These researchers have dedicated their careers to finding new treatments and cures for people with cancer.
Dr. Faltas Takes on Bladder Cancer
Bladder cancer is the fourth most common cancer among men. Like many cancers, it can be challenging to treat – especially when the cancer develops resistance by finding ways to outsmart and stop responding to chemotherapy or immunotherapy, two of the best available options. In such cases, there is often not much else doctors can offer.
Happily, that is beginning to change thanks to the work of researchers like Bishoy M. Faltas, MD.
Dr. Faltas, an assistant professor at Weill Cornell Medicine, has been studying the changes in bladder cancer that lead to treatment resistance. He has also been developing strategies to reverse or prevent resistance from happening so that patients continue responding to treatment. A 2015 Conquer Cancer Foundation of ASCO Young Investigator Award supported by the John and Elizabeth Leonard Family Foundation helped make this work possible.
“Even with the new immunotherapy agents, less than one-quarter of patients will respond at any given time,” said Dr. Faltas. “I’m trying to identify alternative strategies to target the other three-quarters of patients.”
Dr. Faltas and his team are now building on the findings of their Conquer Cancer-funded study; they are developing a small clinical trial to test a new treatment approach in patients. Eventually, their research could lead to better outcomes and increased survival for people with bladder cancer.
“This work was really critical for my career – but also for our understanding of the biology of the disease,” explained Dr. Faltas. “I’m hopeful that it will lead to significant therapeutic advances in the future.”
Dr. Faltas’ 2015 Conquer Cancer Foundation of ASCO Young Investigator Award was supported by the John and Elizabeth Leonard Family Foundation.
