Al B. Benson III, MD, FACP, took the helm as president of the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) at its 36th annual meeting, held March 19, 2010, in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr Benson, a member of the ACCC board since 2003, is a professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago. He is an advocate of comparative effectiveness research (CER) and evidence-based medicine, and says that oncology must take an active role in its implementation. Dr Benson has participated in organizations, including serving on a number of committees at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and as the immediate past-chair of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network board of directors. The Journal of Multi disciplinary Cancer Care spoke with Dr Benson about his plans for his upcoming year as president of the ACCC.

BARCELONA—Breast cancer patients with the chromosome enumeration probe 17 (CEP17) alpha satellite abnormality are more likely to have good outcomes from chemotherapy involving anthracycline antibiotics than women without the abnormality, according to new data released at the Seventh European Breast Cancer Conference.

As demand for their services grew and it became increasingly clear that their practice was becoming a regional center for patients battling cancer, the medical staff at Colanta Hematology & Oncology Center made the decision to build and open an outpatient infusion center that could adequately and comfortably serve their patients.

SAN FRANCISCO—Hypofractionated radiotherapy (65 Gy in 2.5-Gy fractions) appears to be a convenient, safe, and efficacious approach to salvage therapy after radical prostatectomy, according to researchers from the University of Wisconsin. Looking at 108 men, investigators found that biochemical failure (increasing prostate-specific antigen levels) compared favorably with other studies. They presented their findings at the 2010 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium.

TAMPA, FL—In the first reported study, researchers in Detroit have found that image-guided, multiprobe cryo therapy may be able to successfully freeze breast cancer in women who do not undergo surgery. They presented data that show this approach appears to be highly effective with minimal discomfort for the patient.

As healthcare consumes a significant portion of the US budget, oncology services similarly consume a significant portion of any hospital’s budget. The need to recruit qualified and wellpaid clinicians, the continuing medical arms race to ensure the hospital remains competitive by providing physicians and staff with the latest technical equipment, as well as the desire to satisfy increasing consumer demands for a reasonable clinical experience (eg, physician office wait times, navigation to traverse the physical confines of hospitals and their many facility add-ons, nontraditional treatment-hour extensions to enable individuals to continue working) all converge to ensure an active cancer program administrator is often in the position of requesting yet additional dollars to improve cancer care services, upgrade oncology equipment, or recruit new or additional specialized staff.

Steeplechase Cancer Center at Somerset Medical Center in Somerville, New Jersey, was established in 2007 in response to community needs for easily accessible high-quality cancer care. The center is named for the steeplechase horse race, held each October in the neighboring community of Far Hills, New Jersey. Proceeds from the race are donated to the center and go to support expanded facilities and services.