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The Road to the Cure
With a nationally recognized cancer research program, Penn's Abramson Cancer
Center leads the way with dramatic new treatment breakthroughs.
The Abramson Cancer Center of the
University of Pennsylvania is uniquely
positioned to deliver the area's most
cutting-edge therapies. This is due
in large part to the integration of the
nationally recognized work of the
Abramson
Family Cancer Research Institute with the Abramson Cancer
Center.
Ranked in the top five
nationally in funding from the National Cancer
Institute, Abramson leads all
Philadelphia area hospitals and
cancer centers in research support.
The commitment to translating this new
research, including clinical trials, into
practice means patients have access to
the latest treatment advances sooner.
Ahead of
the Curve
The Abramson Cancer Center has been
a national leader in developing and
conducting clinical
trials, which are
studies to find new ways to prevent,
detect and treat cancer. Many trials
started at Penn have later become part
of a national clinical trials group, which
includes hundreds or thousands of
participants.
“What's
most interesting is the emerging
field of
Translational Research, the critical
point at which
breakthrough discoveries that began
in the lab cross
over into clinical applications at
the bedside.”
– Carl
June, MD,
Abramson Cancer Center
Director
of Translational Research |
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Today, the Abramson Cancer
Center oversees one of the largest clinical
trials programs in the country, with more
than 200 trials available at any one time,
dedicated to finding new ways to improve
care and quality of life for patients
with cancer.
For example:
- Tobacco research scientists
are
examining several genes that may
predispose people to nicotine addiction.
- Specialists
are examining new
drugs in cancer prevention and
treatment, a field called
Developmental Therapeutics.
- Immunobiologists
are modeling
protein functions to control
immune reactions.
The Cancer Center supports
eleven
research programs that bring together
investigators from forty-one departments
and eight university schools to focus on
specific types of cancer.
No Average Cancer Patient
What's different at Abramson is the
diversity
of the cancers treated, with truly
comprehensive prevention, diagnosis and
treatment programs for some of the most
prevalent cancers. The latest research
discoveries lead to therapies that target
each patient's particular cancer, while
providing the emotional, nutritional and
practical resources that each individual
patient and family needs.
Penn's unique position as the region's
leading university hospital allows them
to treat patients with new techniques
that were developed here. And at the
new Perelman Center for Advanced
Medicine opening in 2008, clinical
research trials will be physically located
near patients, making their access to new
discoveries seamless and convenient.
A precise
balance of innovative
cancer research and compassionate,
comprehensive patient care make the
Abramson Cancer Center a critical part
of any cancer treatment, which is why
where you turn first matters most.
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