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The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the world’s leading professional organization representing physicians who care for people with cancer, and CollabRx, an organization that leverages information technology to personalize cancer treatments and accelerate research have forged a strategic partnership to develop innovative, Web-based decision support tools that enable physicians and their patients to better understand emerging cancer therapies and the specific genetic profiles of patients’ tumors that these drugs target. This knowledge will empower oncologists to consider all possible options in the course of devising a patient’s targeted therapy plan.
The partnership will initially focus on melanoma in the context of CollabRx’s Targeted Therapy Finder – Melanoma, which is an online “app” that enables physicians and patients to identify diagnostic tests, treatments, and clinical trials associated with unique molecular profiles of patients’ tumors. By providing access to its extensive and highly respected knowledge base of publications on clinical oncology, ASCO will help users of the app receive the most up-to-date and comprehensive information pertaining to the clinical testing of novel cancer drugs.
Through this relationship, ASCO will provide CollabRx with access to all of its published melanoma content, including data presented in abstract format at the society’s annual meetings as well as study results described in peer-reviewed journals including the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Additionally, ASCO will make the Targeted Therapy Finder – Melanoma app available to its 30,000 members via its website, ASCO.org (www.asco.org/therapyfinder), and other channels. People diagnosed with melanoma can also utilize the free tool through ASCO’s patient information website, Cancer.Net (www.cancer.net/targetedtherapyfinder). In addition, Cancer.Net Melanoma Associate Editor Lynn M. Schuchter, MD will assist in providing content curation for the targeted therapy finder by identifying the most relevant tests, treatments and clinical trials for each molecular subtype, based on the best current knowledge.
“One of ASCO’s overarching goals is to provide quality and timely information to our members to help them deliver the highest quality of care to their patients,” said Allen S. Lichter, MD, CEO of ASCO. “We’re pleased to partner with CollabRx to leverage the Internet and social media to improve cancer treatment planning in melanoma and beyond.”
“We are honored to be working with ASCO to make the Targeted Therapy Finder – Melanoma app the preeminent source of personalized information for melanoma patients and physicians,” said Dr. Jay M. (Marty) Tenenbaum, CEO of CollabRx. “We are looking forward to leveraging the unique insight of ASCO to help translate the latest scientific findings into actionable results.”
About the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is the world’s leading professional organization representing physicians who care for people with cancer. With nearly 30,000 members, ASCO is committed to improving cancer care through scientific meetings, educational programs and peer-reviewed journals. For ASCO information and resources, visit www.asco.org. Patient-oriented cancer information is available at www.cancer.net. The Targeted Therapy Finder – Melanoma app is available at www.asco.org/therapyfinder for health professionals and at www.cancer.net/targetedtherapyfinder for patients.
About CollabRx
The mission of CollabRx is to save lives by using information technology to personalize cancer treatments and accelerate research. Our web-based applications and services power Cancer Commons, a family of open-science cancer communities in which physicians, patients, and scientists use our web-based applications to find tests and therapies, discuss cases and treatment recommendations, report outcomes, and analyze data. For more information, please visit: collabrx.com. The Targeted Therapy Finder – Melanoma app is available at therapy.collabrx.com/melanoma.
