Cedars-Sinai's Women's Cancer Research Institute Recognized as One of the Nation's Top Centers for Gynecologic Oncology

National Publication Releases List of Top 10 Programs

Los Angeles – May 22, 2009 – Cedars-Sinai Medical Center’s Gynecologic Oncology Division was named among the nation’s top 10 programs by Contemporary OB/GYN, a leading publication read by the nation’s obstetricians and gynecologists.

The award recognizes institutions for overall expertise as well as for leadership in research,patient care and community outreach. Cedars-Sinai’s Women’s Cancer Research Institute was the only center in the Los Angeles area to receive the award.

“We’re pleased to be included in this list of Centers of Excellence for gynecologic cancers,” said Beth Karlan, M.D., director of Cedars-Sinai’s Women’s Cancer Research Institute at the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Institute and an internationally recognized cancer surgeon and research scientist. “The innovative research as well as the level of care and support we offer our patients at Cedars-Sinai truly merits this recognition.”

The award was determined by information provided by key opinion leaders in the field, self reported data and other information, and included criteria such as number of research protocols, patient satisfaction, level of technological equipment onsite, outcome data and national awards and recognition.

Other Centers of Excellence recognized included M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Yale Cancer Center and Duke University Medical Center.

According to Contemporary OB/GYN, the purpose of the list was to provide physicians with information on topnotch treatment centers so that they could refer their patients with gynecologic cancers to some of the best centers in the United States.

Cedars-Sinai’s Women’s Cancer Research Institute at the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute is a multidisciplinary program that is working to reduce the threat of cancer to women through research, education, early detection and prevention. Established in January 2002, the Women’s Cancer Research Institute fosters collaborative research between scientists and physicians to bring the most innovative laboratory discoveries directly to women with breast and/or gynecologic cancers. Karlan, the Women’s Cancer Research Institute’s director, is also director of Gynecologic Oncology and director of the Gilda Radner Cancer Detection Program at Cedars-Sinai. The team of experts at the Women’s Cancer Research Institute includes Ilana Cass, M.D., Ora Gordon, M.D., Scott Karlan, M.D., Andrew Li, M.D., Sandra Orsulic, Ph.D. and Christine Walsh, M.D.