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Contact: 210-567-3080 |
Osborne appointed chief of medical oncology (7/31/95)C. Kent Osborne, MD, has been appointed chief of the division of medical oncology at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. The appointment was announced by Robert A. Clark, MD, chairman of the department of medicine. Dr. Osborne is professor of medicine, chief of the breast disease clinic at the Cancer Therapy & Research Center in San Antonio and attending physician at University Hospital and Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital. He has served as interim chief of medical oncology for the Health Science Center since the death of William L. McGuire, MD, in 1992. "We're continuing the same emphasis that we've had through the years, with strong concentration on clinical cancer research, breast cancer, new drug development — the same sorts of things we've been doing and in which we have a strong track record," Dr. Osborne said. "Hopefully we can continue to see the division grow and remain a strong component of our overall medical program." "Dr. Osborne is well known and widely respected nationally and internationally for his key scientific contributions to understanding the basic biology of breast cancer," Dr. Clark said. "Moreover, he and his colleagues have translated this knowledge into new and more effective approaches to treating cancer patients. His interim leadership in medical oncology has been superb and his vision for further development of programs will help greatly in assuring the continued excellence and growth of the division." Since the 1970s, the division has worked to develop a set of "prognostic factors" for breast cancer — a set of indicators for whether a woman's tumor will recur. Physicians worldwide utilize these diagnostic tools when planning patient treatment strategies. "Breast cancer treatment has come a long way, from the days when radical mastectomies were automatically performed in all patients to the more refined, patient-tailored treatment plans of today that take into account sophisticated sets of biological factors," Dr. Osborne said. "Each individual patient is treated in a specific way depending on the characteristics of that patient and her tumor. Some patients are well-suited for lumpectomy, while others may require mastectomy. Some patients may require chemotherapy, some hormonal therapy, while others need no additional therapy because they have such a low chance of recurrence." Basic science and patient care form the backbone of the medical oncology division, which maintains the largest breast tumor bank in the world with more than 100,000 specimens for study. Started by Dr. McGuire in the early 1970s, it was one of the first breast tumor registries of its kind. Division faculty and staff provide care at the CTRC, University Hospital and Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital. Dozens of clinical studies of new anti-cancer agents are initiated in these treatment settings each year. Dr. Osborne has authored or co-authored more than 300 scientific papers and abstracts and serves on several editorial boards, including the *Journal of the National Cancer Institute*. For several years, his research team has studied cancer cell resistance to the drug tamoxifen, one of the most effective drugs used to fight breast cancer. This resistance appears commonly after prolonged treatment. Dr. Osborne, who earned his medical degree with honors from the University of Missouri in 1972 and joined the Health Science Center faculty in 1977, has been rated among the top medical oncologists in the world in a number of publications. In 1994, he was selected for inclusion in the book *The Best Doctors in America*. Last October, he received the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation's Award for Scientific Distinction. Only a few oncologists have been recognized with this award. Among those attending the Dallas ceremony were former President Gerald Ford and first ladies Betty Ford and Barbara Bush. Contact: Will Sansom (210) 567-2570
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