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Last Updated: 8/4/2009
| Peter Voorhees, M.D.
Assistant Professor |  |
Clinical Interests
Multiple myeloma
Hodgkin's and Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas
Acute and chronic leukemias, myelodysplastic syndrome, the myeloproliferative disorders
Research Interests
My research involves the evaluation of novel agents and combination therapies in pre-clinical models of multiple myeloma and other hematologic malignancies, and the translation of promising therapeutic strategies into clinical trials for patients with these diseases.
Tumor cell / microenvironment interactions play an important role in modulating the sensitivity of multiple myeloma to a variety of chemotherapeutics. We have therefore been interested in the development of agents that interfere with myeloma cell / bone marrow microenvironment interactions as a means of enhancing the activity of currently available myeloma therapeutics. This work has generated important observations that have fueled the development of on-going studies for patients with relapsed/refractory myeloma.
The proteasome inhibitor, bortezomib, was first shown to have activity against myeloma in a phase I clinical trial of bortezomib for patients with relapsed/refractory hematologic malignancies run through the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center by Dr. Robert Orlowski. Subsequent evaluation of bortezomib in combination with the anthracycline, Doxil, in patients with relapsed/refractory hematologic malignancies demonstrated dramatic activity in myeloma patients. This study paved the way for a phase III study of the combination in patients with bortezomib-nave, relapsed/refractory myeloma, the results of which led to its eventual FDA approval. Building on the momentum of previous work with the combination, we are in the process of developing a successor study for patients with relapsed/refractory myeloma.
Other on-going pre-clinical projects include the evaluation of inhibitors of the nuclear factor-kappaB pathway in multiple myeloma, as well as acute and chronic myeloid leukemia, which will help pave the way for future clinical trials for patients with these diseases.
Recent Accomplishments and Honors
Peter Voorhees was selected as a K12-grant (Clinical Scholars Program) awardee in 2006.
Training
Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. BA 1998-1992 Biology
Univ. of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI MD 1992-1997 Medicine
University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI Residency 1997-2000 Internal Medicine
University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI Chief Residency 2000-2001 Internal Medicine
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC Fellowship 2001-2004 Hematology-Oncology
Publications
Voorhees PM, Dees EC, O' Neil B, Orlowski RZ: The proteasome as a target for cancer therapy. Clinical Cancer Research, 9:6316-6325, 2003.
Voorhees PM, Carder KA, Smith SV, Ayscue LH, Rao KW, Dunphy CH: Follicular lymphoma with a Burkitt's translocation: Predictor of an aggressive clinical course. Case report and review of the literature. The Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, 128(2):210-3, 2004.
Orlowski RZ, Voorhees PM, Garcia RA, Hall MD, Kudrik FJ, Allred T, Johri AR, Jones PE, Ivanova A, Van Deventer HW, Gabriel DA, Shea TC, Mitchell BS, Adams J, Esseltine DL, Trehu EG, Green M, Lehman MJ, Natoli S, Collins JM, Lindley CM, Dees EC: Phase I trial of the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib and pegylated liposomal doxorubicin in patients with advanced hematologic malignancies. Blood, 105(8): 3058-65, 2005.
Voorhees PM and Orlowski RZ. The proteasome and proteasome inhibitors in cancer therapy. Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol, 2006; 46: 189-213.
Voorhees PM and Orlowski RZ: The Emerging Role of Novel Combinations for Induction Therapy in Multiple Myeloma. Clin Lymphoma Myeloma. 7(1): 33-41, 2006.
Biehn SE, Moore DT, Voorhees PM, Garcia RA, Lehman MJ, Dees EC, Orlowski RZ. Extended follow-up of outcome measures in multiple myeloma patients treated on a phase I study with bortezomib and pegylated liposomal doxorubicin. Ann Hematol. 86(3): 211-6, 2007.
Voorhees PM and Orlowski RZ: Emerging data on the use of anthracyclines in combination with bortezomib in multiple myeloma. Clin Lymphoma Myeloma, 7(Suppl. 4): S156-62, 2007.
Kuhn DJ, Chen Q, Voorhees PM, Strader JS, Shenk KD, Sun CM, Demo SD, Bennett MK, van Leeuwen FW, Chanan-Khan AA, Orlowski RZ. Potent activity of carfilzomib, a novel, irreversible inhibitor of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, against pre-clinical models of multiple myeloma. Blood. Epub ahead of print.
E-mail: Peter_voorhees@med.unc.edu
Telephone: 966-4431
FAX: 966-6735
Address: UNC School of Medicine, Physicians Office Building, 170 Manning Drive, Campus Box #7305 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7305
