Where The Money Goes

Your donation to the 2015 Ride to Fight On will benefit research and education in the four Centers of Excellence at the University of Tennessee/West Institute for Cancer Research.

Translational Drug Discovery and Development

A new, innovative approach to cancer treatment is to understand the mutation that caused the diseased cancer cell in the first place. This understanding forms a basis point for scientists to develop a direct and targeted therapy that could treat and potentially cure many types of cancers. Around the country and here at West Cancer Center, scientists are identifying these mutations at a rapid rate and developing new drugs targeting these mutations. Our clinical trial programs include studies of new agents that help investigators through the discovery, development and testing of novel therapeutics.

Cancer Immunotherapy

We have known for more than a century that the body’s immune system plays a role in fighting cancer. However, it has only been in the last 5 years that scientists and physicians alike have realized the true – and vast – potential of treating patients by targeting the immune system in cancer care. Here at West Cancer Center, scientists are conducting research into how the immune system can best be harnessed to find and destroy cancer cells. We are currently enrolling patients in a large number of immunotherapy clinical studies, as well as creating systems that bring novel immunotherapies from the laboratory to the patient –providing our patients the most cutting-edge and effective treatment available.

Women’s Cancers

Women’s cancers remain a significant and major challenge in the Memphis market and for our overall patient population. West Cancer Center is home to some of the most renowned and respected experts in the field of Breast and Gynecologic Oncology, and we continue to recruit the best oncologists in the country to target these two specialties.  Breast and ovarian cancers are important areas focus of our clinical trials program, where we explore new treatment options and innovative patient care for these and other women’s cancers.

Community Outcomes

West Cancer Center is leading the way in addressing radical disparities in the Memphis market. We have developed and continue to create comprehensive programs to understand the disparity in outcomes for African-American women with breast cancer, African-American men with prostate cancer, and other alarming disparities that reflect genetic mutations as well as delayed diagnosis and treatment. These efforts have resulted in tangible results, providing a seamless continuum of education, prevention and treatment for the underserved and underinsured in our community.

For more information on current clinical trials and research programs at West Cancer Center, please visit westcancercenter.org.