West Clinic Physicians and Researchers Advance War on Cancer

MEMPHIS, TN – May 29, 2009 - West Clinic physician-researchers will present their latest research findings at the 45th Annual American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Meeting in Orlando, May 29th to June 3rd. Over 30,000 cancer specialists from around the world are expected to attend this year’s meeting, a forum for cutting-edge scientific and educational developments in oncology with a focus on personalizing cancer care.

Under the direction of Lee Schwartzberg, MD, FACP, Medical and Research Director for The West, over a dozen major presentations will be made by West Clinic physicians on breast, lung, colorectal, and genitourinary cancers. As a nationally-recognized leader in cancer research, West Clinic physicians and researchers continue to be on the frontline, investigating more advances in cancer research than any other program in the region.

WEST CLINIC EXPERTS AVAILABLE TO COMMENT ON LATEST ASCO REPORTS
West Clinic physicians will be available to comment on major ASCO reports throughout the meeting. For additional information, please contact Deborah Coble, Office: 901-683-0055 x 1312; cell: 901-831-1010 or dcoble@westclinic.com.

PERSONALIZED CANCER CARE
“We take great delight in not only helping our patients but also in helping advance the war on cancer across the nation,” according to Dr. Schwartzberg. “As we now head into a new era of ‘personalized medicine,’ we are fully prepared with the technological advances to ensure that we can contribute to the best individualized care for each patient. Cancer care is ever improving. We continue to learn more and more about the disease process enabling us to provide more targeted therapies for patients. Our goal is to ensure that every component of care is state-of-the-art to facilitate the best possible health outcomes for each patient.”

The West Clinic is one of a select few community oncology practices nationwide to test patients on-site for circulating tumor cells to assess additional cancer risks that are to be addressed via treatment. In addition, the clinic’s full complement of radiological diagnostic services quickly determines the success of various chemotherapy regimens. In 2009, the clinic, through its research network launched the World BioBank – where blood and tissue samples are aligned with new and existing therapies to measure the efficacy of treatment using genetic and other scientific markers.

A LEADER IN MAJOR DRUG ADVANCES
Over the past two decades, The West Clinic has consistently been one of the first centers nationally to gain experience with most of the major drug advances in adult cancer including: Herceptin -Breast Cancer; Avastin-Colon Cancer; Aranesp-Supportive Care; Tykerb-Breast Cancer; Alimta-Lung Cancer; Rituxan-Lymphoma; Zometa-Supportive Care; Erbitux-Colon Cancer; and Tarceva-Lung Cancer. Last year, the clinic successfully treated the first patient in the United States with an oral anti-angiogenesis drug – an oral chemotherapy designed to starve tumors of the blood they need to thrive and grow.

EVIDENCE-BASED TREATMENT PROTOCOLS
According to Steve Coplon, CEO, “West Clinic physicians trained at the nation’s leading academic cancer centers. As a result the clinic has developed an extensive set of detailed Evidenced-based Treatment Protocols (ETP’s). The ETP’s ensure that the clinical pathway for patient care is always focused upon the best available clinical care for patients with cancer and hematological diseases. In addition the clinic fully utilizes its electronic medical record (EMR) to further document the best treatment options available.”

About The West Clinic
The West Clinic is the Mid-South’s premier provider of interdisciplinary cancer care with specialty providers in medical oncology, hematology, gynecologic oncology, diagnostic radiology, interventional radiology, endocrinology, rheumatology, pain & palliative care, internal medicine, and psychology with clinics located in Memphis, the Mid-South, and North Mississippi. www.westclinic.com