Caris' Precision Oncology Alliance Welcomes The University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center

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

IRVING, Texas, April 14, 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 The University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center (Markey) has joined 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.

The UK Markey Cancer Center was founded in 1983 and is a dedicated matrix cancer center established as an integral part of the University of Kentucky and the UK HealthCare enterprise. Markey has been a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center since 2013, the only one in Kentucky and one of just 71 in the country. This designation allows Markey to receive research funding and many other opportunities available only to the nation's best cancer centers. Additionally, the UK Markey Cancer Center has been ranked in the Top 50 cancer hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report for the past five years.

"Markey Cancer Center is thrilled to join the Caris Precision Oncology Alliance and partner with other clinical institutions and researchers dedicated to improving cancer care," said Mark Evers, M.D., FACS, Director, Markey Cancer Center. "This partnership offers an unparalleled opportunity for all cancer patients to benefit from Caris' comprehensive molecular profiling, by allowing our physicians to better understand, detect and treat cancer."

The clinical programs and services of the Markey Cancer Center are integrated with the UK Albert B. Chandler Hospital. The cancer specialty teams work together with UK Chandler Hospital departments and divisions to provide primary patient care and support services as well as advanced specialty care with applicable clinical trials. Markey is among the few institutions nationwide providing multidisciplinary care through Clinical Care and Research Teams (CCARTs). Major CCARTs include breast, gynecologic, gastrointestinal, head and neck, lung, brain, hematologic and genitourinary cancers.

"Markey Cancer Center uses the latest research programs to offer breakthrough diagnostics, treatments and therapies to their patients," said Chadi Nabhan, M.D., MBA, FACP, Chairman of the Caris Precision Oncology Alliance. "Their focus on providing world-class care through innovation and research builds upon the POA's goal to promote broad-based collaboration among our member institutions in precision oncology research to improve outcomes of all patients with cancer."

The Caris Precision Oncology Alliance includes 62 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, which is currently available within its Precision Oncology Alliance, 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 Markey Cancer Center
The UK Markey Cancer Center, founded in 1983, is a dedicated matrix cancer center established as an integral part of the University of Kentucky and the UK HealthCare enterprise. Markey was designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in July 2013, the only one in Kentucky and one of just 71 in the country. This designation allows Markey to receive research funding and many other opportunities available only to the nation's best cancer centers. Additionally, the UK Markey Cancer Center has been ranked in the Top 50 cancer hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report for the past five years. The clinical programs and services of the UK Markey Cancer Center are integrated with the UK Albert B. Chandler Hospital departments and divisions to provide primary patient care and support services as well as advanced specialty care with applicable clinical trials. All diagnostic services, clinical and pathology laboratories, operating rooms, emergent and intensive care, and radiation therapy services are also provided to cancer patients through UK Chandler Hospital. The UK Markey Cancer Center is among the few institutions nationwide providing multidisciplinary care through Clinical Care and Research Teams (CCARTs). Major CCARTs include breast, gynecologic, gastrointestinal, head and neck, lung, brain, hematologic and genitourinary cancers. Markey is organized in three thematic research programs: Molecular and Cellular Oncology (MCO); Cancer Prevention and Control (CP); and Translational Oncology (TO). In addition, the UK Markey Cancer Center has five established shared resource facilities: Biospecimen Procurement and Translational Pathology (BPTP SRF); Biostatistics and Bioinformatics (BB SRF); Cancer Research Informatics (CRI SRF); Flow Cytometry and Immune Monitoring (FCIM SRF); and Redox Metabolism (RM SRF). Clinical Protocol and Data Management services support and oversee the development and facilitation of clinical trials.

Caris Life Sciences Media Contact:
Ann Obeney 
Vice President, Corporate Communications 
[email protected] 
469-550-1589

Markey Cancer Center Media Contact: 
Mallory Olson 
Public Relations Officer, UK Public Relations & Strategic Communications 
[email protected] 
859-257-1076

SOURCE Caris Life Sciences