Breakthrough Cancer Screening for Smokers

Contact: Wendy Walker, 214-820-4581or Katie Velez with Levenson & Brinker Public Relations, 214-932-6077
Email: wendyw@baylorhealth.edu or katie.velez@levensonbrinkerpr.com

(DALLAS, Texas, March 27, 2007) -Dallas-based Mary Crowley Cancer Research Centers (Mary Crowley) in collaboration with the Baylor Sammons Lung Cancer Center are launching a study aimed at early detection of lung cancer in high-risk smokers. Mary Crowley is one of the world's largest gene therapy investigative facilities, providing novel cancer therapies and screenings.

A high percentage of lung cancer deaths are caused by cigarette smoking, and the latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Web site show there are 180,262 lung cancer cases diagnosed each year, 157,630 of which result in death. Detecting this type of cancer at an early stage may be possible through the use of a new technology designed to detect circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the body. CTCs are cancer cells that have detached from solid tumors and entered the blood stream. This can begin the process of metastasis, the most life-threatening aspect of cancer. In fact, according to Mary Crowley's research-based clinic, this screening technique is one way of testing to determine whether a smoker might have a chance to beat those statistics.

In medical circles today, the most common screening process for lung cancer is a chest X-ray, according to the National Cancer Institute. The clinic's upcoming study will use the exclusive Cell Search System^TM in its forthcoming research. While the CellSearch test is currently approved for use in monitoring metastatic breast cancer, researchers at Mary Crowley are using the CellSearch System to identify CTCs as part of its lung cancer study.

The CellSearch System can pinpoint a single cancerous cell in approximately every 40 billion blood cells. To put that into perspective, a tumor the size of a grain of rice has about a million cells; a pea-sized tumor has nearly a billion cells. The study will target asymptomatic persons aged 50 to 74 with a 40 pack-per year history of smoking who are current smokers or who have quit smoking within the past 10 years.

The mortality rate in cancer is directly related to the stage of disease at the time of diagnosis. Therefore, early detection is a critical step in the treatment process. Because the CellSearch System is sensitive enough to identify single cancer cells, the Mary Crowley Center study will determine the effectiveness of this screening method.

"Our goal is to save lives by detecting early-stage cancer in this population of smokers so they can get treatment," said Mary Crowley's Dr. Michael Nemunaitis, principal investigator for the study. "We hope to determine that this screening approach will prove to be an earlier detection step at a cost-effective rate for those who are at a high-risk for lung cancer."

If you fit the criteria detailed above and are considered eligible through the application process, help us detect cancer early and stop it in its tracks. Enrollment for the study is open to the public and will commence immediately. If you fit the eligibility requirements and are interested, please call the Baylor Sammons Lung Cancer Center at 214-820-6767. 150 applicants will be considered for the open trial which will last until each patient has been screened.

About Mary Crowley Cancer Research Centers
Mary C. Crowley, founder of the Mary Crowley Cancer Research Centers, spent 27 years in remission from her cancer before she was struck for a second time by the disease in 1985. Upon learning that treatment options had not accelerated since her first bout with cancer in 1958, Crowley charted a path to create treatment alternatives. The result was the Mary Crowley Cancer Research Centers, established to expand treatment options for all cancer patients through investigational gene and cellular therapies. Mary Crowley offers a full-service outpatient oncology clinic devoted to patient comfort and overall well-being, and also conducts early-phase trials aimed at identifying new cancer-specific therapies. Affiliate clinics are located in Albany, NY (Scotland); Albany, NY (Manning); Billings, MT; Dallas, (at Presbyterian Hospital); Dayton; Greenville, SC; Norfolk, VA; and Tyler, TX.

About Baylor Sammons Lung Cancer Center at Dallas
The Baylor Sammons Lung Cancer Center at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas takes a focused approach to lung cancer care management. The center combines compassionate care from dedicated staff and a patient friendly, single entry point for those with suspected or diagnosed lung cancer. It also provides multidisciplinary care, personalized plan of care and access to clinical trials.

Baylor Research Institute and Mary Crowley Cancer Research Centers are not affiliated. Each reviews, approves and conducts clinical trials independently.