa (ANK-101) in combination with an anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibody in participants with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (Abstract TPS2678, Poster 461b).
- Fayaz Aijaz Ahmed Khan, MBBS, chief hospice and palliative care fellow, is lead author of “Prophylactic versus reactive PEG tube placement in early head and neck (H&N) cancer treated with curative-intent radiation therapy: Balancing benefits and burdens in real-world practice” (Abstract 12150, Poster 133). Rebecca Calabrese, MD, assistant professor of medical oncology and staff/attending physician in the Department of Supportive and Palliative Care, is the lead author.
Saturday, May 30th, 4:30pm-6:00pm CDT, E451
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Michael Wong, MD, PhD, FRPC, Professor of Oncology, will present a rapid oral summary (Abstract 9518) of a landmark 3-year overall survival analysis of RP1 and nivolumab in patients with anti-PD-1 refractory melanoma from the IGNYTE clinical trial.
Michael Wong, MD, PhD, FRPC, Professor of Oncology, will present a rapid oral summary (Abstract 9518) of a landmark 3-year overall survival analysis of RP1 and nivolumab in patients with anti-PD-1 refractory melanoma from the IGNYTE clinical trial.
Monday, June 1, 9am-noon CDT, Hall A
- Tasuku Fujiwara, MD, PhD, Hematology/Oncology Fellow, is the lead author of “Safety and Efficacy of Immunotherapy Rechallenge in Solid Tumors After Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Discontinuation for Immune-Related Adverse Events: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis” (Abstract 11127, Poster 110).
- Fayaz Aijaz Ahmed Khan, MBBS, Principal Hospice and Palliative Care Researcher, is the lead author of “Risk stratification of CRP and ferritin before lymphodepletion as predictors of early immunotoxicity and hematologic complications after CAR-T therapy: a propensity-matched cohort study” (Abstract 7030, Poster 528). Marco Davila, MD, senior vice president and associate director of translational research and chief of lymphoma/multiple myeloma, is the senior author.
Monday, June 1st, 1:30pm-4:30pm CDT, Hall A
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Vaishali Deenadayalan, MBBS, is lead/presenting author of “The Impact of Protein-Energy Insufficiency on Outcomes in Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy: A Real-World Analysis” (Abstract 1135, Poster 249).
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Mariam Haji Ahmad, MBBCh, Hematology/Oncology Fellow, Standardized Exam Style Benchmarking for Large-Scale Language Models in Breast Cancer Clinical Decision Making (Abstract 553, Poster 38). Sheheryar Kabraj, BMBCh, Director of Breast Medicine and Director of Breast Translational Research, is the senior author.
- Olivia Martin, MD, MSc, Fellow in Surgical Oncology, is lead author of “Cell Proliferation, Immune Cell Infiltration, and Survival Outcomes in Sarcomas with High Cancer-Associated Fibroblast Expression” (Abstract 11541, Poster 331). Ankit Patel, MD, assistant professor of oncology in the Department of Surgical Oncology, is the lead author.
- Masanori Oshi, MD, a postdoctoral fellow in breast surgery, is the first author to stratify the biology of lobular breast cancer and publish ILCness as an outcome independent of CDH1 mutations in early-stage ER-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer (Abstract 576, Poster 61). Kazuaki Takabe, MD, FACS, FSSO, Chief of Breast Surgery, is the lead author.
- Zunairah Shah, MBBS Hematology/Oncology Fellow, is lead/presenting author of “Real-world brain metastasis results comparing trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) and tucatinib-based therapy in second-line HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer” (Abstract 1051, Poster 165). Sheheryar Kabraj, BMBCh, Director of Breast Medicine and Director of Breast Translational Research, is the senior author.
Vaishali Deenadayalan, MBBS, is lead/presenting author of “The Impact of Protein-Energy Insufficiency on Outcomes in Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy: A Real-World Analysis” (Abstract 1135, Poster 249).
Pulmonary surgeons join NSF Innovation Corps program
Thoracic surgeon Todd Demme, MD, FACS, will be on site at ASCO 2026 to participate in the National Science Foundation’s Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program, an immersive entrepreneurial training program that promotes turning inventions into impact.
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Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
