(l-r): Dr. Eduardo Sotomayor, Tampa General Hospital; Dr. Kevin Oh, Mass General Cancer Center; Dr. Richard Tuli, Tampa General Hospital; Dr. Abraham Schwarzberg, Tampa General Hospital; Dr. Douglas S. Micalizzi, Mass General Cancer Center.

On a recent Saturday in April, nearly 100 physicians and other medical professionals gathered in West Palm Beach for a robust exchange of ideas and information surrounding the future of oncology treatment. Doctors from across the state of Florida, and as far north as Georgia, listened intently to case studies featuring the latest pioneering research and treatments for cancer.

The 2024 Oncology Symposium, presented jointly by the Tampa General Hospital (TGH) Cancer Institute, the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and Mass General Cancer Center, a member of the Mass General Brigham health care system, represented a new milestone in the growing collaboration between TGH and Mass General Brigham, which strives to provide high-quality and innovative care to patients in the southeastern United States.

Dr. Eduardo Sotomayor, vice president and executive director of the TGH Cancer Institute, welcomed symposium guests. “Today, we’ve gathered some of the best and brightest medical, radiation and surgical oncologists to share and discuss innovative, multidisciplinary strategies for cancer care.”

Next, remarks from Dr. Richard Tuli, professor and chair of radiation oncology at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and deputy director of the TGH Cancer Institute, and Dr. Kevin Oh, clinical director of radiation oncology at Mass General Cancer Center, further set the multidisciplinary tone of the symposium. “Cancer is one of our biggest challenges,” said Dr. Oh. “We can only solve it through teamwork in an atmosphere of warmth, humility and selflessness.” Dr. Tuli added, “Our collaboration is rooted in our institutions’ mutual strengths.”

Expert physicians from the TGH Cancer Institute, the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and Mass General Cancer Center co-presented case studies focused on early detection and the future of oncology; advanced bladder cancer; pancreatic cancer; and thoracic cancer.

As one of Florida’s leading academic health systems, Tampa General is dedicated to pioneering breakthrough treatments, conducting game-changing clinical research and training the next generation of health care professionals through its partnership with the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. So the collaboration on this symposium with Mass General Brigham made perfect sense.

“We’re placing a major emphasis on improving access to high-level cancer care throughout the state of Florida,” said Dr. Sotomayor. He noted that the TGH Cancer Institute has assembled a team of passionate, compassionate and nationally recognized cancer specialists. The TGH Cancer Institute is ranked in the top 3 percent of cancer hospitals in the United States, according to Newsweek’s 2023 list of “America’s Best Cancer Hospitals.” The TGH Cancer Institute also holds accreditation from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (CoC).

Dr. Sotomayor added that thanks to support from Mass General Brigham, the TGH Cancer Institute recently established the Bone Marrow Transplant and Cell Therapies Unit, offering stem cell transplants and chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) T-cell infusion therapy for complex cancers.

Indeed, not only will the collaboration have a profound impact on cancer care delivered across Florida’s West Coast, but it will also fill a critical need on the state’s East Coast. Over the past several years, TGH has been creating a framework of state-of-the-art services for patients specifically in Palm Beach and Martin counties.

“Together, we have the power to redefine the future of health care innovation on Florida’s East Coast. This will be a game changer for our patients and families,” said Dr. Abraham Schwarzberg, executive vice president, chief of oncology, president of the Tampa General Provider Network (TGPN), and vice president of clinical and translational research for the TGH-USF Health Joint Office of Clinical Research.