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EMPHASIS ON FACTS, PERSONALIZED MEDICINE FOR LUNG CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

Tampa, Fla. (November 14, 2008) /PRNewswire/ — With more than 215,000 Americans estimated to be diagnosed with lung cancer in 2008, Moffitt Cancer Center is doing its part to fight this disease by launching an awareness and education initiative addressing the facts surrounding lung cancer and showcasing how personalized medicine treatment techniques are breaking new ground for those diagnosed.

Dr. Gerold Bepler, an internationally known lung cancer researcher, is the Division Chief of the Lung Cancer Program at Moffitt:

"Doctors have really made the decision on what chemotherapy to give to a patient with lung cancer simply based on side effect profiles and convenience but not really on which particular therapy is likely to have the best effect on the tumor. And molecular advances that have been made in the last several years now allow us to pick a therapy based on the molecular profile of a cancer rather than on convenience."

Facts about lung cancer:

  • Non-smokers and former smokers who quit decades ago make up the majority of current patients
  • Lung cancer accounts for almost 30% of the total cancer deaths every year
  • Lung cancer is one of the more under-funded cancers for research initiatives
  • Only 3% of patients participate in clinical trials - a significant detriment to understanding how a standard of care can or should be improved

Personalized medicine treatment technique:

  • Analyzes the patients' tumor for predetermined molecular characteristics
  • Selects targeted treatment programs to circumvent tumor adaptability to chemotherapy
  • Researches and analyzes effectiveness in real time- customizing therapies to fit the individual patients' needs

About Moffitt Cancer Center

Located in Tampa, Florida, Moffitt Cancer Center is the only Florida-based cancer center with the NCI designation as a Comprehensive Cancer Center for its excellence in research and contributions to clinical trials, prevention and cancer control. Moffitt currently has 15 affiliates in Florida, one in Georgia and two in Puerto Rico. Additionally, Moffitt is 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. Moffitt's sole mission is to contribute to the prevention and cure of cancer.