Research in Motion: Bringing Chromophobe RCC Research to You
An Interview with Dr. Elizabeth Ellis
At the Chromophobe and Oncocytic Tumor Alliance (COA), we are dedicated to keeping the community informed about the latest advancements in chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (chRCC). That's why we're excited to announce our new series, "Research in Motion," where we'll highlight the latest developments and research on chRCC from impactful papers published to abstracts presented at major medical conferences. We’ll be bringing the latest updates to the community to keep you informed. Our first update, through our “poster preview” series comes from ASCO GU, which took place in February this year.
What is ASCO GU?
ASCO GU is a large medical conference presenting the latest research for genitourinary (GU) cancers, including kidney cancer and the rare subtypes such as chRCC. It's a important event for researchers and doctors to share findings and advancements in the field.
Decoding Poster Sessions
You might hear about research being presented at a "poster session" during conferences like ASCO GU. But what exactly is a poster session? You can think of it kind of like a large scale science fair for medical researchers. Researchers display summaries of their work on large posters, allowing attendees to browse and learn about the latest developments. Poster sessions provide a platform for researchers to share preliminary findings and data, even if the work isn't yet ready for publication.
Our First "Research in Motion" Feature
In our very first "Research in Motion" highlight, COA founder Katie Coleman speaks with Dr. Elizabeth Ellis, a urologic oncology fellow at MD Anderson Cancer Center and the grant recipient of the 2024 Chromophobe Focus Grant from the KCA and COA. They meet to discuss Dr. Ellis’s research which was presented as an abstract at the ASCO GU conference. This work investigates prognostic biomarkers in chRCC, aiming to identify potential protein expressions associated with recurrence using tissue microarrays. Which, in simpler terms, describes looking at tumor tissue from patients with chRCC who had their tumors removed from surgery and using special chemicals to stain them and look for patterns.
Dr. Ellis shares with us her hope that this research could one day help determine which tumors are the most aggressive or have a higher chance of coming back beyond relying on tumor size, grade, and stage, which is what is typically used today. Through approachable examples and language, she shares with us high level details of how they conducted the experiments and breaks down complex terminology like explaining what a tissue microarray is, a block of tumor tissue from multiple patients. She shares her preliminary findings with us and outlines what future aims for this work may be.
Why This Matters to You
This research is another step in understanding chRCC and developing better treatments. As Dr. Ellis notes, there is growing interest in understanding this subtype better, and researchers are working hard to bring better treatments to patients.
Stay Informed with COA
COA is committed to bridging the gap between researchers and the chRCC community. Through "Research in Motion," we aim to make complex research accessible and understandable, empowering patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers with the latest knowledge.