David H. Ilson, MD, PhD 
Medical Oncologist
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
New York, NY

Dr. Ilson completed undergraduate training at the University of Connecticut. He entered an MD, PhD combined degree program at New York University and received a Master’s degree and PhD in Basic Science and an MD from New York University. He completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Bellevue Hospital at NYU in New York. He then moved to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and completed a fellowship in Medical Oncology and Hematology, including a third-year fellowship as the Brian Piccolo research fellow.

Dr. Ilson joined the staff at MSKCC in 1992, becoming a member of the GI Oncology Service in the Department of Medicine. He was a recipient of an American Cancer Society Career Development Award. Dr. Ilson is now an attending physician and member at Memorial Hospital and is Professor of Medicine at Weill-Cornell Medical College. His area of research interest is upper gastrointestinal cancer with a focus on esophageal cancer. Dr. Ilson is a nationally recognized authority in the treatment of gastrointestinal cancer. His research has focused on the study of new agents in advanced esophageal cancer and on the evaluation of novel agents in combined modality therapy programs in locally advanced disease. Dr. Ilson sits on the GI committees of Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) and Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) as well as the Upper GI Cancer Guidelines Committee of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN). He is chairman on the Intergroup Esophageal and Gastric Cancer Task Force Committee. Dr. Ilson currently chairs or co-chairs several national clinical trials in esophageal cancer. Dr. Ilson has been writing for NEJM Journal Watch Oncology and Hematology since 2006.

Kohei Shitara, MD
Chief, Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology
National Cancer Center Hospital East
Kashiwa, Japan

Dr. Shitara is the Chief of the Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology at the National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Japan. He received his Medical Degree from Tohoku University School of Medicine in 2002.

Dr. Shitara is an active member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO). He is also a member of the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine, the Japanese Society of Medical Oncology (JSMO), the Japanese Society of Clinical Oncology (JSCO), and the Japanese Gastric Cancer Association. He also acts as one of the organizing members for the Japanese gastric cancer treatment guidelines. Dr. Shitara’s research interests include development of new anti-cancer agents, optimal chemotherapy regimen for gastrointestinal (GI) cancer, and translational research. He is the primary investigator or study coordinator of several sponsor initiated trials or investigator initiated trials for gastric or colorectal cancer, and also acts as one of steering committee members of several ongoing global studies in the field of GI cancers. He has reported around 200 peer review publications which include approximately 100 articles as first author or corresponding author in these fields.

Planner and Faculty Disclosures

In accordance with the Food and Drug Administration, the speakers have disclosed that there is the potential for discussions concerning off-label uses of a commercial product/device during this educational activity.

Any person who may contribute to the content of this continuing education activity must disclose relevant relationships (and any known relationships of their spouse/partner) with commercial interests whose products or services are discussed in educational presentations. A commercial interest is defined as any entity producing, marketing, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients. Relevant relationships include receiving from a commercial interest research grants, consultant fees, travel, other benefits, or having a self-managed equity interest in a company.

Disclosure of a relationship is not intended to suggest or condone any bias in any presentation but is made to provide participants with information that might be of potential importance to their evaluation of a presentation.

Planners:
David H. Ilson, MD, PhD—has disclosed that he is a consultant for Amgen, Astellas, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck, and Roche.
Susan H. Gitzinger, PharmD, MPA—has no relevant financial relationships to disclose in relation to the content of this activity.

Authors/Presenters:
David H. Ilson, MD, PhD—has disclosed that he is a consultant for Amgen, Astellas, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck, and Roche.
Kohei Shitara, MD—has disclosed that he is a consultant for Amgen, Astellas Pharma, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Daiichi Sankyo, MSD, and Novartis. He receives grant/research support from Chugai, Daiichi Sankyo, Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma, Lilly, MSD, Ono Pharmaceutical, and Taiho Pharmaceutical.

Peer Reviewers:
Allison Butts, PharmD, BCOP—has no relevant financial relationships to disclose in relation to the content of this activity.
Efrat Dotan, MD—has disclosed that she is a consultant for Basilea and QED. She receives grant/research support from AstraZeneca, Incyte, Ipsen, Lilly, Medimmune, and SDP oncology.