Primetime fundraising telethon airs Sept. 7 simultaneously on ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and cable channels
September 4, 2012
Physicians and staff from the Translational Genomics
Research Institute (TGen) and Scottsdale Healthcare (SHC) will
mingle with Hollywood A-listers during the live, primetime
television broadcast of the Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) fundraising
telethon on Friday, Sept. 7.
Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center Clinical Trials, a partnership
between TGen and SHC, is the only cancer center in the southwest
collaborating in SU2C's Dream Team of researchers working to
improve pancreatic cancer treatment.
The SU2C telethon raises funds for cancer research and recognizes
the work of its Dream Teams. Stars from movies, TV, the music
industry and professional sports will appear on the one-hour,
commercial-free program. It airs at 8 p.m. on Sept. 7 on ABC, CBS,
FOX, NBC and cable TV networks. More than $180 million has been
pledged to SU2C since 2008.
Pancreatic Dream Team researchers are studying how to deprive
pancreatic tumors of nutrients - "Cutting Off the Fuel Supply" - by
creating individualized treatments with fewer side effects,
improved quality of life, and increasing survival for patients with
advanced pancreatic cancer.
Dr. Daniel Von Hoff, Chief Scientific Officer at the Virginia G.
Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare and Physician-In-Chief
at TGen, is co-leader of the SU2C pancreatic cancer Dream
Team.
Dr. Ramesh Ramanathan, Medical Director at Virginia G. Piper Cancer
Center Clinical Trials and Deputy Director of TGen's Clinical
Translational Research Division, is a principal investigator on
SU2C pancreatic cancer clinical trials at Scottsdale
Healthcare.
Pancreatic cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer-related
deaths in the U.S. with nearly 44,000 new cases anticipated in
2012, and more than 37,000 deaths this year. It is one of the most
difficult cancers to diagnose and effectively treat.
"There are many clinical trials underway with investigational drugs
that may help us advance in the battle against pancreatic cancer.
Right here in the Valley, several of these studies are in progress
at the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare,"
said Dr. Ramanathan.
"Scientists in the Stand Up to Cancer team recently found in
laboratory studies that the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine
can kill cancer cells. A clinical trial is underway at Virginia G.
Piper Cancer Center using this agent with standard chemotherapy for
patients with advanced pancreatic cancer," added Dr.
Ramanathan.
"These important studies help advance our knowledge about cancer
and how to fight it," he said. Other pancreatic cancer studies now
open at Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center Clinical Trials
include:
- A new "liquid radiation" trial that uses tiny beads of radiation with the radioactive antibody 90Y-hPAM4, delivered intravenously with low-dose chemotherapy to fight advanced pancreatic cancer in patients who have already completed standard therapy.
- Another drug called INNO-206 acts like a Trojan horse to break through the tough coating surrounding the cancer so a second drug can kill the cancer cells. This drug is being evaluated for patients who have had standard therapy.
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.
"If you are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, you can stand up and
beat it. I am a pancreatic cancer survivor," said Dick O'Neall of
Phoenix, who participated in one of the SU2C clinical trials. "I
want to say thank you to Stand Up to Cancer and my care team at the
Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center."
Individuals seeking information about eligibility to participate in
clinical trials at the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at
Scottsdale Healthcare can talk to their oncologist or contact the
cancer care coordinator at 480-323-1339; toll free at
1-877-273-3713 or via email at [email protected].
About Stand Up To Cancer
Produced by the Entertainment Industry Foundation, the SU2C
telethon is a star-studded appeal to build public support for
groundbreaking translational research accelerating the delivery of
new therapies to patients, getting them from the "bench to the
bedside" as quickly as possible through collaborations among
various institutions across the United States. The commercial-free
one-hour SU2C telethon airs simultaneously at 8 pm on Sept. 7 on
ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and cable. Proceeds support research to find
effective new treatments for cancer. More than $180 million has
been pledged to date.
About the Pancreatic Cancer Dream Team
Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare is the
clinical partner for TGen and the only cancer center in the
southwestern U.S. participating in this project, funded by an $18
million grant from SU2C. Dr. Daniel Von Hoff is co-leader of the
pancreatic cancer Dream Team. Other pancreatic cancer Dream Team
research sites include the University of Pennsylvania and Johns
Hopkins University. The Pancreatic Dream Team is attacking the
lethal problem of pancreatic cancer with a dual approach: exploring
advanced imaging techniques to determine what nutrients pancreatic
cancers require to grow and survive; using the results of these
tests to design individualized treatment combinations that will cut
off the fuel supply to pancreatic tumors with the hope of
increasing survival and quality of life for pancreatic cancer
patients.
About the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale
Healthcare
The Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare opened
in 2001 as the first major cancer center in greater Phoenix,
offering comprehensive cancer care and research through Phase I
clinical trials, diagnosis, treatment, prevention and support
services in collaboration with leading researchers and community
oncologists. The Scottsdale Healthcare cancer program holds
Accreditation with Commendation from the Commission on Cancer of
the American College of Surgeons. 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:
Keith Jones
Public Relations Director
Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare
480-323-1383
[email protected]
About TGen
The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a Phoenix,
Arizona-based non-profit organization dedicated to conducting
groundbreaking research with life changing results. Research at
TGen is focused on helping patients with diseases such as cancer,
neurological disorders and diabetes. TGen is on the cutting edge of
translational research where investigators are able to unravel the
genetic components of common and complex diseases. Working with
collaborators in the scientific and medical communities, TGen
believes it can make a substantial contribution to the efficiency
and effectiveness of the translational process. For more
information, visit: www.tgen.org.
Press Contact:
Steve Yozwiak
TGen Senior Science Writer
602-343-8704
[email protected]
