For Maria Felix Torres, MD, the path to treating blood cancers began far from where she is training today. Originally from a small bay town in northern Peru, she knew from an early age that she wanted to become a physician and work closely with patients. After earning her medical degree in Lima, she moved to the United States, where she is now beginning her third year of internal medicine residency at Jacobi Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.
Although she initially envisioned a career in general oncology, her interest in hematologic malignancies grew after caring for patients in Peru.
“I had the chance to work in Peru as a general physician on an inpatient malignant hematology service,” she explained. “That gave me the opportunity of taking care of patients undergoing chemotherapy and managing treatment-related complications.”
During her residency in the United States, Dr. Torres became even more intrigued by the field. “I was able to see the impact of new therapies and how research is helping people have better access to treatment and better outcomes,” she said. “I also had the chance to do electives in bone marrow transplantation, which is another area that I’m very interested in.”
This year will be Dr. Torres’ first time attending the SOHO Annual Meeting, an opportunity made possible through the SOHO Young Investigator Program.
“I wasn’t able to attend last year,” she said. “Having the opportunity to do it now through the [YIP] scholarship alongside my research is something that I really look forward to.”
Of the mentors who have shaped her career, Dr. Torres pointed to Jean Bustamante, MD, MS, an oncologist at Jacobi Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, with whom she works closely caring for patients and has collaborated on research projects. (Dr. Bustamante is the program director of the hematology-oncology fellowship program at Jacobi.)
She also credits Adam Burgoyne, MD, PhD, an associate clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego, with teaching her the importance of research in advancing cancer care and communicating complex science clearly. Dr. Burgoyne treats gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary cancers.
“He taught me how research and different treatment options can improve patient outcomes,” she explained. “At the same time, he taught me how to translate the science to make it real and understandable for patients, so that they’re able to ask as many questions as possible.”
At this year’s SOHO Annual Meeting, Dr. Torres will present a case report describing a patient with a rare FGFR1-rearranged myeloid/lymphoid neoplasm who presented with an unusual clinical picture that initially obscured the diagnosis. The team treated the patient upfront with the targeted therapy pemigatinib and then reported that the patient achieved a rapid complete hematologic response and is currently in the process to undergo stem cell transplantation.
Dr. Torres said the case adds to prior evidence supporting targeted therapy for this rare, aggressive heme malignancy.
“Pemigatinib was initially approved for relapsed or refractory disease,” she explained. “In our case, we utilized it as an upfront therapy. The patient achieved a complete response within weeks and is now proceeding toward transplant. It’s only a single case report, but it also goes along with emerging literature showing good outcomes. We are looking forward to sharing it.”
In her personal life, Dr. Torres enjoys exploring New York City on foot, especially walks through Central Park. She also takes salsa and traditional Peruvian dance classes whenever she can and enjoys cooking, which she says helps her relax after busy days.
The SOHO Young Investigator Program supports aspiring hematologic oncologists to attend the Annual Meeting in Houston and provides the opportunity to meet with leaders in the field.
For more information on how to support SOHO and all of its programs go to soho.click/donate.
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