March 24, 2009

Team Continuum's Runners Support NYU Cancer Institute and New Treatments for Late Stage Cancer

(New York City, NY- March 4, 2009) - The NYU Cancer Institute at NYU Langone Medical Center celebrated Team Continuum for their pledge of $1 million to support the Team Continuum Center for Early Phase Trials with an on campus reception and a plaque dedication ceremony on Tuesday, March 3, 2009. This program helps cancer patients access the newest and most promising treatments for advanced stages of disease, when there are often few therapeutic options available.

Team Continuum is a non-profit organization that provides immediate and vital, non-medical assistance to cancer patients and their families where the diagnosis results in disruption, hardship and uncertainty in everyday lives. They also provide funding to health care facilities and foundations to enhance the delivery of care, communications and educational services for cancer patients.

Paul Nicholls, a survivor of advanced myeloma, founded Team Continuum in 2004. After a stem cell transplant and numerous rounds of chemotherapy, Paul ran in the NYC Marathon. He inspired his doctor, as well as others, to run with him, to raise money for cancer patients.

"It is with humble pride that Team Continuum continues its commitment of support to develop the infrastructure of the Team Continuum Center for Early Phase Trials at the NYU Cancer Institute," said Paul. "Through individual grants and integrative programming, Team Continuum is dedicated to providing patients with their most immediate needs, not later, but now which is when they most need it."

"Paul has done so much for our community to make these miracles happen. This program is essential to the growth of this Cancer Institute," said William L. Carroll, MD, director of the NYU Cancer Institute.

Howard Hochster, MD, director of gastrointestinal oncology and early drug development at the NYU Cancer Institute and professor of medicine and pharmacology at NYU Langone Medical Center, is on Team Continuum's board of directors. "With the support of Team Continuum, we have organized a cluster of beds and have provided the nursing and clinical trial staff necessary to perform state-of-the-art trials with investigational agents coming to the clinic as soon as the FDA approves such trials," says Dr. Hochster.

"Team Continuum's sponsorship of the Center for Early Phase Trials at NYU Cancer Institute means that patients will be able to access the newest and most promising therapies earlier and more conveniently," Hochster adds. "I am proud to run with Team Continuum and serve on their board of directors."

Since its inception, Team Continuum has raised over $4.8 million to help patients battle the disease and provide funding to improve cancer patient care programs around the country.

NYU Langone Medical Center
Located in the heart of New York City, NYU Langone Medical Center is one of the nation's premier centers of excellence in health care, biomedical research, and medical education. For over 167 years, NYU physicians and researchers have made countless contributions to the practice and science of health care. Today the Medical Center consists of NYU School of Medicine, including the Smilow Research Center, the Skirball Institute for Biomolecular Medicine, and the Sackler Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences; the three hospitals of NYU Hospitals Center, Tisch Hospital, a 726-bed acute-care general hospital; Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, the first and largest facility of its kind; NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases, a leader in musculoskeletal care; and such major programs as the NYU Cancer Institute, the NYU Child Study Center, and the Hassenfeld Children's Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders.

The NYU Cancer Institute
The NYU Cancer Institute is an NCI-designated cancer center. Its mission is to discover the origins of human cancer and to use that knowledge to eradicate the personal and societal burden of cancer in our community, the nation and the world. The center and its multidisciplinary team of experts provide access to the latest treatment options and clinical trials along with a variety of programs in cancer prevention, screening, diagnostics, genetic counseling and supportive services. For additional information, please visit: www.nyuci.org.

Contact:
Jennifer Berman
NYU Cancer Institute
212-263-8670
Jennifer.Berman@nyumc.org