Joseph A. Sparano will receive the William L. McGuire Memorial Lecture Award at the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium^® (SABCS^®), Dec. 10-14.

The McGuire Award was established in 1992 to honor William L. McGuire, MD, who co-founded the SABCS in 1977 along with Charles A. Coltman, MD. The topic of Sparano’s award lecture will be announced at a later date.

Sparano, associate director for clinical research at the Montefiore Einstein Center for Cancer Care, Albert Einstein Cancer Center, New York, is being recognized for a distinguished career marked by his leadership, collaboration and practice-changing achievements. His work in clinical and translational breast cancer research has improved the lives of numerous patients.

Sparano has played a key role in the design and implementation of numerous clinical trials since joining the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group (formerly the Easter Cooperative Oncology Group or ECOG) in 1991. He served as study chair for the recently reported TAILORx trial. This National Cancer Institute-sponsored, multi-center trial enrolled more than 10,000 women with early-stage breast cancer. The results of the TAILORx trial led to modification of National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines, immediately changing clinical practice.

Sparano’s research on biomarkers of recurrence and prognosis has moved the field forward and led to more effective, personalized treatments for cancer patients. His peers extol his organizational skills and he is recognized as a committed mentor. In 2001 he initiated the ECOG Young Investigator Symposium, now an annual event that has provided the opportunity for more than 200 young clinicians to interact with senior investigators and learn about cooperative group research.

Sparano presented the inaugural Einstein-Montefiore Presidential Lecture in 2017 and received the Charles G. Moertel Lectureship Award from the Alliance for Clinical Trial in Oncology in 2019.