Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center Clinical Trials in Scottsdale,
Ariz., is enrolling pancreatic cancer patients in two clinical
trials
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - July 8, 2011 - Cancer patients involved in
clinical trials conducted by the Translational Genomics Research
Institute (TGen) and Scottsdale Healthcare for Stand Up To Cancer
(SU2C) will participate in the 2011 Major League Baseball (MLB)
All-Star Game Fantasy Camp.
The patients will have opportunities to participate in real drills,
practices and workouts. They will be coached by MLB Legends, and
participate in a real game at Chase Field, the same field as the
2011 MLB All-Star Game and home of the Arizona Diamondbacks. They
also will attend the MLB All-Star Weekend activities through a
generous gift from MasterCard Worldwide and MLB.
The patients include those participating in two clinical trials at
the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center Clinical Trials in Scottsdale,
Ariz., a partnership between TGen and Scottsdale Healthcare.
Howard Young, an Atlanta businessman and pancreatic cancer
survivor, is one of the fantasy camp participants: "I could not be
more pleased to participate in the MLB All-Star Game Fantasy Camp
presented by MasterCard. This is a way to have some fun and show
others who are battling pancreatic cancer that you can beat it and
return to an active lifestyle."
SU2C is the charitable initiative generating public awareness and
support for groundbreaking research aimed at accelerating new
cancer treatments to patients. In 2009, it funded five
interdisciplinary, multi-institutional Dream Teams including one
focused on developing new techniques to address pancreatic cancer.
Daniel Von Hoff, M.D., TGen's Physician-In-Chief and Chief
Scientific Officer at the Scottsdale Healthcare Research Institute,
leads this Dream Team with Craig Thompson, M.D., President and CEO
of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
"Stand Up To Cancer's ability to bring together some of the
nation's top researchers to focus on developing cutting-edge
therapeutics would not be possible without the generous and
continuous support of Major League Baseball, a founding donor of
SU2C, and MasterCard Worldwide, a newer donor," said Rusty
Robertson, SU2C Co-founder.
"All of us at TGen and Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at
Scottsdale Healthcare are thrilled to be part of the 355 scientists
and other professionals from 55 institutions collaborating across
the country through Stand Up To Cancer. We are excited that our
patients will have the opportunity to participate in the MLB
All-Star Game Fantasy Camp presented by MasterCard," said Ramesh
Ramanathan, M.D., Medical Director of the Virginia G. Piper Cancer
Center Clinical Trials and a senior researcher at TGen.
Michael Barrett, Ph.D., a TGen researcher involved in the clinical
trials, also will join the fantasy camp, held July 10 to 13 in
Phoenix. "This is a great opportunity to have some fun, meet the
game's most outstanding players and provide the public with a novel
way to learn how they can help defeat cancer," said Barrett,
Associate Professor in TGen's Clinical Translational Research
Division.
Also participating in the fantasy camp are pancreatic cancer
patients Roberta Landis of Tampa, Fla., and Gary Filan of Tempe,
Ariz.
The pancreas is a banana-shaped gland behind the stomach that
secretes enzymes into the upper part of the small intestine to help
digest proteins, carbohydrates and fats. It also produces hormones,
including insulin, which helps regulate the metabolism of sugars.
Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in
the United States, killing more than 35,000 Americans each
year.
There are two clinical trials related to the SU2C pancreatic dream
team currently underway at Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center.
One is a Phase II trial of GDC-0449, produced by Genentech, a drug
that is given in combination with already established therapeutics,
Gemcitabine and nab-Paclitaxel, for the treatment of pancreatic
cancer.
The other is a Phase II clinical trial using molecular profiling to
identify, based on a patient's tumor DNA, the best course of
treatment for pancreatic cancer patients.
Both studies are open and enrolling patients who could benefit from
these treatments. To participate in clinical trials, please contact
Joyce Schaffer, Cancer Care Coordinator for the Virginia G. Piper
Cancer Center, 10510 N. 92nd Street, Suite 200, Scottsdale, AZ
85258. She can be reached at (480) 323-1339 or (877) 273-3713, or
at [email protected]
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About the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale
Healthcare
The Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare in
Scottsdale, Ariz. offers comprehensive cancer care and research
through Phase I clinical trials, diagnosis, treatment, prevention
and support services in collaboration with leading scientific
researchers and community oncologists. Scottsdale Healthcare is the
nonprofit parent organization of the Virginia G. Piper Cancer
Center at Scottsdale Healthcare, Scottsdale Healthcare Research
Institute, Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn Medical Center, Scottsdale
Healthcare Shea Medical Center and Scottsdale Healthcare Thompson
Peak Hospital. For more information, visit www.shc.org.
Press Contact:
Jamie Houston
Public Relations Coordinator
Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center
480-323-1387
[email protected]