USA Health residents and fellows present research at cancer advocacy conference

Muhammad Areeb Ashfaq, M.D.; Anita Mazloom, M.D.; Pranitha Prodduturvar, M.D.; Daisy Escobar, M.D.; and Haris Manan, M.D., attend the NeauxCancer Conference in New Orleans.

Hematology and oncology fellows and internal medicine residents from USA Health recently presented their research at the third annual NeauxCancer Conference presented by the Career Advocacy Group of Louisiana (CAGLA) in New Orleans.

The following represented USA Health: third-year fellows Daisy Escobar, M.D., and Anita Mazloom, M.D.; third-year internal medicine resident Muhammad Areeb Ashfaq, M.D.; and second-year internal medicine residents Jose Alejandro (Alex) Asturias, M.D., and Haris Manan, M.D. Pranitha Prodduturvar, M.D., a medical oncologist and assistant professor of interdisciplinary clinical oncology, also attended the conference. 

The conference attracted medical oncologists, cancer surgeons, radiation oncologists, and other physicians, as well as advanced practice providers, medical trainees, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals. The three-day event covered wide-ranging topics beyond discussions about the disease and emerging therapies, including advocacy and the future of AI in the field.

Escobar, a hematology and oncology fellow, attended the conference for the first time. She presented research on health disparities between races and response to treatment in stage IV non-small cell lung cancer patients. 

“It was great to see so many people coming together for advocacy and more importantly to see all the changes that CAGLA has done for the state of Louisiana,” Escobar said. “Times continue to change, and it is up to us to learn how to advocate for our patients both within and beyond the confines of the clinic.”

Manan, a second-year internal medicine resident, described participating in the conference as a positive experience. “It was a great experience for all of us to present our study,” he said. “There were great lectures about breast cancer, current chemotherapy agents and the future of AI in the world of oncology.”

Their research studied the extent of cardiac toxicity that could be associated with concomitant use of anthracyclines and immune check inhibitors in a retrospective cohort. 

CAGLA is a grassroots advocacy group that champions improved cancer care. Community leaders, dedicated physicians and resilient survivors unite to drive progress in healthcare policy and practice.