Nature Cancer interviews current American Association for Cancer Research President Lisa Coussens, Ph.D., on a variety of topics, including highlights from the last year and predictions for 2023. On the topic of mentorship, Coussens says: “If with the support of others you were able to move up the career ladder, you have a responsibility to also help those who are following you, so that they also achieve their dreams.”

Eneida Nemecek, M.D., M.B.A., authors a post for Hem Onc Today highlighting a partnership between the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy and Be The Match-National Marrow Donor Program to address issues related to awareness, poverty and racial/ethnic inequities in bone marrow transplant treatment. She says: “Barriers to access exist through the therapeutic continuum, from the time of diagnosis to referral, time to transplant, and post-transplant care and support.”

OHSU’s Casey Eye Institute is top for its overall ophthalmology program as well as being among the nation’s top ophthalmology organizations for clinical care, graduate medical education and research.

OHSU’s Dec. 16 Oregon hospital forecast indicates the current surge of statewide COVID and RSV hospitalizations have peaked and predicts the flu hospitalization peak will soon follow suit. Peter Graven, Ph.D. says: “While cases appear to have peaked, and we’re expecting cases to decline over the next two months, holiday gatherings continue to present a risk for increased transmission.”

Charles Blanke, M.D., co-authors a study finding clinical trials in adults conducted within the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI’s) National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) over the last four decades are estimated to have extended the lives of patients with cancer in the U.S. by at least 14.2 million life-years.

In a Health Central article on how to stay mentally strong during breast cancer treatment, Kerri Winters-Stone, Ph.D., says: “Studies in women with breast cancer show that about 30 minutes of aerobic or aerobic plus resistance exercise performed at least three days per week can reduce feelings of anxiety and depressive symptoms. Being able to go out and walk for a half hour, a few days per week, can really help.”

In a Cure Today story on the impact of immunotherapy in treating cancer of the biliary duct, Flavio Rocha, M.D., says: “They tend to be more aggressive malignancies. They tend to metastasize early, which makes (patients) ineligible for surgical resection, which is really to date the only potentially curative treatment.”

Canadian Medical Association Journal covers expanding use and regulation of psychedelic therapy in Canada, pointing to Oregon's law. Aryan Sarparast, M.D., tells the journal, “There are zero clinical studies to date on how psilocybin will affect people who are on psychiatric medications. Those that do exist are on healthy volunteers who are given a psychiatric medication for a couple weeks at most.”

The Oregonian reports a new bus rapid transit line along Division Street is experiencing delays. Michael Harrison, director of local government relations at OHSU, says a one-seat ride from east Portland to OHSU is still of value: “As a rider, I’d rather face the risk of having three or four minutes delay on occasion than needing to transfer buses every day. The tradeoff, while not perfect, is well worth it.”

A new law, spearheaded by Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer, that legalizes cannabis for research purposes. Bonnie Nagel, Ph.D., says, “This is going to really send us on a different trajectory and allow us to know, what are people using? How are people using it? What are the benefits and what are the harms and these are not things that we have been able to accurately address previously.”