May 24, 2017
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The University of Kansas Cancer Center has announced that it will join a consortium with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, in collaboration with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), to bring clinical trials testing innovative blood cancer therapies to Kansas City.
This groundbreaking Blood Cancer Research Partnership (BCRP) brings clinical trials closer to where patients live and helps to address one of the primary bottlenecks in the development of new cancer therapies: the need for more patients to take part in trials.
“The University of Kansas Cancer Center is excited to join the Blood Cancer Research Partnership. This collaboration will provide our patients with access to novel innovative clinical trials designed to address the significant unmet needs of blood malignancies in our region,” said Roy Jensen, MD, director of the KU Cancer Center.
“This novel partnership between Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and LLS supports the mission of both organizations – to bring cutting-edge clinical research to a wider spectrum of patients with blood cancers today in order to change the paradigms of clinical care for patients tomorrow,” said BCRP Co-Director Robert Soiffer, MD, chief of the Division of Hematologic Malignancies at Dana-Farber. “The BCRP consortium provides the opportunity for the Division of Hematologic Malignancies to extend clinical research trials to patients who are outside our regional area.”
“LLS is committed to increasing access to clinical trials for blood cancer patients,” said Louis J. DeGennaro, PhD, LLS president and CEO. “This partnership brings trials closer to where patients live, increasing trial enrollment, and ultimately, helping to advance more innovative and promising blood cancer therapies.”
There are six clinical trials currently open for accrual that are available to the consortium members. A number of additional clinical trial proposals are currently in development.
“I believe this partnership provides a unique opportunity to deliver innovative clinical trials to patients closer to their homes,” said BCRP Co-Director Irene Ghobrial, MD, who is a medical oncologist in the Division of Hematologic Malignancies at Dana-Farber. “It also creates a new pathway of collaboration between community oncologists, academic centers and foundations to improve cancer therapy for patients throughout the United States.”
Co-Director Matthew Davids, MD, also a medical oncologist at Dana-Farber, added: “One example of BCRP’s impact has been our clinical trial of immunotherapy for patients who relapse after donor stem cell transplantation. BCRP provided access to this novel treatment approach for several patients who would not have otherwise been candidates, and that allowed us to complete the trial faster than if we had run the study just at Dana-Farber.”
Visit www.dana-farber.org/bcrp for the latest information about this program.
About Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
From achieving the first remissions in childhood cancer with chemotherapy in 1948, to developing the very latest new therapies, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is one of the world’s leading centers of cancer research and treatment. It is the only center ranked in the top four of U.S. News and World Report’s Best Hospitals for both adult and pediatric cancer care.
Dana-Farber sits at the center of a wide range of collaborative efforts to reduce the burden of cancer through scientific inquiry, clinical care, education, community engagement, and advocacy. Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center provides the latest in cancer care for adults; Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center for children. The Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center unites the cancer research efforts of five Harvard academic medical centers and two graduate schools, while Dana-Farber Community Cancer Care provides high quality cancer treatment in communities outside Boston’s Longwood Medical Area.
Dana-Farber is dedicated to a unique, 50/50 balance between cancer research and care, and much of the Institute’s work is dedicated to translating the results of its discovery into new treatments for patients locally and around the world.
About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society® (LLS) is the world's largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer. The LLS mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world, provides free information and support services, and is the voice for all blood cancer patients seeking access to quality, affordable, coordinated care.
Founded in 1949 and headquartered in Rye Brook, NY, LLS has chapters throughout the United States and Canada. To learn more, visit LLS.org. Patients should contact the Information Resource Center at (800) 955-4572, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET.
About Us
The University of Kansas Cancer Center is transforming cancer research and clinical care by linking an innovative approach to drug discovery, delivery and development to a nationally-accredited patient care program. The partnership includes cancer research and healthcare professionals associated with the University of Kansas Medical Center and The University of Kansas Health System; the University of Kansas, Lawrence; The Stowers Institute for Medical Research; Children’s Mercy Hospital; and in partnership with members of the Midwest Cancer Alliance.