Savannah Becoming a Hotbed for Cancer Research and Care

7/02/2012, From Staff Reports

Clinical trials are growing in number at MUMC and other Savannah-area cancer centers. June 29, 2012 – Georgia CORE, the Center for Oncology Research and Education, has developed an online information center that profiles 94 cancer clinical trials currently being conducted in Savannah, as well as more than 20 oncologists practicing in Savannah. The data is posted to the nation’s first statewide comprehensive site for cancer care, GeorgiaCancerInfo.org, and clearly positions Savannah as a growing center for research and treatments in the state. GeorgiaCancerInfo.org is the centerpiece of Georgia CORE’s work to increase availability of and access to clinical trials – qualities known to be innovative hallmarks of quality cancer care. “For people with cancer, longer life expectancy and better quality of life are among the benefits of clinical trials,” said Dr. James Burke with Memorial University Medical Center (MUMC). “These cutting-edge treatments present an opportunity for patients to benefit from the therapies not offered anywhere else.” Dr. Burke is division director of the Gynecologic Oncology at MUMC and serves as the co-principal investigator for the Georgia CORE Gynecologic Oncology Group Consortium. In early 2012, he was appointed to its board of directors and was pivotal in the two-year process that resulted in GeorgiaCancerInfo.org. Dr. Burke is also an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Mercer University School of Medicine, Savannah Campus. “Dr. Burke is incredibly active in making new gynecologic cancer treatments available,” said Nancy M. Paris, president and CEO of Georgia CORE. “We are particularly grateful for his and Memorial’s partnership in helping us develop GeorgiaCancerInfo.org.” With real-time updates from the National Cancer Institute and Georgia CORE’s vast network of community and academic oncologists, scientists, nurses and educators, the online information center is the first of its kind. “We are calling on healthcare professionals, patients, survivors and their families to use the site to learn more about all the cancer care, research and resources that are offered in Savannah,” said Dr. Burke. “Savannah is becoming a hotbed for trials and treatments, providing us an opportunity to serve thousands of cancer patients in the Southeast Georgia area.” There are currently 94 clinical trials being conducted in Savannah, investigating treatments for various types of cancer, ranging from brain and breast cancer to leukemia and lymphoma. In addition to information on these clinical trials, GeorgiaCancerInfo.org has profiles of eight medical oncologists, five radiation oncologists, three surgical oncologists, three hematologists, two pediatric oncologists, two gynecologic oncologists, three general surgeons and one internist in Savannah. More about Georgia CORE Georgia CORE’s Board of Directors is composed of community oncologists, scientists, nurses and educators, represents leading private practices, cancer centers, academic institutions and all programs in Georgia funded by the National Cancer Institute. Georgia CORE is a private non-profit funded by the Georgia Cancer Coalition – an initiative of the Georgia Research Alliance; the Georgia Society of Clinical Oncology; and the Wilbur and Hilda Glenn Family Foundation. More information is at www.georgiacore.org.