Knight School

Cancer 101: Where we are in 2020

January 21, 2020

The survival rate for all cancers combined has more than doubled since the 1960s, a testament to the power of clinical trials – experiments that test new treatments in human volunteers. Join us for an inside look at how researchers are reinventing clinical trials to advance cancer early detection and treatment.

Presenters:

Tomasz Beer, M.D.

Tomasz Beer, M.D., F.A.C.P.
Deputy director, OHSU Knight Cancer Institute

Beer is an oncologist specializing in the medical care of prostate cancer patients. He was selected as one of six top scientists to take part in a research dream team that joins together world-class institutions to study treatments for advanced prostate cancer.

Brian Druker, M.D.

Brian Druker, M.D.
Director, OHSU Knight Cancer Institute

Druker revolutionized the treatment of cancer through research that resulted in the first drug to target the molecular defect of a cancer while leaving healthy cells unharmed. Marketed under the name Gleevec®, his discovery turned a once-fatal cancer, chronic myeloid leukemia, into a manageable condition.

Gordon Mills, M.D., Ph.D.

Gordon Mills, M.D., Ph.D.
Director of precision oncology, OHSU Knight Cancer Institute

Mills leads precision oncology and SMMART®, a first-of-its-kind platform designed to find combinations of drugs that can stop tumors before they adapt and become drug-resistant. He has authored or co-authored more than 1,000 published research papers and is among the top 1 percent of all authors in medicine.

Eneida Nemecek, M.D.

Eneida Nemecek, M.D., M.S., M.B.A.
Professor of medicine, OHSU School of Medicine

Nemecek is an oncologist specializing in bone marrow transplantation and cellular therapies for cancer and other disorders affecting blood and the immune system. She directs the Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplantation Program at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, co-directs the Northwest Marrow Transplant Program at OHSU, and serves as the Knight Cancer Institute’s medical director for clinical research.