Experts Gather for 15th Annual Rasco Symposium

By Nate Hinkel

 Course director Issam Makhoul, M.D., (center) is joined by participants Eugene Gerner, M.D., (left) of the University of Arizona, and Philip A. Philip, M.D., Ph.D., of Karmanos Cancer Center in Detroit.

Rasco Symposium participants mingle during a break.

Rasco Symposium participants mingle during a break.

MARCH 14, 2012 |Colorectal cancer and gastrointestinal (GI) malignancy experts from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and across the country gathered March 9-10 to discuss the latest innovations and research in the treatment of GI malignancies.

The 15th annual Charles William Rasco, III Symposium on Colorectal Cancer and GI Malignancies brought together about 150 physicians, nurses, other health care professionals, scientists and trainees to hear from a multidisciplinary field of professionals who are leaders in cancer treatment and research. Presenters included experts from Arizona, Washington, California, Oregon, Texas and Louisiana.

The symposium, conducted by the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, honors the memory of Charles William Rasco III, who lost his battle with the disease in 1994. Issam Makhoul, M.D., associate professor in the Division of Hematology/Oncology in the Department of Internal Medicine in the UAMS College of Medicine, is medical director of the symposium.

“The Rasco Symposium gives UAMS the opportunity to work in conjunction with other leaders in the field of colorectal cancers and GI malignancies. We are able to provide information about the very latest treatment options and scientific research to members of the health care community,” Makhoul said.

Among the presenters from the UAMS College of Medicine were:

• Makhoul on the “Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Colorectal Cancer”

• Michael Beheshti, M.D., chief in the Division of Interventional Radiology Department, on “Radioembolization”

• Jonathon Laryea, M.D., assistant professor of surgery, on “Minimally Invasive Surgery for Colorectal Cancer”

Mazan Safar, M.D., associate professor of medicine, and Brian Badgwell, M.D., assistant professor of surgery, made case presentations, while other UAMS faculty served as moderators. Frank Simmen, Ph.D., professor of physiology and biophysics, shared information on preventing GI malignancies through lifestyle changes.

Presenters from other institutions shared their expertise on a variety of topics relating to colorectal cancer and GI malignancies, including:

• Eugene Gerner, M.D., from the University of Arizona, on “Chemoprevention of Colorectal Cancer and other GI Cancers”

• Anthony B. El-Khoueiry, M.D., from the University of Southern California, on “Systemic Therapy in HCC: an Update”

• Steven Curley, M.D., from M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, on “Surgical Treatment of Metastatic GI Cancers to the Liver”