Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

During Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, teams across Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) connected with communities to share resources, encourage screening, and promote early detection. At the Long Island Nets “Cross Up Cancer Night” in Uniondale, MSK colorectal surgeon Dr. Mohammad Ali Abbass and gastrointestinal oncologist Dr. Zoe Goldberg presented prevention and screening information during a pregame panel and were recognized for their commitment to community education. We also joined Shiloh Baptist Church in New Rochelle, where MSK gastrointestinal medical oncologist Dr. Fiyinfolu Balogun, clinical trials nurse Gail Panton, mind-body instructor Malik Caldwell, and registered dietitian-nutritionist Katrina Hartog, shared information on colorectal cancer screening, prevention, health disparities, and clinical trials with Shiloh Baptist Church members. These efforts reflect our commitment to improving cancer care for the communities we serve. We're grateful to everyone who showed up, shared their stories, and helped us spread awareness. Swipe through for a recap from this month's events. ➡️

For more than a century, the social workers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) have helped define the standards of excellence in oncology social work. They have championed compassionate, evidence-based care — walking beside patients and their loved ones through every stage of the cancer experience. Drawing on skills in counseling, group facilitation, and a range of therapeutic modalities — including cognitive behavioral therapy, trauma-informed care, mindfulness, psychodynamic approaches, meaning-centered therapy, and palliative and end-of-life support — MSK’s social workers bring heart and depth to every patient interaction. They focus on each patient’s life circumstances and strengths to help patients and families build resilience, find hope, and navigate challenges. Let's close out Social Worker Month with a 👏 for our MSK social workers below!

For more than 140 years, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) has been a global leader in cancer research and scientific discovery. Subscribe to our quarterly newsletter, MSK Discoveries, to stay up to date with the latest research news — from clinical innovations to foundational biological insights: https://bit.ly/4dV4WCR

They say that every doctor was once a child who wanted to help, and every scientist was once a child who never stopped asking "why?". 💙 Today, those kids are just a few of our Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) doctors and scientists who are helping cancer patients every day. Happy Doctors' Day! Reshare the image that resonates the most with you.

A new drug is showing promise in lung and pancreatic cancers (two of the most aggressive forms of cancer) by targeting one of the most common cancer-driving mutations. Researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), including gastrointestinal medical oncologist Dr. Wungki Park who led the global phase 1 clinical trial, shared results published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The trial tested setidegrasib, a drug that tags and destroys the cancer-causing protein produced by the KRAS G12D mutation. This new method for targeting a long-known mutation is called a KRAS degrader. KRAS mutations are present in about 1 in 5 cancers. The G12D subtype drives about 40% of pancreatic cancers and 5% of non-small cell lung cancers. “This drug’s potential is exciting,” says Dr. Park, “because the trial results suggest that setidegrasib can not only extend life for some patients with these aggressive cancers, it also has a very good safety profile, meaning the drug was well-tolerated with side effects that can be managed quite easily." Learn more about this research: https://bit.ly/4lW11rj

Colorectal cancer is increasingly affecting younger adults, underscoring the need for awareness and early detection. In this TODAY segment, MSK patient Jennifer Lava, a three-time colon cancer survivor diagnosed at 34, shares her experience alongside MSK gastrointestinal medical oncologist Dr. Andrea Cercek. Together, they highlight the importance of recognizing symptoms, advocating for timely care, and expanding access to screening. Watch the full story: https://lnkd.in/gWtVERYc

Our Child Life Specialists (CLS) are the experts in clinical calm and the masters of distraction. At Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), they make sure the road to recovery includes plenty of room for joy. ✨ 🕗 Here, join Beth, an MSK CLS, for a her day in the life.

Our phase 2 POLAR trial is now published in Nature Medicine. https://lnkd.in/eNE4kE6Q In metastatic pancreatic cancer, immunotherapy has historically shown limited activity. POLAR was designed around a different hypothesis: that homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) may define a biologically distinct subset with increased susceptibility to immune-based strategies. In this biomarker-selected maintenance study of pembrolizumab plus olaparib, the strongest clinical signal was observed in HRD tumors, supported by translational analyses linking DNA repair deficiency to neoantigen burden and immune engagement. These findings support a broader shift toward biomarker-directed, biology-aligned Precision Immunotherapy strategies in pancreatic cancer. This work reflects a truly collaborative effort across the HBP community, clinical research teams and our #sPARKlab Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Most importantly, we are grateful to our patients and families who made this possible. Catherine O'Connor Marc Hilmi Shigeaki Umeda Fiyinfolu Balogun Walid Chatila Imane El Dika Devika Rao Michael Foote Ryan Sugarman James J Harding Chaitanya Bandlamudi Haochen Zhang Kevin Soares Marsha Reyngold Alice Wei Olca Basturk Michael Berger Nadeem Riaz Vinod Balachandran Dana Pe'er Christine Iacobuzio-Donahue Eileen M. O'Reilly

We celebrated Julie Quashie-Blackman, a Patient Care Technician in the Inpatient Float Pool at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center with our Shining Star Award for her exceptional ability to form meaningful connections with patients and their families. Julie’s nomination highlighted her calming nature and emotional intelligence. Her nomination noted, “She individualizes strategies, such as using arts and crafts or singing to comfort patients. Her dedication extends to family engagement, ensuring that loved ones feel supported and reassured. Julie's heartfelt commitment and ability to build trust quickly reflect the essence of Relationship-Based Care.” Colleagues praise her communication, adaptability, and teamwork. Julie's enthusiasm and positivity contribute to and create a positive atmosphere that makes her an outstanding colleague who is highly sought after. Congratulations Julie and thank you for making a difference!  

Women's History Month Employee Spotlight | MSK senior gift officer Cate Barber, CFRE got her start in healthcare as a little girl making rounds through her father’s medical office, asking his colleagues if they’d like to buy Girl Scout cookies. He was a doctor, and those memories — the warmth of the staff and the sense that lives were being saved daily — shaped her future path. At Colgate University, Cate helped lead a campus initiative to bring free menstrual products to all bathrooms by founding a club, hosting speakers, and raising donations through her university’s development office. “Watching a $500 gift turn into stocked women’s bathrooms showed me exactly what donations could do,” she shares. At MSK, Cate partners with donors to fund cancer research, clinical trials, and patient care at MSK. But for her, the impact goes beyond fundraising. “I’m able to fundraise for all these different initiatives that are constantly evolving — breast cancer research, urology, and so many other areas,” she shares. “You can really see the results of your work translated into how patients are treated and the outcomes they achieve.” Through her work with donors, colleagues, and early-career professionals, Cate is helping build a future where more people feel seen, supported, and empowered. When asked what Women's History Month means to her, Cate shares: "There are so many women who fought for seats at tables that weren't built for them, and because of that, we get to sit here today."