into six major thematic programs( see sidebar). These interdisciplinary, laboratory research-based programs include basic science and clinical investigators pursuing molecular mechanisms relevant to critical aspects of cell growth and behavior.“ We have the moral obligation to provide our constituents the best care we can, and for us that begins with our research enterprise,” Dr. Partridge says.
Research Programs at the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center
Inflammation, Immunology & Immunotherapeutics Co-Leaders: Donald Buchsbaum, Ph. D., and Casey Weaver, M. D.
Cancer Cell Biology Co-Leaders: Mary-Ann Bjornsti, Ph. D., and Ralph Sanderson, Ph. D.
Experimental Therapeutics Co-Leaders: Andres Forero, M. D., and Christopher Klug, Ph. D.
Neuro-Oncology Co-Leaders: G. Yancey Gillespie, Ph. D., and Burt Nabors, M. D.
Cancer Chemoprevention Co-Leaders: Craig Elmets, M. D., and Clinton Grubbs, Ph. D.
Cancer Control and Population Sciences Co-Leaders: Elizabeth Brown, Ph. D., M. P. H., and Karen Meneses, Ph. D., R. N., FAAN
Why NCI Designation Matters to Patients
For many, an NCI designation can hold the key to survival, and studies have been done to support that conclusion. The work of Cancer Center senior scientist Smita Bhatia, M. D., M. P. H., director of the UAB Institute of Cancer Outcomes and Survivorship, who was recruited to UAB from City of Hope in Los Angeles in 2015, is a perfect example.
“ We have shown that, among individuals ages 22 to 65 years residing in Los Angeles County with newly diagnosed adult-onset cancer, those who were treated at NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers experienced superior survival compared with those treated at other facilities,” says Dr. Bhatia, who is working closely with Children’ s of Alabama to establish a multidisciplinary program in cancer outcomes research at UAB, similar to City of Hope. Her goal is to create the world’ s best cancer outcome center by bringing together specialists from multiple disciplines in both pediatric and adult medicine into one team with the common goal of improving cancer outcomes.
A comprehensive designation also means patients have access to leading-edge treatments or“ clinical trials” they may not otherwise have at local community hospitals or smaller cancer centers. At UAB, there are currently more than 180 cancer-related clinical trials exploring an array of therapies, diagnostics and preventive options. Clinical trials are one of the final stages in the long and careful process in approving new cancer treatments.
The NCI designation also means the specialized physicians who see patients in the clinic are collaborating with researchers in the lab to develop new approaches to detecting, preventing and treating cancer for all populations. The Cancer Center’ s multidisciplinary approach to care not only brings together physicians from different specialty areas( medical oncology, radiation oncology, surgical oncology, etc.) into one team, but also provides patients with experts who specialize in one particular cancer. For example, the center’ s breast cancer physicians only treat breast cancer, and in some instances, they specialize in a specific subset of the disease, such as triple negative breast cancer.
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