Cedars-Sinai has combined efforts with the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) in Arizona so researchers may offer joint clinical trials and collaborate to develop personalized therapies that could lead to more effective cancer treatments.
Physician-scientists at the two institutions, as part of this collaboration, will team up for Phase 1 clinical trials of new anticancer therapies aimed at molecular targets in prostate, kidney, bladder, and colorectal cancers. Research also will be conducted on drugs for the less common adrenal, neuroendocrine and thyroid cancers.
"Our two organizations share the same goal: to greatly improve cancer treatment with therapies that attack the disease in new and innovative ways," said Steven Piantadosi, MD, PhD, Phase One Foundation chair and director of the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute. "Translating new research into effective therapies will improve the lives of cancer patients, and, ultimately, lead to a time when cancer is a manageable condition not a feared disease."
The collaborative endeavor also will study new approaches to improve patients' quality of life during cancer treatment and create innovative models to deliver supportive care and services to cancer survivors.
Cedars-Sinai has one of the largest clinical research trial facilities of any private hospital in the nation. Its outpatient cancer center treats more than 9,000 patients each year, making it one of the busiest treatment facilities in California. Earlier this year, the institute's cancer program was named as one of the top in the country by U.S. News & World Report's 2010-11 "Best Hospitals" issue.
The drug development research collaboration will be coordinated by Cedars-Sinai with Clinical Trials, a partnership with the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare.
Overtreatment of older men with prostate cancer raises concerns