PrintPrintDr. George R. Simon will lead the Center of Economic Excellence in Tobacco Related Malignancy Research at the Medical University of South Carolina’s Hollings Cancer Center, officials announced today.
Staff Report
Published Aug. 24, 2010
Lung cancer expert Dr. George R. Simon will lead the Center of Economic Excellence in Tobacco Related Malignancy Research at the Medical University of South Carolina’s Hollings Cancer Center, officials announced today.
Simon, who served previously as director of the thoracic oncology program at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadephia, will hold The Burtschy Family Distinguished Endowed Chair in Lung Cancer Research in MUSC’s Department of Medicine.
He also will serve as assistant director for clinical investigations at Hollings Cancer Center.
Simon is an expert in thoracic malignancies, with an emphasis on lung cancer and mesothelioma. His research interests include developing personalized treatment platforms for non-small cell lung cancer, novel targeted agents for the treatment of lung cancer and mesothelioma and glucose metabolism in tumors.
Simon and his team were the first to describe the prognostic significance of nuclear excision repair in patients with early stage lung cancer. He also led the first trial in the country that prescribed individualized treatments to patients with advanced stage lung cancer based on the expression of certain genes found in the patient’s tumor.
These national studies have helped better define these markers and are now being tested in international trials, said Dr. Andrew S. Kraft, director of the Hollings Cancer Center.
“Lung cancer is the No. 1 cause of cancer-related deaths, and the second most common cancer, in both men and women in the United States and South Carolina,” Kraft said. “It is urgent that we continue to improve detection and diagnosis while researching and creating more effective treatment strategies. Dr. Simon’s work holds the potential to change the outlook for lung cancer in our state.”
The Center of Economic Excellence in Tobacco-Related Malignancy Research works to discover biomarkers of tobacco-related malignancies. The initial focus is on lung cancer, but scientists also hope to make advances in other tobacco-related malignancies including head and neck, bladder and esophageal cancers, according to MUSC.
“The collaboration that will take place between Dr. Simon and our team will elevate the level of lung cancer research at MUSC, something that stands to benefit South Carolina’s residents as well as our economy,” said Dr. Harry Drabkin, chairman of MUSC’s Division of Hematology/Oncology. “Having him here will allow MUSC to be highly competitive when applying for critical funding for lung cancer research.”
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