News Box

Miss USA Visits Nevada Cancer Institute

Miss USA 2009, Kristen Dalton of Wilmington, North Carolina, visited Nevada Cancer Institute (NVCI) recently to learn more about cancer treatment and research conducted at the state-of-the-art flagship facility. Cancer research, particularly breast and cervical, is one of Dalton’s main platforms during her reign as Miss USA.

Dalton toured the facilities with Dr. Karen Milligan, assistant member, Breast Cancer Oncology Division, and director of The Survivorship Clinic at NVCI. Dalton visited the NVCI library, boutique, meditation and exercise rooms, exam rooms and the infusion suite. In the infusion suite, Dalton met with patients undergoing chemotherapy and discussed their journey to recovery while posing for photos with them and offering her support.

Survivorship Clinic at NVCI Opens

Dr. Milligan

NVCI has recently opened a Survivorship Clinic to help breast cancer survivors. Survivors accepted in the clinic may be NVCI patients or non-NVCI patients. The Survivorship Clinic at NVCI is believed to be the first of its kind in Nevada, created to meet a definite need in the community. The clinic is intended for breast cancer patients who are no longer receiving chemotherapy or radiation.

Major advances in cancer prevention, early detection and treatment have resulted in longer survival rates. However, surviving cancer can leave a host of problems in its wake. “There is a large and growing need for this type of service and support for today’s cancer survivors,” said Dr. Karen Milligan, a member of NVCI’s breast cancer oncology team and the head of The Survivorship Clinic. “As the number of survivors continues to grow, survivorship clinics will become part of standard treatment.”

Nevada Cancer Institute Physician-Scientist

Chairs Melanoma Session at World Congress

Dr.Wolfram Samlowski

Dr. Wolfram Samlowski, head of the Section of Melanoma, Renal Cancer and Immunotherapy, recently chaired a session on "Rare Skin Tumors" at the 7th World Congress on Melanoma held in Vienna, Austria. Dr. Samlowski led the team of 10 American physician-researchers who presented the first successful cooperative group clinical trial in metastic Merkel Cell Carcinoma entitled “A Phase II Trial of Imatinib Mesylate in Merkel Cell Carcinoma” on May 13. More than a thousand distinguished participants attended from countries in Europe, Africa, Australia and the Republic of China.

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Nevada Cancer Institute Physician-Scientist

Publishes in Major Oncology Journal

Nicholas J. Vogelzang, M.D., head of the Section of Genitourinary Cancer, recently had two papers published, both in the highly respected Journal of Clinical Oncology, based on research that he performed as part of a prestigious team of physician-scientists from across the nation. The first one was entitled: “Multicenter Phase II Trial of Neoadjuvant Pemetrexed Plus Cisplatin Followed by Extrapleural Pneumonectomy and Radiation for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma,” written by 12 authors including Dr. Vogelzang. To read the article, click here

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Dr. Foon Gives Community Lecture at NVCI

Kenneth A. Foon, M.D., acting director of the Phase I program and head of the Leukemia Section, will be the next speaker in the year-long NVCI Cancer Conversations lecture series, a community program of free seminars intended for Las Vegas residents, NVCI patients, cancer survivors and their families. Dr. Foon will speak on Monday, May 18, on the topic of “Clinical Trials: What They Mean for You or a Loved One.”

National Volunteer Week | April 19-25

The theme for National Volunteer Week 2009 is "Celebrating People in Action." The theme captures the meaning behind this signature week – honoring the individuals who dedicate themselves to taking action and solving problems in their communities.

2009 Miss USA Contestants Help Make Bottles of Hope

Nine 2009 Miss USA contestants and the reigning Miss USA visited with cancer survivors and their families at Nevada Cancer Institute’s “Bottles of Hope” art therapy support group last Saturday.

Dr. Samlowski Gives Community Lecture at NVCI

Wolfram Samlowski, M.D., head of the Section of Melanoma, Renal Cancer and Immunotherapy, will be the next speaker in the NVCI Cancer Conversations lecture series, a community program of free quarterly seminars intended for Las Vegas residents, NVCI patients, cancer survivors and their families. Dr. Samlowski will speak on Wednesday, April 8, on the topic of "Identifying Risks Leading to Melanoma." It promises to be a very informative and interesting talk on a very significant type of cancer for Nevadans.

Vons Foundation Will Present Check To Nevada Cancer Institute

On March 27, Congresswoman Dina Titus, along with County Commissioners Susan Brager and Rory Reid, will join Vons Foundation representatives to present a $250,000 check to Nevada Cancer Institute at the Institute's flagship facility. The donation is the result of the grocery chain's annual October fundraising campaign, a month-long fundraising drive in all of its divisions to raise awareness and capitol to assist nonprofits and medical facilities throughout the nation in research and treatment of breast cancer. Vons encourages customers to make check- stand donations at any of Von's 21 southern Nevada stores.

NVCI Faculty Present Poster at Cancer Symposium

Two faculty members from Nevada Cancer Institute (NVCI) participated in presenting research findings regarding a novel therapy to treat renal cell carcinoma at the 2009 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium held recently in Orlando, Florida.

Nevada Cancer Institute Helps with Siemens Research Project

Nevada Cancer Institute (NVCI) recently received a letter of appreciation from Siemens Medical Solutions USA, part of an international conglomerate that provides technology and innovation in the fields of healthcare, energy, and industry and infrastructure, for the Institute’s valuable research contribution.

New Director and CEO for Nevada Cancer Institute

John C. Ruckdeschel, M.D., one of the nation’s preeminent clinical, research and administrative leaders in oncology, is joining Nevada Cancer Institute as the new director and chief executive officer (CEO).

Dr. Ruckdeschel brings an impressive track record of success as a physician-scientist and an administrator. An internationally renowned lung cancer physician and researcher, Ruckdeschel has successfully led two National Cancer Institute (NCI) Designated Cancer Centers to achieve dramatic and significant milestones.

Nevada Cancer Institute on Facebook

Nevada Cancer Institute now has a non-profit business site on Facebook, the free-access social networking Internet website. This presence will allow NVCI to further spread information about its mission to reduce cancer for Nevadans and beyond through a variety of features in various formats.

Major Research Breakthrough at Nevada Cancer Institute

Yupo Ma, M.D., Ph.D., has identified a type of non-embryonic stem cell therapy that may hold the key for a new treatment of Hemophilia A, a genetic disorder in which blood fails to clot properly. His study will be published in the Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences, one of the preeminent scientific journals in the nation, represents an important milestone for Nevada Cancer Institute and the first of many groundbreaking research endeavors that will soon come to fruition.

NVCI’s Holiday Giving to The Shade Tree

Recently, Nevada Cancer Institute employees dug deep to share some holiday cheer with The Shade Tree Shelter. This holiday season, the Institute gave back to the community by selecting The Shade Tree, a shelter for homeless and abused women and children, to support. Besides holiday gifts and toys, this year there was a focus on the teen population, who are often overlooked for younger children.

Join Nevada Cancer Institute’s Fight Here Network

Nevada Cancer Institute (NVCI) is proud to announce its launch of the Fight Here Network, a grassroots movement that will assist NVCI in reducing the burden of cancer for Nevada, the nation and the world through advocacy and community mobilization.

NVCI would like you to help us in the fight against cancer by joining this network and letting your voice be heard. It’s easy and important to do. All that you need to do is click on the FightHere.org link above this article to register to be an advocate for NVCI.

Community Wellness Program Series Offered

Nevada Cancer Institute's Outreach & Education Department has created a community wellness series of programs for presentation at your business, club or organization.

This series of six free presentations, ranging in length from 30 – 45 minutes, addressing how to help reduce the risk of chronic diseases and promote cancer awareness, early detection, screening and health care.

Nevada Cancer Institute's Six Core Values

Nevada Cancer Institute (NVCI) is a team of dedicated professionals committed to advancing the frontiers of knowledge about cancer through research, treatment and education. Designated by the state of Nevada as the official cancer institute, we are also working to become a National Cancer Institute Designated Comprehensive Cancer Care Center. At the base is our mission to ensure cancer patients and their families, regardless of their location, have access to the latest in cancer prevention, education, detection and treatment options. To accomplish all of these important goals, NVCI has six core values to guide our development and direction; here is what NVCI adheres to daily-

Nevada Cancer Institute Celebrates Great American Smokeout

Nevada Cancer Institute (NVCI) encourages smokers to take part in the Great American Smokeout and quit smoking for one day, helping people commit to making a long-term plan to quit smoking for good.

Nevada Cancer Institute Wins TOBY Award

Nevada Cancer Institute (NVCI) has been honored with a prestigious The Office Building of the Year (TOBY) Award for 2008 Outstanding Building of the Year for medical facilities.

TOBY Award is the most important and comprehensive program of its kind in the commercial real estate industry that recognizes excellence in building management, operational efficiency, tenant retention, emergency planning and community impact.

Nevada Cancer Institute Employee Is Providing Medical Care for Peru’s Needy

Nevada Cancer Institute (NVCI) employee Melinda Armstrong is in Peru this month on a medical mission to serve that country’s orphans and isolated mountain village communities.

$50 Mammograms Available to Uninsured Nevada Women

Nevada Cancer Institute (NVCI) is offering reduced-cost screening mammograms to uninsured Nevada women over 40 years of age during October, National Breast Cancer Awareness month. To improve access to life-saving screenings, NVCI is offering the reduced-cost screening mammograms to uninsured women for $50.

“Nevada Cancer Institute, the state’s designated cancer institute, wants to make sure that preventative screenings are available to all women, including the uninsured,” said Heather Murren, NVCI chairman of the board and cofounder.

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women in Nevada. It is estimated that there will be 1,270 new cases of breast cancer diagnosed in Nevada in 2008.

Approximately 340 Nevada women identified with breast cancer will die in 2008. If detected early, it is estimated that 95 percent of women will survive five years beyond a breast cancer diagnosis.

Dr. Karen Milligan Gives Speech on “Breast Cancer Treatment: Beyond Chemo”

Dr. Karen Milligan, breast cancer oncologist, will be giving an informative talk on survivorship issues for breast cancer patients in the Nevada Cancer Institute auditorium on Thursday, October 23. The talk is entitled “Night with the Experts: Breast Cancer Treatment: Beyond Chemo.” Nevada Cancer Institute Nutritionist Amy Patton, Licensed Social Worker Margo Otto and Wellness Coordinator Hilary Meade will also be part of the presentation to discuss nutrition as well as emotional and physical wellness as it relates to survivorship.

Nevada Cancer Institute Researcher Awarded Department of Defense Grant

Nevada Cancer Institute (NVCI) researcher Hong Sun, M.D., Ph.D., was recently notified by the Department of Defense (DOD) that she will receive a $675,000 grant to study a new therapeutic approach to breast cancer based on Dr. Sun’s ongoing work on the IGF-I receptor protein.

“This DOD grant will allow us to push our breast cancer research program forward and test a novel strategy for effective treatment of breast cancer,” said Dr. Sun, NVCI director of Cancer Genomics, Division of Basic Science.

Cancer Action Network Bus Stops in Nevada

The American Cancer Society (ACS) Cancer Action Network (CAN) Bus recently made stops in Las Vegas and Elko, two of hundreds of planned community stops to help build the movement to make cancer issues a national priority. ACS CAN will bring the stories of cancer patients, survivors and friends to the presidential candidates to make cancer a priority issue in their administration.

At the ACS CAN Bus stop in Las Vegas, Nevada Cancer Institute (NVCI) researcher Sheri Holmen, Ph.D., spoke to the crowd about the importance of putting resources behind cancer researcher. She also spoke of her drive to fight cancer through research, inspired by her mother’s four-time battle with cancer.

Going Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Pink Jeep Tours and Nevada Cancer Institute (NVCI) are kicking off October’s Breast Cancer Awareness month with the first annual “Trek for the Cure.”

Throughout the month of October, Pink Jeep Tours will donate $4.80 from the sales of all Red Rock Tours to the NVCI. This unusual amount relates to 48 years of Pink Jeep Tours’ brand as the premier off-road tour company in the Southwest (the company was founded in 1958 in Sedona, Ariz.). The Red Rock Tour was singled out not only because of its popularity, but also due to its proximity to NVCI’s Summerlin location.

Nevada Cancer Institute Hires Head of Leukemia Section

Nevada Cancer Institute (NVCI) is pleased to announce that Kenneth A. Foon, M.D., has joined the Institute as our newest faculty member and clinician.

Dr. Foon comes to NVCI from the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute where he was deputy director for Clinical Investigations, co-director of the Biological Therapeutics and Hematological Malignancy Programs. He also served as professor of internal medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Pittsburgh, Medical School.

He joins NVCI’s Department of Hematological Malignancies as Head of the Leukemia Section. Dr. Foon is dedicated to developing novel immunological and biological treatment approaches to leukemia and lymphoma.

Dr. Foon said he is excited about working at a growing cancer institute that is able to have such a positive impact on the regional population. "NVCI’s focus on patient care is really refreshing," Dr. Foon said. "To have such a humanistic approach and in general to be surrounded by such enthusiasm is a nice fit. The opportunity to help grow an institute to serve the needs of the population is not an opportunity that everyone is offered during their careers."

Nevada Cancer Institute Receives $20 Million Gift

Nevada Cancer Institute (NVCI) has received a generous $20 million gift from the Engelstad Family Foundation of Las Vegas to help further the mission of focusing on cutting-edge cancer research. This gift will be used to fund the cancer research building currently being constructing on the NVCI campus which will be named the Ralph and Betty Engelstad Cancer Research Building.

This is the second major gift from the Engelstad Family Foundation, coming only two years after the Foundation made a $15 million donation to NVCI in September 2006 for the advancement of scientific research, screening and treatment in the field of lung cancer. NVCI will have three named chairs and fellowships focusing on the prevention and the therapy of lung cancer created by an endowment from the Engelstad Family Foundation.

The Engelstad Family Foundation was formed in June 2002. Ralph Engelstad, owner of the Imperial Palace Hotel and Resort, died of lung cancer on Nov. 26, 2002.

Fran Drescher Reads from Cancer Schmancer at Nevada Cancer Institute

Fran Drescher, cancer survivor and actress, is coming to Nevada Cancer Institute for a book reading from her book, Cancer Schmancer, a down-to-earth account of her personal experience with uterine cancer. The book reading will be followed by a book signing (you will need to bring your own copy of Cancer Schmancer for Fran to sign).

The book reading will be from 11 am to noon on Friday, September 12, in the Nevada Cancer Institute auditorium at One Breakthrough Way. This event is free and open to the public, however, space is limited so prospective attendees need to RSVP for this event. To do that, please call the Nevada Cancer Institute Information & Resource Center - Library at (702) 822-5217. Confirmation needs to be received by September 10.

The Cancer Schmancer Foundation is dedicated to ensuring Stage 1 diagnosis of all women’s cancers, when they are most curable, through education, prevention and policy change. Stage 1 is the Cure!^TM

This event is made possible by Fran Drescher, who is graciously donating her time to Nevada Cancer Institute, its patients and the community.

Hope to see you there!

NVCI Featured on Local Stand Up to Cancer Television Programs

The ABC, CBS and NBC television networks are donating one hour of simultaneous commercial-free primetime for Stand Up to Cancer this Friday, September 5, at 8:00 pm, Pacific Time. This special will feature live performances by legendary recording artists and stars from film and television as well as present filmed content giving viewers insight into cancer – all aimed at rallying the public around the goal of ending cancer's reign as a leading cause of death.

Dr. Milligan Speaks About Breast Cancer Survivorship

Dr. Karen Milligan, breast cancer oncologist, will be speaking on survivorship issues for breast cancer patients in the Nevada Cancer Institute auditorium on Wednesday, August 27. The talk is entitled “Night with the Experts: Survivorship - The Road to Recovery.” Nevada Cancer Institute Nutritionist Amy Patton and several other experts will also be on hand to discuss nutrition and community resources related to survival.

NVCI Vice President Elected to HIMSS Board of Directors

Gene Kraus, vice president of Cancer Informatics and chief information officer of Nevada Cancer Institute, has been elected to serve on the Board of Directors for the Nevada State Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS). Kraus will serve a three-year term on the Board of the Nevada HIMSS Chapter.

“HIMSS works to make connections between Information Technology, leadership, science and patient care,” Kraus said. “The Nevada chapter works for the synergy necessary to a successful and effective healthcare system in our state.”

NVCI Selected to Participate in Clinical Imaging Trials

Nevada Cancer Institute (NVCI)’s Diagnostic Imaging Department has been approved to participate in clinical imaging trials by the American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN). This approval will allow NVCI to participate in ACRIN clinical trials.

ACRIN is a National Cancer Institute cooperative group that conducts landmark trials to determine the utility and efficacy of diagnostic and research imaging techniques in the screening, detection, diagnosis, and monitoring of cancer. ACRIN imaging trials are frequently related to ongoing or prospective medical and radiation therapy clinical trials conducted at NVCI.

NVCI Faculty Published in Prominent Medical Journals

Several Nevada Cancer Institute faculty members have been published in some important medical journals. Wolfram Samlowski, M.D., head of the Section of Melanoma, Renal Cancer and Immunotherapy; Bryan Wong, M.D., Ph.D., assistant member, Department of Hematological Malignancies; and Nicholas Vogelzang, M.D., director and executive vice president for Academic Affairs, wrote an editorial which was published in the British Journal of Urology International. The editorial is titled, “Management of renal cancer in the tyrosine kinase inhibitor era: a view from 3 years on.”

Kenneth A. Foon, M.D., head of Nevada Cancer Institute’s Leukemia Section and acting director of the Phase I Program, had a paper published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology regarding a new, highly effective novel therapy for chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

NVCI Fellow Wins Second National Honor

Nevada Cancer Institute Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Jianchang “Jerry” Yang recently received a Special Fellow award of approximately $200,000 from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Dr. Yang’s honor was received in a leukemia field of extremely strong candidates who represented some of the most prestigious cancer centers in the nation.

This is Dr. Yang’s second award for this year, being previously named as a 2008 Basic Research Fellow by the American Society of Hematology. For this honor, Dr. Yang received an award of $100,000 from the American Society of Hematology to continue work into the role of SALL4 in the leukemic progenitor cell maintenance.

Dr. Yang works in Dr. Yupo Ma’s Progenitor Cell Lab which focuses on the role of SALL4 in embryonic/adult progenitor cells and leukemic progenitor cells. SALL4 is a master nuclear binding protein that is abnormally expressed in most leukemia patients and promotes the expansion of the progenitor cell.

Dr. Ma Receives Prestigious NCI R21 Grant

Yupo Ma, M.D., M.S., Ph. D., chief of Hematopathology at Nevada Cancer Institute, has received notification from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) that his NCI R21 grant award has been released and will be funded at 90% of the adjusted requested level. This grant began on July 1, 2008.

This is an extremely competitive grant, and the award represents that Dr. Ma’s lab is doing sound and valuable science research. The project for his NCI R21 grant is to model myelodysplastic syndromes and leukemic processes. “The understanding of these processes should help us to fight these blood cancers,” said Dr. Ma. He commented that the grant “will help [NVCI] to hire more [researchers] and speed up our discovery in a very competitive field of progenitor cell research.”

Congratulations to Dr. Ma and his team on this great accomplishment!!

Dr. Symanowski Presents Research at Workshop

James Symanowski, Ph.D., senior biostatistician and head of Biostatistics at Nevada Cancer Institute, delivered a presentation entitled “Statistical Considerations in Phase I Studies” in June at the 2008 Accelerating Anticancer Agent Development and Validation Workshop. Dr. Symanowski’s presentation was part of a session on Phase I design challenges, which included a panel discussion. Additionally, he participated in the administration of a case study discussion reviewing the development of pemetrexed.

The three-day workshop was co-sponsored by the Food and Drug Administration, American Society of Clinical Oncologists, National Cancer Institute, American Association for Clinical Research and Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center. Its purpose is to bring together leaders in clinical and translational cancer research from academia, industry and government in an effort to assist investigators in understanding and improving cancer drug development. The goal is to expedite the development and validation processes for new anticancer and cancer prevention agents so they can be made available to patients at an accelerated rate.

Congratulations to Dr. Symanowski for presenting his research findings to help other clinical researchers!

Nursing & Healthcare Professional Scholarship Winners Awarded

Nevada Cancer Institute (NVCI) and the Siemens Foundation recently presented scholarships to five Nevada nursing and healthcare students, this year’s winners of the 2008 Siemens Oncology Scholarship Program. The reception was held at NVCI’s flagship facility.

Siemens provided $100,000 to NVCI in 2007 to fund a four-year scholarship program. Annually scholarships up to $5,000 will be awarded. The scholarship program aims to increase the number of Nevada students focusing on oncology nursing, basic sciences, biotechnology or public health. The scholarship program also allows currently licensed registered nurses to complete graduate work focusing on oncology nursing.

One of the scholarships, the John R. Murren, MD Scholarship, is awarded to an academically excellent student enrolled in undergraduate or graduate education in basic sciences, public health or emerging fields of study such as biotechnology, biomedical engineering, statistics or other programs that ultimately enhance oncology and cancer research. Dr. Murren was a founder of NVCI, and an oncologist and researcher at Yale University who succumbed to melanoma in December 2005 at age 47.

Final Beam Laid For New Support Services Building

June 10 marked another milestone for Nevada Cancer Institute, where builders prepared to lay the final beam of the under-construction Support Services building which is next to the flagship facility on the Summerlin campus.

This new Support Services facility will be 101,000 square feet, three stories, with an adjacent parking garage on 3.25 acres. It will house a 200-seat conference center, offices, clinical trials office, cancer registry, labs and a medical education library.

To commemorate this expansion achievement, NVCI employees and patients were invited to sign their name or leave a message on this last beam all day on the 10th. News teams from several local television stations and newspapers were on site to cover the event and a continuous stream of employees and patients took the opportunity to be a part of history.

The developer for the Support Services building is American Nevada Company, and the contractor is the Korte Company.

Dr. Vogelzang Contributes to Mesothelioma Paper

Dr. Nicholas J. Vogelzang, director of Nevada Cancer Institute, contributed to a major mesothelioma paper that was published in The Lancet, Medical News Today and Medpage Today recently.

The paper reported on two different chemotherapy regiments failing to prolong survival or improve the quality of life in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) according to the results of the MS01 trial.

Dr. Vogelzang noted that this trial was initiated prior to the publication of other randomized trials establishing the survival benefits of cisplatin and pemetrexed chemotherapy for MPM. “MS01 is still relevant in that the median survival of MPM is confirmed to be in single digits (7-9 months) and that older chemotherapy should be discarded in favor of the newer doublet regimens,” he told Reuters Health, a leading world-wide provider of medical and healthcare news.

NVCI Faculty Presents Research Findings at ASCO

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) held its 44th annual meeting in Chicago from May 30 to June 3. ASCO is a nonprofit organization with the goals of improving cancer care and prevention, and ensuring that all patients with cancer receive the highest quality care. More than 25,000 oncology practitioners belong to ASCO, and many of them are Nevada Cancer Institute facility and staff.

In addition to hosting a reception and exhibiting a booth, many NVCI faculty and staff members attended and some presented papers, abstracts and posters.

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NVCI Researchers Present at AACR Annual Meeting

Recently, two Nevada Cancer Institute (NVCI) researchers gave presentations at the 2008 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) annual meeting, held this year in San Diego. This yearly gathering attracts more than 17,000 participants who share their latest discoveries and developments in the field. It is an important networking opportunity for cancer research. The emphasis for the meeting is primarily on basic and translational science.

James Symanowski, Ph.D., senior biostatistician and head of Biostatistics at NVCI, made a poster presentation entitled Utility of circulating tumor cells as a prostate cancer biomarker: Patient clinical characteristics and biomarker cluster analysis. This presentation was based on research conducted by the following team of NVCI coworkers: Oscar B. Goodman Jr., Louis M. Fink, Symanowski, Bryan Y. Wong, David A. Pomerantz, Yupo Ma, Beth Grobaski, Deralyn Broome, David C. Ward and Nicholas J. Vogelzang.

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LIVESTRONG Day at Nevada Cancer Institute

Nevada Cancer Institute was proud to have been part of a nation-wide effort to celebrate LIVESTRONG Day on Tuesday, May 13, 2008, at One Breakthrough Way in Las Vegas and at our three northern Nevada offices in Elko, Fallon and Sparks.

LIVESTRONG Day was a one-day initiative to raise awareness for the cancer fight and to show support for people affected by cancer, inviting all Nevadans to show their support by enlisting in the LIVESTRONG Army.

Lance Armstrong made a cross-the-country journey starting in New York City, then flying to Columbus, Ohio, on to snowy Denver, Colorado, and finally arriving at Las Vegas to address Nevada Cancer Institute employees and patients, and talk to the media.

See photos from LIVESTRONG DAY celebrated at NVCI throughout Nevada

To read the proclamations from Las Vegas, Reno, Sparks, Fallon, Elko and Clark County, click here

Dr. Dang Named Health Care Headliner

Nam Hoang Dang, M.D., Ph.D., chief, Department of Hematological Malignancies, was recently named a Health Care Headliner in a special issue of In Business Las Vegas. Dr. Dang received this recognition and honor because of his work treating Nevadans as well as advancing the discovery of knowledge and his research into novel therapies to treat cancer.

Dr. Dang received the honorary award at a special event sponsored by In Business Las Vegas.

Originally from Vietnam, Dr. Dang came to the United States as a refugee with his entire family as a 12-year-old boy in 1975. After spending time in refugee camps off the coast of California, he and his family moved to Dallas, Texas, through the support of a church located in Highland Park, Texas. read more »

LIVESTRONG Day at Nevada Cancer Institute

Nevada Cancer Institute is proud to be part of a nation-wide effort to celebrate LIVESTRONG Day on Tuesday, May 13, 2008, from 8 am to 4 pm at One Breakthrough Way. We also will be celebrating at our northern Nevada offices. LIVESTRONG Day is a one-day initiative to raise awareness for the cancer fight and to show support for people affected by cancer.

LIVESTRONG Day is sponsored by the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF), a nonprofit organization headquartered in Austin, Texas, and founded by champion cyclist and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong in 1997. The LAF believes in inspiring and empowering people affecting by cancer. read more »

View the LIVESTRONG DAY PSA that is currently airing on the CW.

View LIVESTRONG Day news releases for Las Vegas, Elko, Sparks and Fallon. read more »

NVCI's New Physician Ad Campaign

Click on the image to see one of NVCI's new physician ads that will be popping up soon in newspapers and periodicals. Leading off the campaign is this ad featuring Dr. Nicholas J. Vogelzang, director of NVCI. Learn a little about his career and focus in medicine, what NVCI offers for the fight against cancer. Be sure to check out the FightHere.org website too. This is just the first in a series of new advertisements which are part of the physician campaign, so watch for more of them very soon!

NVCI Faculty in the News

Several members of NVCI’s faculty have been interviewed for newspaper and magazine articles recently.

Dr. Nam Hoang Dang, chief of hematological malignances, had a cover story in the February 22 issue of the Las Vegas Sun about a drug he has been working to develop for 24 years that could hopefully play a significant role in curing a number of different cancers.

Dang’s research involved discovering a molecule called CD26 that plays a crucial role in the development of certain cancers and developing its antibody to destroy the cancers. read more »

NVCI Recognized as Clinical Education Setting for Radiation Therapy

The College of Southern Nevada (CSN) in Las Vegas recently received Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JCERT) accreditation. As it says on the Certificate of Recognition, Nevada Cancer Institute (NVCI) is now part of “a recognized clinical education setting for the radiation therapy program” with CSN.

NVCI is involved with CSN because their students do their clinical training at the Institute’s flagship facility. These students work closely with the radiation therapists there to learn how to perform the hands-on portion of their training in a real medical setting. read more »

New Vice President for NVCI

NVCI is pleased to welcome Gene Kraus as the new vice president of Cancer Informatics and Chief Information Officer on April 28!

Gene brings an extensive background in information technology with 18 years of management experience in healthcare, academic, clinical research and corporate environments to the Institute. For the past four years, he has served as director of Cancer Center Informatics at the Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit, a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.

He previously served as senior manager of Corporate Information Technology at Pfizer Global Research and Development, has a faculty appointment at Wayne State University School of Medicine and has co-authored an extensive list of peer-reviewed publications. read more »

Heather Murren Wins Best of Las Vegas Recognition for NVCI

Heather Murren, chairman of the board of NVCI, was recently given a well-deserved award and recognition by the Las Vegas Review-Journal in their annual "Best of Las Vegas" poll in the March 23 Sunday edition of the newspaper. Heather was selected by the Review-Journal staff as the "Favorite Female Las Vegan." The article applauded Heather as co-founder and chairman of NVCI in bringing her dream, this $52 million, 142,000-square-foot facility devoted to research, education and patient care, into existence. They stressed the important fact that NVCI's "existence has redefined the quality of medical care in the Silver State." It went on to say that it is her "kind of smart, dedicated leadership that makes us grateful she's here, making Las Vegas a better place to live." Congratulations, Heather!

Sierra Pacific Resources Presents Check to NVCI

On March 10, Sierra Pacific Resources, parent company of Nevada Power Company and Sierra Pacific Power Company, presented a donation of $1 million to Nevada Cancer Institute to help NVCI continue to provide exemplary research, treatment and education for their customers in southern and northern Nevada.

This generous leadership gift will contribute powerfully toward reducing the burden of cancer and providing hope to the various communities of Nevada and beyond. The donation was presented in a ceremony at NVCI which was covered by television stations KVBC Channel 3, KVVU Fox 5, KLVX Channel 8 and KTNV Channel 13. Read more »

NVCI Faculty Published Articles

Deputy Director David Ward, Ph.D., was a co-author with researchers from the Yale University School of Medicine of a paper published in the February 15 issue of the journal Clinical Cancer Research. The paper titled, "Diagnostic Markers for Early Detection of Ovarian Cancer" discusses the development of a simple blood test to identify early-stage ovarian cancer. The abstract’s conclusion states: "This novel multiplex platform has the potential for efficient screening in patients who are at high risk for ovarian cancer."

The study was also publicized in an article published in the Washington Post on February 26 titled, "Progress in Detecting Ovarian Cancer." Read more »