Dr. Lee Schwartzberg Appointed Vice Chairman of Centers of Excellence Network Steering Committee to Develop Guidelines and Standards of Care for Tumor Profiling
Irving, TX, February 4, 2015 – Caris Life Sciences®, a leading biosciences company focused on fulfilling the promise of precision medicine, today announced the designation of West Cancer Center, a leader in oncology research and comprehensive cancer care located in Memphis, Tenn., as a center of excellence site in the Caris Centers of Excellence for Precision Medicine Network™ (Network). Additionally, Lee S. Schwartzberg, M.D., Medical Director of West Cancer Center, has been appointed Vice Chairman of the Network to help guide the development of standards for tumor profiling, design tumor profiling research protocols, and foster a collaborative environment for sharing best-practices and profiling implementation strategies for Network members.
“Molecular profiling is quickly becoming a critical component of cancer care, as increasing numbers of clinicians rely on advanced tumor profiling technologies to better inform their approach to cancer diagnosis and treatment, particularly for rare and aggressive cancers, which are notoriously difficult to treat,” said Schwartzberg, who is also Division Chief of Hematology/Oncology and Professor of Medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. “We are excited to join the Network and to form a consensus framework for how molecular profiling can be best applied to enable more precisely targeted therapeutic decision-making for each patient.”
As a Network member, West Cancer Center will actively participate in the development of standards of care and best practices for integrating and utilizing molecular profiling in oncology practice, while also striving to increase widespread adoption and patient access to personalized medicine in clinical settings.  West Cancer Center will also leverage Caris’ multiple-technology tumor profiling service, Caris Molecular Intelligence™, to enable the practice of precision medicine by identifying therapy options and clinical trial opportunities based on the unique characteristics of a patient’s tumor.
“We are very pleased to partner with Dr. Schwartzberg and West Cancer Center to develop standards for incorporating tumor profiling into clinical care for patients with cancer,” said Dr. John Marshall, Chairman of the Network, Professor of Medicine and Oncology at Georgetown University School of Medicine, and Chief of Hematology/Oncology at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. “The Caris Centers of Excellence for Precision Medicine Network aims to improve treatment outcomes and reduce the financial burden of cancer care. We look forward to working with other high-impact institutions, like West Cancer Center, and continuing the expansion of this network.”
As Vice Chairman of the Network, Schwartzberg will co-lead the development of standards and best practices for incorporating profiling into clinical care, while also creating a large cooperative group of both academic and community-based oncology practices. The Network will pursue outcomes-focused research projects, create optimum tissue handling protocols for profiling and establish profiling educational forums for physicians and patients.
Caris Molecular Intelligence, a service that correlates molecular data from a tumor with biomarker and drug associations from the latest clinical and scientific cancer literature, is the key technology platform utilized across the Network to enable the delivery of precision medicine. This information is used to help inform treatment decisions by identifying therapies that have the potential to be most effective and to rule out those that are less likely to work, based on the unique molecular characteristics of an individual patient’s cancer. The Caris Molecular Intelligence system uses multiple technology platforms combined with sophisticated bioinformatics to develop clinically actionable reports for more than 68,000 patients to date.
About Caris Life Sciences® and Caris Molecular Intelligence™
Caris Life Sciences® is a leading biosciences company focused on fulfilling the promise of precision medicine through quality and innovation. Caris Molecular Intelligence™, the industry’s leading tumor profiling service with more than 68,000 patients profiled, provides oncologists with clinically actionable treatment information to personalize cancer care today. Using a variety of advanced profiling technologies to assess relevant biological changes in each patient’s tumor, Caris Molecular Intelligence correlates biomarker data generated from a tumor with biomarker-drug associations supported by evidence in the relevant clinical literature. The company is also developing a series of tests based on its proprietary Carisome® TOP™ platform, a revolutionary blood-based testing technology for diagnosis, prognosis, and theranosis of cancer and other complex diseases. Headquartered in Irving, Texas, Caris Life Sciences offers services throughout Europe, the U.S., Australia and other international markets. To learn more, please visit www.CarisLifeSciences.com.
About West Cancer Center
West Cancer Center delivers the best comprehensive cancer treatment in the Mid-South, delivering complete continuum of care to over 30,000 individuals annually. A true leader in cancer research, West Cancer Center has a long standing commitment to providing patients access to clinical trials which includes Phase I through Phase III studies. Building on the 35 year legacy of The West Clinic, West Cancer Center continues to provide comprehensive, compassionate care to the Mid-South area. This commitment is strengthened through a robust partnership with Methodist Healthcare and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. In 2014, West Cancer Center established The University of Tennessee West Institute for Cancer Research, a 501(c)3 dedicated to the research and development of novel cancer treatments and therapies. For more information, please visit: www.WestCancerCenter.com.
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David Patti, JFK Communications
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