Moffitt Senior Member, Geriatric Oncology Gets Recognized at Assembly in Basel, Switzerland

October 13, 2015

Dr. Martine Extermann (middle) being honored with the Geriatric Oncology Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2015 German, Austrian and Swiss Congress of the Societies for Hematology and Oncology in Basel, Switzerland.

TAMPA, Fla. – Dr. Martine Extermann, senior member of Moffitt’s Senior Adult Oncology Program, has been honored with the Geriatric Oncology Lifetime Achievement Award, originally known as the “Preis geriatrische Onkologie für das Lebenswerk 2015,” at this year’s German, Austrian and Swiss Congress of the Societies for Hematology and Oncology. She was recognized at a ceremony Oct. 10. The conference is taking place Oct. 9-13 in Basel, Switzerland.

“Receiving this award is quite an honor,” said Extermann, M.D., Ph.D. “I am grateful that I can contribute to such an important topic that has global attention and support.”

Extermann’s main interests are to understand how the health of older patients affects their cancer’s behavior, which can be used to guide treatment choices. Among her many accomplishments, Extermann has established an index to assess an individual’s risk of severe toxicity from chemotherapy: the Chemotherapy Risk Assessment Scale for High-age patients, or CRASH, score.

In July, the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, in partnership with The V Foundation for Cancer Research, awarded a $1.25 million ovarian cancer research grant to Extermann. The grant will support research focused on how to personalize care for aging women with ovarian cancer.

Extermann has received numerous awards for her work in geriatric oncology including the ASCO B.J. Kennedy Award for Scientific Excellence in Geriatric Oncology in 2009 and the Paul Calabresi Award in 2014 presented by the International Society of Geriatric Oncology. She has also served as president of the International Society of Geriatric Oncology, of which she is a founding board member.

Extermann received her M.D. and Ph.D. in Geneva, Switzerland, and later came to the University of South Florida College of Medicine for a fellowship in medical oncology/senior adult oncology. She has been at Moffitt since 1997.

Along with receiving this lifetime achievement award, Extermann also is one of the 35 experts presenting at the congress. She discussed the “Development of Geriatric Oncology in the USA” on Oct. 11.

The German, Austrian and Swiss Congress of the Societies for Hematology and Oncology is a way for experts to gather, share information, attend high quality presentations and workshops, and engage in discussion. It is also a place where patients can go to learn more about their care and their disease.

About Moffitt Cancer Center
Located in Tampa, Moffitt is one of only 45 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, a distinction that recognizes Moffitt’s excellence in research, its contributions to clinical trials, prevention and cancer control. Moffitt is the top-ranked cancer hospital in Florida and has been listed in U.S. News & World Report as one of the “Best Hospitals” for cancer care since 1999. With more than 4,600 team members, Moffitt has an economic impact in the state of $1.9 billion. For more information, visit MOFFITT.org, and follow the Moffitt momentum on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

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