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American Cancer Society Honors Two Fox Chase Cancer Center Physicians
PHILADELPHIA (November 18, 1999) -- The Southeast Region of the American Cancer Society's Pennsylvania Division honored two Fox Chase Cancer Center physicians October 21 at its 1999 Salute to Volunteers. Dr. W. Thomas London, director of the Liver Cancer Prevention Center and a senior member of the population science division at Fox Chase, received the first-time Distinguished Interdisciplinary Research Award. Dr. Robert F. Ozols, senior vice president for medical science, received the Scientific Achievement Award.
London was recognized for "outstanding scientific contributions that have improved our understanding of the origins and prevention of primary liver cancer...from the research setting to clinical practice to the community." He pioneered a liver-cancer prevention program for people in the Greater Philadelphia area who are at high risk of primary liver cancer associated with chronic hepatitis B. The program identifies hepatitis carriers and monitors them to detect early liver cancer while protecting uninfected family members through hepatitis vaccination.
The ACS citation noted that "the cutting-edge cancer-control activities of Dr. London are leading the way in developing national prevention and control programs to combat this deadly cancer" and that "at the national and international levels, his experiences and insights have been critical to the strategic planning of cancer research and control programs administered by the National Institutes of Health."
Ozols was honored for his accomplishments in improving treatment for ovarian cancer. He has become internationally known for his research on this disease.
Ozols' laboratory at the National Cancer Institute during the 1970s and 1980s developed "unique models of human ovarian cancer that were instrumental in the design of novel clinical trials for new agents, doses, routes of administration and pharmacological techniques to reverse clinical drug resistance," the ACS citation said.
After Ozols joined Fox Chase in 1988, he identified a new chemotherapy combination using paclitaxel (Taxol) and carboplatin that has been accepted worldwide as a new standard of care. Most recently, he has started a unique chemoprevention trial for women at high risk of ovarian cancer.
NBC 10-TV reporter Terry Ruggles presented the honors at the Southeast Region ACS annual volunteer dinner, held at the Adam's Mark Hotel. The awards included those for distinguished service, cancer control, courage, volunteer achievement and community service.
Fox Chase Cancer Center is one of 36 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the nation. The Center's activities include basic and clinical research; prevention, detection and treatment of cancer; and community outreach programs.
Fox Chase Cancer Center, part of Temple University Health System, is one of the leading cancer research and treatment centers in the United States. Founded in 1904 in Philadelphia as one of the nation’s first cancer hospitals, Fox Chase also was among the first institutions to receive the National Cancer Institute’s prestigious comprehensive cancer center designation in 1974. Fox Chase researchers have won the highest awards in their fields, including two Nobel Prizes. Fox Chase physicians are routinely recognized in national rankings, and the Center’s nursing program has achieved Magnet status for excellence three consecutive times. Fox Chase conducts a broad array of nationally competitive basic, translational, and clinical research and oversees programs in cancer prevention, detection, survivorship, and community outreach. For more information, call 1-888-FOX-CHASE (1-888-369-2427).
