Stephen B. Edge, MD, FACS Elected to Executive Committee of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network

JENKINTOWN, PA, March 24, 2004 � On March 12, 2004, Stephen B. Edge, MD, FACS was elected to the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), an alliance of 19 of the world�s leading cancer centers. This committee serves the NCCN Board in directing strategic, programmatic, and policy initiatives.

�I am honored by the trust and responsibility of this appointment to the Executive Committee of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, one of the country�s most progressive cancer organizations,� said Stephen B. Edge, MD, Chair of the Breast and Soft Tissue Surgery, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, one of the NCCN�s founding member institutions. �As a member of the Executive Board, I look forward to continuing the NCCN efforts to identify practices for elevating cancer care and improving patient outcomes.� Dr. Edge also serves as the Institute�s Medical Director of the Lymphedema Treatment Program and Co-Director of the Breast Cancer Risk Evaluation Program.

�Dr. Edge is nationally recognized for his surgical expertise both by the oncology community and by numerous national patient organizations and consumer publications. Further, Dr. Edge is increasingly recognized for his contributions in the area of continuous quality improvement in cancer care. He is clearly established as a leader in bringing together the subspecialties of oncology care in a multidisciplinary evaluation of effectiveness and quality. Most importantly, he is dedicated to improving the benefits of cancer care for patients across the United States. NCCN is very pleased to have Dr. Edge better positioned to share his knowledge, experience and expertise with our fast-growing network� said William T. McGivney, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of the NCCN.

In addition to his work at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Dr. Edge is Professor of Surgery at the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. His NCCN affiliations include membership on the NCCN Outcomes Committee, Breast Cancer Guidelines Panel, and Board of Directors.

About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network^® (NCCN^®), a not-for-profit alliance of 23 of the world's leading cancer centers, is dedicated to improving the quality and effectiveness of care provided to patients with cancer. Through the leadership and expertise of clinical professionals at NCCN Member Institutions, NCCN develops resources that present valuable information to the numerous stakeholders in the health care delivery system. As the arbiter of high-quality cancer care, NCCN promotes the importance of continuous quality improvement and recognizes the significance of creating clinical practice guidelines appropriate for use by patients, clinicians, and other health care decision-makers. The primary goal of all NCCN initiatives is to improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of oncology practice so patients can live better lives. For more information, visit NCCN.org.

The NCCN Member Institutions are:

City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center
Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center
Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center
Duke Cancer Institute
Fox Chase Cancer Center
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center / Seattle Cancer Care Alliance
The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins
Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Moffitt Cancer Center
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute
Roswell Park Cancer Institute
Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital/The University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Stanford Cancer Institute
University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center
UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center
UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of Colorado Cancer Center
University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center
UNMC Eppley Cancer Center at The Nebraska Medical Center
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center