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Newswise Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) today launched an ambitious initiative to improve cancer care and research through genomic analysis. The new program will reshape clinical trials and speed the translation of novel molecular discoveries into routine clinical practice. The Marie-Jose and Henry R. Kravis Center for Molecular Oncology (CMO) is named in honor of Marie-Jose and Henry R. Kravis, whose transformative gift of $100 million will make it possible to realize the promise of precision oncology and support the development of new, individualized cancer therapies and diagnostic tools.

Progress in our understanding of the biology of cancer has completely shifted the way we think about and treat cancer, says Craig Thompson, MD, MSK President and CEO. Were moving away from the concept of treating cancer as many different types of the same disease and toward treating each persons cancer as its own unique disease. Now, thanks to the inspiring generosity of the Marie-Jose and Henry R. Kravis Foundation, we will be able to expand and intensify this effort, ushering in what will truly be a new era of precision medicine.

Throughout the course of my involvement at Memorial Sloan Kettering, I have been deeply impressed by the dedication, experience, and competence of the physicians and scientists who are working to unravel the complexities of cancer, says Marie-Jose Kravis, who has been a member of MSKs Boards of Overseers and Managers since October 2000 and is Chair of the Board of the Sloan Kettering Institute. Henry and I are delighted to support this exciting new initiative, which offers such hope to people around the world.

Memorial Sloan Kettering has already proven itself to be a leader in understanding cancer at the genetic level and in putting that knowledge to work for patients, says Henry R. Kravis. The new Center for Molecular Oncology will take these efforts to an entirely new level, and I look forward with great anticipation to the discoveries that lie ahead.

Archived tumor specimens and tissues obtained in clinical trials will be comprehensively profiled by next-generation sequencing and other molecular technologies. The molecular information of each tumor will then be correlated with clinical outcomes to better understand the significance of genetic alterations in tumors and the opportunities they offer for treating cancers more precisely.

The first application of the genomic revolution of the past decade is now being applied to cancer, says Jos Baselga, MD, Physician-in-Chief of Memorial Hospital. We have learned that cancer is actually a disease of the genome, and moving forward, we will need to integrate the vast amounts of molecular discoveries being made with clinical data to develop tumor-specific treatments. The CMO will be the first program in the country to span the full range of activities required to bridge these molecular insights into clinical innovations.

MSK with its exceptionally powerful and seamless integration of clinical and scientific teams focused on cancer is uniquely positioned to launch an initiative of the ambition and scope of the CMO. The aim is to analyze over 10,000 patient tumors in the CMOs first year alone, with an eye toward offering molecular analysis for every type of cancer and for all MSK patients.

In terms of structure, the Marie-Jose and Henry R. Kravis Center for Molecular Oncology epitomizes the multidisciplinary approach to cancer research, which demands that we fully link programs and departments institution-wide so that we can inform each others work with our best and brightest ideas, says Joan Massagu, PhD, Director of the Sloan Kettering Institute.

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Landmark Gift of $100 Million from the Marie-Josee and Henry R. Kravis Foundation Will Support Groundbreaking Approach ...