NCCN Member Institution Opens Oncology-Specific Clinical Research Center

BUFFALO, NY � Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) officially opened its $2.6 million Clinical Research Center today, dedicating the facility to the development of new cancer therapies while providing more treatment options for patients through clinical trials. The Center is one of only a few clinical research centers in the U.S. to focus exclusively on cancer and will provide the foundation for the Institute�s expanding phase I and drug development clinical research.

�Roswell Park is committed to developing and offering clinical research studies that promote improved quality of life, while offering hope and extended survival and ultimately cancer cure,� said Donald L. Trump, MD, FACP, President & CEO, Roswell Park.

�Patients participating in early studies of new treatments are the pioneers of cancer research. They can benefit by being among the first to receive the best cancer treatment that science can offer, but more important, no cancer drug can be approved for widespread use without a successful phase I or �first-in-human� study,� said Alex A. Adjei, MD, PhD, Senior Vice President for Clinical Research and the Katherine Anne Gioia Chair of Cancer Medicine at Roswell Park. �Roswell Park is streamlining and concentrating its clinical research at one location, thereby rapidly accelerating discoveries into tangible benefits for patients and their families.�

Housed on the 7th floor of the Roswell Park hospital, the Clinical Research Center was built with a $2 million dollar gift from an anonymous benefactor and additional funds provided by RPCI. The gift will support capital and operational expenses for the Center�s first two years. Once fully operational, it is estimated that approximately 50% of the expense to run the Center will be recouped from grants and contracts.

�The new Center is an outstanding example of the meaningful impact philanthropy continues to have at Roswell Park,� said Donna Gioia, Chair of the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation. �Thanks to a donor�s investment, the Institute is positioned to become a national leader in expanding patient access to potentially life-saving treatment options.�

The Center features:

Seven inpatient beds and ten outpatient treatment chairs
A staff of research nurses with expertise in both clinical research and clinical care, plus hospital clinical assistants and clinical support assistants
A dedicated Investigational Drug Service staffed by clinical pharmacists and pharmacy technicians specializing in study-related drugs and agents
A dedicated specimen processing area managed by dedicated laboratory technicians
Computers in every room, so investigators and research nurses can document generated data in a timely fashion
A conference room equipped for video conferencing, enabling members of the clinical and research team to confer with colleagues at other institutions participating in RPCI clinical research studies and with study sponsors
A separate conference room designed for patient/family education and counseling.

�The Clinical Research Center at Roswell Park offers an exciting opportunity to develop new cancer therapies which will be better than the current standard cancer treatments,� continued Joyce Yasko, PhD, RN, Vice President, Clinical Research Administration and Services at Roswell Park. �By establishing and dedicating staff, space and resources to clinical research, Roswell Park will be able to significantly increase the number and complexity of studies offered, increase the number of patients who participate and enhance the quality of the data generated by the studies.�

Roswell Park Cancer Institute, founded in 1898, is the nation�s first cancer research, treatment and education center and is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Upstate New York. RPCI is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation�s leading cancer centers. Roswell Park has affiliate sites and collaborative programs in New York, Pennsylvania, and in China. For more information, visit RPCI�s website at www.roswellpark.org, call 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724) or e-mail askrpci@roswellpark.org.

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