Caris' Precision Oncology Alliance Welcomes the OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center

OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center joins Caris' extensive network of leading cancer institutions committed to utilizing clinical data to advance patient care and outcomes

IRVING, Texas, Aug. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Caris Life Sciences^®(Caris), the leading molecular science and technology company actively developing and delivering innovative solutions to revolutionize health care, announced today that OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center has joined the Caris Precision Oncology Alliance™ (POA). The POA is a growing network of leading cancer centers across the globe that collaborate to advance precision oncology and biomarker-driven research. POA members work together to establish and optimize standards of care for molecular testing through innovative research focused on predictive and prognostic markers that improve the clinical outcomes for cancer patients.

Located on the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center campus in Oklahoma City,  Stephenson Cancer Center is the state's only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Designated Cancer Center, providing a critical resource for patients seeking research-driven, patient-centered, multidisciplinary treatment. Named Oklahoma's top facility for cancer care by U.S. News & World Report in its 2020-21 rankings, Stephenson Cancer Center also ranks No. 1 among all cancer centers in the nation for the number of people participating in NCI-sponsored clinical trials.

"Stephenson Cancer Center is pleased to join the Caris Precision Oncology Alliance," said Kathleen Moore, M.D., Professor of Gynecologic Oncology, Virginia Kerley Cade Endowed Chair in Cancer Developmental Therapeutics, and Director of the Oklahoma TSET Phase 1 program. "This partnership will allow us to advance our mission of using novel innovative platforms to identify potentially targeted biomarkers and contribute towards innovative research that can translate to improving the lives of all patients with cancer."

Stephensen Cancer Center is commited to reducing the adverse effects of cancer in Oklahoma and its significant impact on underserved populations in the state while also training the next generation of cancer researchers and health professionals. Dedicated cancer research programs at Stephenson Cancer Center support 135 investigators who study basic, clinical and behavioral sciences related to cancer care.

"We are excited to welcome OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center to the growing Precision Oncology Alliance network," said Chadi Nabhan, M.D., MBA, FACP, Chairman of the Caris Precision Oncology Alliance. "The ability to collaborate with Stephenson Cancer Center clinicians and researchers in cutting edge precision oncology research is destined to help improve the outcomes of patients with cancer, and is aligned with both organizations' vision."

"Understanding the molecular underpinnings of every cancer can aid in matching the right patient to the right clinical trial, which can lead to better therapeutic strategies across all tumor types," said Abdul Rafeh Naqash, M.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine and a clinical/ translational investigator at the Stephenson Cancer Center TSET Phase 1 program. "We are eager to join the POA network and contribute to meaningful research ideas in this collaborative effort."

The Caris Precision Oncology Alliance includes 70 cancer centers and academic institutions. These institutions have early access to the extensive database and artificial intelligence platform within Caris to establish evidence-based standards for cancer profiling and molecular testing in oncology. By leveraging the comprehensive genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic profiling available through Caris molecular profiling, Caris seeks to provide this network with the ability to prioritize therapeutic options and determine which clinical trial opportunities may benefit their patients. POA members are also able to integrate with a growing portfolio of biomarker directed trials sponsored by biopharma. Additionally, as a member of the POA, institutions have access to Caris CODEai™, the most comprehensive data solution in the industry with cancer treatment information and clinical outcomes data for over 275,000 patients covering over 1 million data points per patient.

About Caris Life Sciences
Caris Life Sciences® (Caris) is the leading molecular science and technology company actively developing and delivering innovative solutions to revolutionize healthcare and improve patient outcomes. Through comprehensive molecular profiling (Whole Exome and Whole Transcriptome Sequencing) and the application of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning algorithms, Caris has created the large-scale clinico-genomic database and cognitive computing needed to analyze and unravel the molecular complexity of disease. This information provides an unmatched resource and the ideal path forward to conduct the basic, fundamental research to accelerate discovery for detection, diagnosis, monitoring, therapy selection and drug development to improve the human condition.

With a primary focus on cancer, Caris' suite of market-leading molecular profiling offerings assesses DNA, RNA and proteins to reveal a molecular blueprint that helps patients, physicians and researchers better detect, diagnose and treat patients. Caris' latest advancement is a blood-based, circulating nucleic acids sequencing (cNAS) assay that combines comprehensive molecular analysis (Whole Exome and Whole Transcriptome Sequencing from blood) and serial monitoring – making it the most powerful liquid biopsy assay ever developed.

Headquartered in Irving, Texas, Caris has offices in Phoenix, New York, Denver, Tokyo, Japan and Basel, Switzerland. Caris provides services throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia and other international markets. To learn more, please visit CarisLifeSciences.com or follow us on Twitter (@CarisLS).

About OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center
OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center is Oklahoma's only National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Center. Stephenson Cancer Center is one of the nation's elite centers, representing the top 2% of cancer centers in the country. It is the largest and most comprehensive oncology practice in the state, delivering patient-centered, multidisciplinary care for every type of cancer. As one of the nation's leading research organizations, Stephenson Cancer Center uses the latest innovations to fight and eliminate cancer, and is currently ranked No. 1 among all cancer centers in the nation for the number of patients participating in clinical trials sponsored by the NCI's National Clinical Trials Network. For more information, visit stephensoncancercenter.org.

Caris Life Sciences Media Contact:
Lisa Burgner
[email protected]
469.822.9330

OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center Media Contact:
April Sandefer
OU Health Director of Communications
[email protected]
405.323.8552

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SOURCE Caris Life Sciences