Newswise — TAMPA, Fla. (April 27, 2012) – After celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2011, Moffitt Cancer Center is continuing its mission “to contribute to the prevention and cure of cancer.”
“As one of 41 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers nationwide, we are continuing to lead in scientific discovery and cancer research and also in translating research and discovery into state-of-the-art patient care,” said William S. Dalton, Ph.D., M.D., president and CEO of Moffitt.
Established in 1986 and named after the impetus behind the center, H. Lee Moffitt, former speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, the cancer center has been ranked among U.S. News & World Report’s top 20 hospitals for cancer since 2002.
Moffitt’s research focus sharpened in 1993 with the establishment of the Moffitt Research Institute, which gained its NCI designation in 1998 and renewed the designation in 2006. Since then, cancer research efforts have steadily grown to where the NCI recognized Moffitt as one of the nation’s top 25 NCI grantees, with more than $75 million in grants in 2010.
Moffitt Research Institute
The Moffitt Research Institute is organized into six scientific programs: Molecular Oncology; Immunology; Drug Discovery; Experimental Therapeutics; Health Outcomes & Behavior; and Risk Assessment, Detection & Intervention.
“These programs include more than 100 faculty members investigating particular aspects of cancer,” said Thomas Sellers, Ph.D., M.P.H., director of the Moffitt Research Institute. “The NCI has recognized our strengths in expanding basic research, especially in cancer prevention and control, as well as the growth and maturation of our efforts in translational research.”
Total Cancer Care™ One of the programs that distinguishes Moffitt is Total Cancer Care™. Total Cancer Care™ is both a design for care that includes a large-scale observational study, and also a study protocol that enrolls patients who want to donate tissue samples to a biorepository.
The biorepository is designed to help researchers develop new treatments that target the unique genetic characteristics of a patient’s disease. When matches are made between molecular drug targets and patient genetics, those donating tissue samples can be recontacted and recruited to participate in clinical trials that can be personalized for their genetic profiles.
The Total Cancer Care™ program and protocol are helping Moffitt to personalize medicine, getting the right drug, to the right patient, at the right time.
“Total Cancer Care™ is the key to unlocking the future of personalized medicine,” Dalton said.
M2Gen
Instrumental for the research aspects of Total Cancer Care™ is M2Gen, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Moffitt that houses and analyzes tissue samples received from Moffitt and its 17 Total Cancer Care™ consortium sites. More than 87,000 patients have consented to have their clinical data and their molecular profiles added to one of the world’s largest cancer databases.
M2Gen, in partnership with pharmaceutical companies including Merck, is using an Oracle health and research informatics platform to quickly and efficiently identify potential patients for clinical trials.
The process is aimed at shortening the time it takes for drugs to get to the patient’s bedside. Moffitt and Merck will soon embark on a clinical trial with patients selected and enrolled based on their genetic profiles searched from among the more than 40,000 tumor samples banked at M2Gen as part of Moffitt’s Total Cancer Care™ protocol.
Patient Portal
Moffitt’s Patient Portal, accessed on Moffitt’s website, offers patients more control over their health care.
“We wanted to give something back to patients,” said Mark Hulse, R.N., vice president of Information Technology and chief information officer at Moffitt.
Patients logging on to the Moffitt Patient Portal have a robust view of their personal data, including demographics, insurance and contact information. They can also view their appointment schedules, as well as use the site to contact their Moffitt providers and staff members.
Closer to our patients, closer to a cure
Patient-oriented research at the Moffitt Research Institute, Total Cancer Care™, the advances in clinical trial design being developed through M2Gen, and the convenience and education offered by the Moffitt Patient Portal are examples of how Moffitt is getting not only closer to a cure, but also closer to its patients and their families.
“We pride ourselves in delivering all levels of care for people with cancer and related diseases, as well as offering screening and prevention services,” Dalton said.
About Moffitt Cancer CenterFollow Moffitt on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MoffittCancerCenterFollow Moffitt on Twitter: @MoffittNewsFollow Moffitt on YouTube: MoffittNewsLocated in Tampa, Moffitt Cancer Center is a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, which recognizes Moffitt’s excellence in research and contributions to clinical trials, prevention and cancer control. Moffitt is also a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, a prestigious alliance of the country’s leading cancer centers, and is listed in U.S. News & World Report as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” for cancer.
Media release by Florida Science Communications ###
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