CTRC leader honored by Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

SAN ANTONIO (July 16, 2008)— Francis Giles, M.D., of the Cancer Therapy & Research Center (CTRC) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, was awarded the 2008 Chairman’s Citation for Excellence in Community Service by the South Texas Chapter of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The chapter recognized Dr. Giles’ leadership and contributions to the cure of leukemia and allied blood disorders and his recent involvement in the 2nd Annual Texas Forum on Blood Cancers.

Dr. Giles is deputy director of the CTRC, one of only 63 National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Cancer Centers and one of only four NCI-designated Cancer Centers in Texas.

The Chairman’s Citation recognizes outstanding accomplishments made by individuals, companies, groups and organizations in support of the Society and its mission. David Frantze, chairman of the Board of Directors, said the Awards Committee unanimously agreed that Dr. Giles was the most deserving of this recognition.

“Dr. Giles was instrumental in bringing together some of Texas’ most prominent hematology and oncology doctors,” said Nicole Bell, patient services manager for the South Texas Chapter. “His leadership is helping to assist blood cancer patients get the best treatment possible.”

“The CTRC has become an internationally recognized center of excellence in the disorders of major interest to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society,” Dr. Giles said. “This is due to the CTRC’s rapidly expanding research and service missions focused on patients suffering from hematologic malignancies, including leukemia, lymphoma, myelodysplastic syndromes and myeloma. It is a great honor to receive this award on behalf of the CTRC and, in particular, on behalf of the group with the CTRC Institute for Drug Development (IDD), where we have an excellent program of novel therapies for those patients with leukemia and lymphoma.”

The Texas Forum on Blood Cancer is an annual conference dedicated to providing the latest information and research on blood cancers to Texas survivors.

The Cancer Therapy & Research Center (CTRC) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio is among the nation’s leading academic research and treatment centers, serving more than 4.4 million people in the high-growth corridor of Central and South Texas including Austin, San Antonio, Laredo and the Rio Grande Valley. CTRC is one of a few elite cancer centers in the country to be named a National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated cancer center, and is one of only four in Texas. CTRC handles more than 120,000 patient visits each year and is a world leader in developing new drugs to treat cancer. The CTRC Institute for Drug Development (IDD) is internationally recognized for conducting the largest oncology Phase I clinical drug trials program in the world, and participated in the clinical and/or preclinical development of many of the cancer drugs approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. For more information, visit www.ctrc.uthscsa.edu.



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