CLEVELAND – A new study identifies a group of individuals at increased risk for developing colon cancer and holds the promise for developing new tailored cancer treatments. The study in this week's issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) is by Sanford Markowitz, MD, PhD, the Markowitz-Ingalls Professor of Cancer Genetics at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and oncologist at the Ireland Cancer Center of University Hospitals Case Medical Center, and colleagues.

"The bottom line is that we have found an uncommon but potentially important group of individuals who are born with certain genetic mutations and are at increased risk for developing colon cancer," says Dr. Markowitz, who is also an investigator in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. "This is yet another step towards identifying who is at increased risk for this deadly form of cancer and it may potentially allow us a greater ability to detect and treat, as well as develop therapies, for cancer."

Marlborough, MA and Cleveland, OH – (December 22, 2008) – EXACT Sciences Corporation (NASDAQ: EXAS) and University Hospitals Case Medical Center (UHCMC) of Cleveland, Ohio today jointly announced that UHCMC has launched a program for stool-based DNA (sDNA) screening within its health care system at two sites comprising fifteen physicians.  For patients unwilling or unable to obtain a colonoscopy, sDNA screening will now be the preferred method of screening offered at the sites.  UHCMC will evaluate program performance to determine broader roll-out of sDNA screening system-wide.

“Among our guiding principles is to pursue and implement breakthrough medical advancements and practices to deliver superior clinical outcomes for our patients,” said Stanton Gerson, MD, Director, Ireland Cancer Center of UHCMC, Director of Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University.  “Our new sDNA screening initiative within UH Case Medical Center is an exciting example of this principle in action. Non-invasive sDNA screening includes the Vimentin gene, a genetic locus discovered by Dr. Sanford Markowitz of the Ireland Cancer Center and Case Western Reserve Medical School, a discovery that we believe can have a dramatic impact on increasing screening rates and decreasing mortality.”

CLEVELAND – Nathan Levitan, MD, MBA, has been appointed President of the University Hospitals Ireland Cancer Center (ICC) and Senior Vice President, System Cancer Services, effective November 1, 2008.

In his new role, Dr. Levitan is responsible for cancer-related clinical program development, quality outcomes, strategic planning, and the ongoing integration of clinical trials into the ICC model of care. While working in close collaboration with Stanton Gerson, MD, Director of the Ireland Cancer Center, Dr. Levitan will oversee the continued growth of our ICC Regional Network as well as the consolidation of cancer services at UH Case Medical Center into the new UH Cancer Hospital that is scheduled to open in 2010.

CLEVELAND – A new analysis reveals that fewer than half of older patients successfully treated for colorectal cancer receive the recommended screening schedule to detect any recurrence of cancer. The study, appearing in the October 15, 2008 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, indicates poor compliance to recommended monitoring of colorectal cancer survivors could affect survival.

Patients who undergo potentially curative surgery for colorectal cancer have an increased risk of recurrence. To reduce that risk, guidelines have been developed that specify a combination of regularly scheduled physician visits, colonoscopy, and other tests to detect changes that could indicate a recurrence. While some patients may not receive these recommended services, others may undergo other procedures, such as computerized tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans, which are generally not recommended. Therefore, some patients may not meet guidelines standards while others receive testing that goes beyond guideline recommendations.

CLEVELAND – In a major step towards the opening of the new Cancer Hospital, Julian A. Kim, MD, has been appointed Chief of Oncologic Surgery at the Ireland Cancer Center of University Hospitals Case Medical Center (UHCMC). In this newly-created position, Dr. Kim, who is currently Chief of Surgical Oncology at UHCMC, will unify all cancer surgery capabilities to prepare for a seamless transition to the Cancer Hospital, which will house the Ireland Cancer Center and is scheduled to be completed in December 2010 on the UHCMC campus. This innovative approach to surgical care is being adopted at top cancer hospitals throughout the country.

An accomplished cancer surgeon, Dr. Kim will oversee and align the various surgical services throughout UHCMC, UH community hospitals and the Ireland Cancer Center regional network. His programmatic oversight links surgical oncology with all surgical specialties involved with cancer care, including urology, neurosurgery, gynecologic oncology, thoracic surgery, dermatology, colorectal surgery and pediatrics. His team will be fully integrated with the Ireland Cancer Center’s multidisciplinary care teams.

CLEVELAND – The federal government has recently selected the Ireland Cancer Center of University Hospitals Case Medical Center (UHCMC) to join an elite group of hospitals to rapidly evaluate and treat potential victims of radiological and chemical attacks. The Ireland Cancer Center is the only adult site in Ohio to be part of the Radiation Injury Treatment Network (RITN), created by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security.

The Ireland Cancer Center, selected for its expertise in stem cell transplantation and immune deficiencies, will be one of 52 centers across the country to respond to victims exposed to radiation or other bone marrow injuries. RITN, a joint project of the National Marrow Donor Program and the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, was formed so that when disasters strike these centers can triage and treat patients. Examples include chemical (mustard gas), nuclear devices or dirty bombs.

CLEVELAND – A new anti-cancer drug developed at the Ireland Cancer Center of University Hospitals Case Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University was used for the first time to treat a cancer patient. The Phase One study at the Ireland Cancer Center of TRC102, a novel anti-cancer drug intended to reverse resistance to chemotherapy by targeting a specific DNA repair pathway, has the potential to improve the lives of many patients.

“This new therapy has the promise of overcoming a major mechanism of drug resistance which is good news for cancer patients,” says Panos Savvides, MD, oncologist with the Ireland Cancer Center, assistant professor of medicine at Case Western Reserve University and primary investigator for the trial. “Resistance to chemotherapy prevents many patients from benefiting, but this new “first-in-class” agent, used in combination with Temodar^®, uniquely reverses resistance to chemotherapy.”

CLEVELAND – For the first time in a comic strip, Funky Winkerbean creator Tom Batiuk has depicted the death of a young wife and mother from the recurrence of breast cancer. Lisa Moore, a major character who is battling breast cancer for a second time, succumbs to the disease on Oct. 4, 2007, leaving behind her husband, Les, and their five-year-old daughter, Summer.

As a result of Batiuk’s commitment to helping people facing their own real life battles with cancer, University Hospitals Ireland Cancer Center in Cleveland has unveiled a fund called Lisa’s Legacy Fund for Cancer Research and Education, named in honor of Batiuk’s character and her subsequent story which has resonated with thousands of readers.

CLEVELAND – The Ireland Cancer Center at University Hospitals Case Medical Center is the first in Northeast Ohio to use a new radiation treatment that provides hope for patients with colon cancer that has spread to the liver. The noninvasive procedure uses microscopic radioactive spheres that target inoperable tumors without damaging the surrounding tissue.

Called Selective Internal Radiation Therapy (SIRT), the procedure uses SIR-Spheres^® microspheres infused with the radioactive element yttrium-90. The spheres deliver 40 times more radiation directly to the site of the liver tumors than is possible using conventional radiotherapy. The minimally invasive procedure is not considered a cure, but studies have found it reduces tumors more than chemotherapy alone in patients with metastatic colon cancer and has fewer side effects than standard chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

CLEVELAND – Sanford Markowitz, MD, PhD, a colon cancer researcher at the Ireland Cancer Center of University Hospitals Case Medical Center (UHCMC) has laid out the roadmap for how medical researchers should employ aspirin and aspirin-like drugs to prevent colon cancer in certain high-risk individuals.

In today’s New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. Markowitz’s editorial accompanies research by Dr. Charles Fuchs’ team at Harvard Medical School. The Harvard researchers discovered the hypothesized mechanism by which aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), called COX-2 inhibitors, act to decrease the risk of developing colon cancer.

CLEVELAND – To help survivors adjust to life after breast cancer, the University Hospitals Ireland Cancer Center has launched the Center for Survivors of Breast Cancer.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) estimates that 1 in 8 women in America will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime. However, survival rates are improving, with earlier detection and advances in treatment. The NCI estimates there are 2 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S. today. Breast Cancer survivors often face multiple challenges after treatment ends, including fatigue, lymphedema (swelling of the arm), weight gain, sexual side effects, relationship problems and fear of recurrence. The new Center helps breast cancer survivors to address these issues