Last Updated: 8/4/2009

Clinical Interests
My area of research interest is the multi-disciplinary care and novel systemic therapy for patients with gastrointestinal malignancies. My particular areas of interest include pancreatic cancer, colon/rectal cancer, and hepatocellular carcinoma (primary liver cancer).

Research Interests
- Our group is very interested in integration of a number of novel, biologic compounds itno a multi-modality treatment setting in cancers such as pancreatic and rectal cancers which often require surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy for optimal treatment. Such compounds include those targeting the proteasome and those targeting the c-erb B family of receptor tyrosine kinase molecules. These compounds may act both as radiation sensitizers and chemotherapy sensitizers. Our aim is to evaluate the effects of such compounds in vivo utilizing biopsy material from patients undergoing treatment for study at the molecular level.

- Additionally we have multiple studies for primary liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma)including studies of a novel MEK inhibitor (AZD6244), a novel TRAIL agonist, and studies of sorafenib in patients with advanced cirrhosis. Our research program for HCC is one of the largest in the Southeastern US.

Recent Accomplishments and Honors
Dr. O'Neil is a co-investigator on UNC's GI SPORE Grant, is funded by an NIH K23 grant (NCI) looking at radiation and signaling in rectal cancer, and has a position on the (national) Hepatobiliary Task Force of the GI Intergroup.

Training
MD Degree: University of California, Los Angeles 1994
Internal Medicine Residency: University of California, San Francisco 1998
Fellowship in Hematology/Oncology: University of California, San Francisco 2001

Board Certifications
Internal Medicine 1998
Medical Oncology 2001

Publications
"The IκB family member Bcl-3 and NF-κB subunit p52 are frequently co-expressed in the nucleus of human hepatocellular carcinoma" O'Neil BH, Buzkova P, Farrah H, Kashatus D, Kelly H, Baldwin AS, Funkhouser WK. Oncology. 2007;72(1-2):97-104. Epub 2007 Nov 15

"Hepatocellular Carcinoma, the Role of the North American GI Steering Committee Hepatobiliary Subcommittee, and the Advent of Effective Drug Therapy" O'Neil BH, Venook AP Oncologist. 2007 Dec;12(12):1425-32.

"A Pilot Study of Early PET to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Radiofrequency Ablation of liver metastases" Khandani AH, Calvo BF, O'Neil BH, Jorgenson J, Mauro MA. American Journal of Radiology 2007;189(5):1199-202.

"High incidence of cetuximab-related infusion reactions in Tennessee and North Carolina; association with "allergic phenotype"." O'Neil, BH, Allen R, Stinchcombe T, Lin L, Spigel D, Berlin J,Goldberg RM. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2007; 25(24):3644-8.

"Adjuvant gemcitabine monotherapy for resected pancreatic cancer: The latest European findings refute American dogma". O'Neil BH, Goldberg RM. Nature Clinical Practice Gastroenterology and Hepatology 2007; 50(2):109-19.

"A Case of Oxaliplatin-related Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome (PRES)." Skelton M,Goldberg RM, O'Neil BH. Clinical Colorectal Cancer 2007; 6(5): 386-8.

"Phase I and Pharmacokinetics Trial of the Combination of Carboplatin and Albumin-bound Paclitaxel, ABI-007, on Three Treatment Schedules." Stinchcombe TE, Socinski MA, Walko CM, O'Neil BH, Collichio FA, Ivanova A, Mu H, Hawkins MJ, Lindley CM, Dees EC. Annals of Oncology, 2006; 60(5):759-66.

"A Phase I Study of Bortezomib Plus Irinotecan in Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors" Ryan DP, O'Neil BH, Supko J, Rocha Lima C, Dees EC, Burton M, Appleman L, Clark J, Fidias P, Orlowski RZ, Lull J, Kashala O, Lynch T, Eder JP, Cusack J. Cancer. 2006 Oct; 7(4): 2688-97.

"Delivery of a healthy baby after first-trimester maternal exposure to lapatinib." Kelly H, Graham M, Humes E, Dorflinger LJ, Boggess KA, O'Neil BH, Harris J, Spector NL, Dees EC. Clin Breast Cancer. 2006 Oct;7(4):339-41.

"Thymidine phosphorylase and capecitabine: a predictive marker for therapy selection?" O'Neil BH, McLeod HL. J Clin Oncol 2006; 24:4051-3.

"Optimizing Adjuvant Therapy of Colon Cancer-Ongoing Investigations." Kelly H, O'Neil BH, Goldberg RM. Current Colorectal Cancer Reports 2005 Sept. 1(1): 27-33.

"Response of epithelioid hemangioendothelioma to treatment with liposomal doxorubicin" Kelly, H; O'Neil, BH. Lancet Oncology 2005; 6:813-5.

"Phase I Safety, Pharmacokinetics, and Clinical Activity Study of Lapatinib (GW572016), a Reversible Dual Inhibitor of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Tyrosine Kinases, in Heavily Pretreated Patients With Metastatic Carcinomas" Burris HA III, Hurwitz HI, Dees EC, Dowlati A, Blackwell KL, O'Neil BH, Marcom PK, Ellis MJ, Overmoyer B, Jones SF, Harris JL, Smith DA, Koch KM, Stead A, Mangum S, Spector NL J Clin Oncology 2005:23(23):5305-5313.

"Gemcitabine radiosensitization for rectal cancer: Step forward or dance step?" O'Neil BH, Tepper JE. The Cancer J 2005;11:110-2.

"Study of the Biological Effects of Lapatinib, a Reversible Inhibitor of ErbB1 and ErbB2 Tyrosine Kinases, on Tumor Growth and Survival Pathways in Patients With Advanced Malignancies" Spector N, Xia W, Burris H, Hurwitz HI, Dees EC, Dowlati A, O'Neil B, Overmoyer B, Marcom P, Blackwell K, Smith DA, Koch KM, Stead A, Mangum S, Ellis MJ, Liu L, Man A, Bremer T, Harris J, Bacus S. J. Clin. Oncology 2005;23(11) 1-11.

"Chemotherapy for advanced colorectal cancer: Let's not forget how we got here (Until we really can)." . O'Neil BH, Goldberg RM. Seminars in Oncology, 2005; 32(1): 35-42.

"Clinical Case Studies; Predicting risk for synchronous primary colon cancers." O'Neil BH, Schell M, Goldberg RM. Clin Adv Hematol Oncol. 2004;2(2):122-4.

"Novel chemotherapeutic and targeted agents in metastatic colorectal cancer: The time has arrived." O'Neil BH, Goldberg RM. Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs. 2003; 12(12): 1939-49.

"The proteasome as a target for cancer therapy". Voorhees P, Dees EC, O'Neil BH, Orlowski RZ Clinical Cancer Research 2003: 9; 6315-6325.

"Systemic Therapy for Colorectal Cancer- Focus on Newer Chemotherapy and Novel Agents" O'Neil, B.H. Seminars in Radiation Oncology 2003, Volume 13(4):441-453

"96-Hour Paclitaxel Infusions: At Least 93 Hours Too Long". O'Neil BH, Socinski MA. Cancer Investigation, 2003 Volume 21 (4): 660-662.

"Phase I clinical trial of the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib in combination with pegylated liposomal doxorubicin in patients with refractory solid tumors". Dees EC, O'Neil B, Humes E, Hall M, Carey L, Collichio F, Graham M, Esseltine D, Adams J, Orlowski RZ. Proceedings of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, 2003 Volume 22 Abstract 868

"Phase I dose-escalation study of the proteasome inhibitor, Bortezomib, plus irinotecan in patients with advanced solid tumors". Ryan DP, O'Neil B, Lima CR, Eder JP, Lynch TJ, Cusack JC, Supko JG, Dees EC, Esseltine D, Kashala O. Proceedings of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, 2003 Volume 22 Abstract 915

"Safety, clinical efficacy, and biologic assessments from EGF10004: A randomized phase IB study of GW572016 for patients with metastatic carcinomas overexpressing EGFR or erbB2". Spector N, Raefsky E, Hurwitz H, Hensing T, Dowlati A, Dees C, O'Neil B, Smith DA, Mangum S, Burris HA. Proceeding of The American Society of Clinical Oncology, 2003 Volume 22 Abstract 772

"Management of Carcinoid tumors and the Carcinoid Syndrome: A Review." O'Neil BH and Venook AP. Clinical Perspectives in Gastroenterology, 2001 Oct. 4(5): 279-84.

Chapter 15: Liver, Gallbladder, and Biliary Tract Cancers in "Cancer Management: A Multidisciplinary Approach". Wagman L, Robertson JR, O'Neil BH,
Fifth, Sixth, Seventh Editions (Eight Edition in press- updated yearly)

"Detection of Shared MHC Restricted Human Melanoma Antigens Following Vaccinia Virus
Mediated Transduction of Genes Coding For HLA." O'Neil, B.H., Kawakami, Y., Restifo, N.P.,
Bennink, J.R., Yewdell, J.W., Rosenberg, S.A. Abstract, Presented at FASEB, 1992.

"Detection of Shared MHC Restricted Human Melanoma Antigens Following Vaccinia Virus
Mediated Transduction of Genes Coding For HLA." O'Neil, B.H., Kawakami, Y., Restifo, N.P.,
Bennink, J.R., Yewdell, J.W., Rosenberg, S.A. J. Immunology 1993 Aug. 1:151(3): 1410-1418.

"T-Cell Recognition of Human Melanoma Antigens." Kawakami,Y., Nishimura, M., Restifo, N.P.,
Topalian, S.L., O'Neil, B.H., Shilyanski, J., Yanelli, J.R., and Rosenberg, S.A. J. Immunotherapy,
1993 14: 88-93.

"T-Cell Receptor Repertoire in Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes. Analysis of melanoma specific
long term lines." Nishimura, M.I., Kawakami, Y., Charmley, P., O'Neil, B.H., Shilyansky, J.,
Yanelli, J.R., Rosenberg, S.A., Hood, L.E. J. of Immunotherapy with emphasis on Tumor Immunology, 1994 16(2): 85-94.

E-mail: bert_oneil@med.unc.edu
Telephone: (919) 966-4431
FAX: (919) 966-6735
Address: UNC School of Medicine, Physicians Office Building, 170 Manning Drive CB# 7305 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7305

Click here to update this profile