The Conquer Cancer Foundation of ASCO Merit Awards will be presented to 20 leading oncology trainees for their important contributions to gastrointestinal cancers research. This year's recipients, who will be recognized at the 2012 Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancers Symposium, January 19-21, in San Francisco, include:

Daniel E. Abbott, MD, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Neoadjuvant chemoradiation versus surgery first for resectable pancreatic head adenocarcinoma: An economic and outcome analysis

Amanda K. Arrington, MD, City of Hope National Medical Center
Laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric adenocarcinoma: A single institution's experience and oncologic outcomes of 65 consecutive patients.

Genevieve M. Boland, MD, PhD, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Association of NCCN guideline adherence with improved survival in high-risk stage II and stage III colon cancer.

Terence C. Chua, BSc Med, MBBS, University of New South Wales
Early and long-term outcome data on 2,298 patients with pseudomyxoma peritonei of appendiceal origin treated by a strategy of cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy.

Sebastian G. De La Fuente, MD, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute
Safety and oncologic outcomes of robotic-assisted esophagogastrectomy

Mary L. Guye, MD, City of Hope National Medical Center
The prognostic significance of extra-intestinal tumor location for primary nonmetastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumors.

Danielle Hari, MD, John Wayne Cancer Institute at St. Johns Health Center
A 21-year analysis of lymph node trends in colon cancer: Do quality measures really matter?

Alex B. Haynes, MD, MPH, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Association between delays in adjuvant chemotherapy for stage III colon cancer and increased mortality.

Melissa J. Labonte, PhD, University of Southern California Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center
Use of EGF A61G polymorphism to predict overall survival in a phase III study of gemcitabine plus cetuximab versus gemcitabine in patients with locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma (SWOG 0205).

Anna S. Leung, MD, John Wayne Cancer Institute at St. Johns Health Center
Changing national trends and survival in stage IV gastric cancer.

Lee McGhan, MB BCh, Mayo Clinic
Validation of a gastric cancer nomogram using a U.S. cancer registry.

Abigail B. Milby, MD, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Long-term cardiopulmonary mortality after radiation for locally advanced esophageal cancer.

Manali I. Patel, MD, Stanford University Medical Center
Seventh edition (2010) of gastric adenocarcinoma AJCC staging system: Is there room for improvement?

Jose M. Pimiento, MD, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute
Low 18f-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake on positron emission tomography as a prognostic factor for stage I and II pancreatic cancer.

Maria C. Russell, MD, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Lymph node metastasis in patients with early pathologic T-stage rectal cancers: What does local excision leave behind?

Heath Skinner, MD, PhD, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Phase I trial of radiotherapy with concurrent bevacizumab, erlotinib, and capecitabine for locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC).

Akihiro Suzuki, MD, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Nomograms for prognostication of patients with esophageal and gastroesophageal carcinoma undergoing definitive chemoradiotherapy.

Takashi Taketa, MD, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Outcome of trimodality-eligible esophagogastric cancer (EC) patients who declined surgery after preoperative chemoradiation.

Ryan M. Thomas, MD, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Selective reoperation for locally recurrent or metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma following primary pancreatic resection.

George Van Buren II, MD, University of Pittsburgh
Phase II trial of fixed-dose rate gemcitabine, bevacizumab, and concurrent 30 gy radiotherapy as preoperative treatment for potentially resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma.