Andrew W. Pippas, M.D., medical director and director of Clinical Oncology Research at the John B. Amos Cancer Center, has been named a Distinguished Cancer Scholar by the Georgia Cancer Coalition. The honor comes with a $500,000 grant to support clinical research efforts at the John B. Amos Cancer Center.
“Dr. Pippas is a clinician scientist who has been a great supporter of Georgia Cancer Coalition initiatives. He serves on the Board of the Georgia Center for Oncology Research and Education and is a tireless advocate for expanding clinical trials in community settings. He leads the John B. Amos Cancer Center’s clinical alliance effort with the pilot National Cancer Institute Community Cancer Center’s Program,” said Bill Todd, President and Chief Executive Officer. “We are proud to name him a Distinguished Cancer Scholar.”
Dr. Pippas’ research interest is in gastrointestinal malignancies. He earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Utah School Of Medicine in Salt Lake City, and completed his residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in medical oncology and hematology at the Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C. A board-certified medical oncologist, Dr. Pippas is a recipient of the National Institutes of Health’s Physician Scientist Award. He is an active member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Society of Hematology.
“This is a tremendous honor for Dr. Pippas and for the John B. Amos Cancer Center,” said Lance B. Duke, president and CEO of The Medical Center. “Dr. Pippas has done an outstanding job leading our cancer center and this recognition very appropriately now recognizes his contribution to the State of Georgia in the fight against cancer.”
Dr. Pippas appreciates the recognition and credits the leadership, physicians and staff of the John B. Amos Cancer Center. “It is a high honor to be recognized by the Georgia Cancer Coalition in this way,” he said. “The Coalition is committed to building the clinical research program at the community center level as well as the academic research level as it recognizes physicians improving cancer care in their organizations,” he added. “More important, I appreciate the recognition this brings to our cancer center. It is a great honor for our physicians and staff.”
The research dollars will be used to enhance the existing clinical trials program, with an emphasis on gastrointestinal malignancies, Dr. Pippas said. Currently, there are approximately 48 open clinical trials at the John B. Amos Cancer Center, in areas including leukemia, melanoma, lymphoma, and breast, cervical, ovarian, lung, colo-rectal, prostate, head/neck and brain cancers.
Funds also will be used to expand the multidisciplinary programs that enable patients to see all their physicians and clinical teams during one visit in one location, rather than multiple visits to multiple locations.
Begun in 2001, the Georgia Cancer Coalition’s Distinguished Cancer Clinicians and Scientists program is an investment in Georgia’s future as a national leader in cancer control. The Scholars’ history of grants, publications and patents as well as their potential for attracting future funding is considered. In fiscal year 2008, Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Scholars were responsible for securing $47 million in privately and federally funded research grants to the state of Georgia; over the program’s eight-year history, scholars have generated more than $200 million in funding.
The Georgia Cancer Coalition is an independent, not-for-profit organization that unites government agencies, academic institutions, civic groups, corporations and health care organizations in a concerted effort to strengthen cancer prevention, research and treatment in Georgia, with the ultimate goal of making Georgia one of the nation’s premier states for cancer care. The mission is to reduce the number of cancer-related deaths in Georgia. The Coalition is the first of its kind in the nation and is fast becoming a national model. For further information, the official website is www.georgiacancer.org.
The John B. Amos Cancer Center, a service of The Medical Center, is the leading cancer care center in the region, offering outpatient medical and radiation oncology, infusion therapy, an oncology pharmacy, and support services for patients and their families. The center is fully accredited by the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons. The John B. Amos Cancer Center reported nearly 1,100 new patients during Fiscal Year 2009 (July 2008-June 2009). There were more than 161,000 total patient visits – a 12 percent increase over the previous year. The center recorded more than 20,000 patient visits in medical oncology, more than 66,000 in infusion and more than 48,000 in radiation oncology. For more information, visit www.yourhealthourmission.com.