Gastrointestinal Malignancies

Al B Benson III, MD, FACP, is a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, IL. He is also the Associate Director for Clinical Investigations and Chair of the Clinical Protocol Scientific Review and Monitoring System for the Robert H Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, at Northwestern University. He is a recipient of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Statesman Award and has served on a number of committees. He is a member of the Task Force on Quality of Cancer Care, the Co-Chair of ASCO's Colorectal Cancer Guidelines Subcommittee, the Stage II Colon Cancer Guidelines Panel, and the Guidelines Panel for the use of Radiofrequency Ablation for Colorectal Cancer Hepatic Metastases. He is Chair of both the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Gastrointestinal and Data Monitoring Committees. In addition, he is a member of several medical societies, and is Past President of the Illinois Medical Oncology Society, and President for the Association of Community Cancer Centers, and past Chair of the Board of Directors of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Dr Benson is past President of the International Society of Gastrointestinal Oncology. He has authored numerous reports, reviews, and book chapters focusing on the topics of biologics, cancer therapy, and cancer prevention.

David Bentrem, MD, MSCI is the Surgery Service Chief at Jesse Brown VA Medical Center and a Professor of Surgery at Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University. Dr. Bentrem has a focused interest in GI oncology examine the role of the tumor microenvironment in pancreas and colon cancer. In addition, his research also focuses on the development of quality measures in cancer surgery and served on committees with the Commissionon Cancer, the American College of Surgeons and the Society of Surgical Oncology in this area.