Caris' Precision Oncology Alliance Welcomes VCU Massey Cancer Center

Massey joins Caris' extensive network of leading cancer institutions committed to utilizing clinical data to advance patient care and outcomes

IRVING, Texas, Oct. 25, 2022  /PRNewswire/ -- Caris Life Sciences^®(Caris), the leading molecular science and technology company actively developing and delivering innovative solutions to revolutionize healthcare, announced today that Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Massey Cancer Center (Massey) 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.

Founded in 1974, Massey is the only cancer center in the Richmond metropolitan region and the first of only two in the state designated by the National Cancer Institute, placing it among the top four percent of cancer centers in the country. Massey scientists and physicians collaborate to conduct laboratory, translational, clinical and population sciences research to discover new and better ways to prevent, diagnose, treat and control cancer. Their research members are faculty from 39 departments in nine schools and colleges at VCU.

"Massey is pleased to join Caris' Precision Oncology Alliance," said Robert A. Winn, M.D., Director and Lipman Chair in Oncology at VCU Massey Cancer Center. "Precision medicine is a game changer within the scientific world. Caris' POA provides Massey researchers with the opportunity to join a growing number of academic cancer centers and collaboratively study patient outcomes based on unique molecular profiles."

"We're excited to welcome VCU Massey Cancer Center into the growing Caris Precision Oncology Alliance network and look forward to fostering this research collaboration," said Chadi Nabhan, M.D., MBA, FACP, Chairman of the Caris Precision Oncology Alliance. "Our mutual interest in precision oncology and a patient-centric approach will enable VCU and the POA to work jointly towards a common goal of improving the outcomes of all patients suffering from cancer."

The Caris Precision Oncology Alliance includes 73 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 advance research in cancer precision medicine. 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.

"What makes me excited is the potential," said Winn. "The potential to look at outcomes based on unique molecular profiles, and the potential from then tying that together with ZNA – that is, your zip code and neighborhood of association in the context of studies through Caris' POA Healthcare Disparities Council. What impact does a person's environment have on their biology? Now that is personalized medicine."

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 VCU Massey Cancer Center
VCU Massey Cancer Center is working toward a future without cancer – one discovery, one successful therapy and one life saved at a time. Among the top 4 percent of cancer centers in the country to be designated by the National Cancer Institute to lead and shape America's cancer research efforts, Massey is dedicated to saving and improving lives by discovering, developing, delivering and teaching effective means to prevent, detect and treat cancer and to making those advancements equally available to all. Massey is leading the nation in establishing a 21st-Century model of equity for cancer research and care, in which the community is informing and partnering with Massey on its research to best address the cancer burden and disparities of those the cancer center serves. Massey conducts cancer research spanning basic, translational, clinical and population sciences; offers state-of-the-art cancer therapies and clinical trials, including a network that brings trials to communities statewide; provides oncology education, teaching and training; and promotes cancer prevention. At Massey, subspecialized oncology experts collaborate in multidisciplinary teams to provide award-winning, comprehensive cancer care at multiple sites throughout Virginia. Visit Massey online at masseycancercenter.org or call 877-4-MASSEY for more information.

Caris Life Sciences Media Contact:
Lisa Burgner
[email protected] 
214.294.5606

VCU Massey Cancer Center Media Contact:
Annie Harris
[email protected]
804.628.5338

SOURCE Caris Life Sciences