News & Events

October 3, 2011

September 19, 2011

The Bradenton Herald reports how oncologist Dr. Robert Whorf was drawn to the people side of medicine. Click Here to read the entire article.

September 7, 2011

Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute held groundbreaking ceremonies today on the site of the new Tampa Cancer Center, located at 3402 W. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. The $10 million facility is scheduled to open in the fall of 2012. Brad Prechtl, CEO of FCS, said, “The Tampa Cancer Center, coupled with the growth of our practice in Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties, is indicative of our commitment to set a new standard in cancer treatment and to demonstrate the true power of what community oncology can be.” This new facility will increase our ability to offer unique, state-of-the-art, multidisciplinary oncology treatments that deliver new and personalized cancer therapies, providing renewed hope to an even greater number of cancer patients. Click here to read the full press release.

August 9, 2011

Florida Cancer Specialists, Optimal Outcomes partner on center

TAMPA — After rapid growth through acquisitions, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute plans to consolidate some of its Tampa offices. The practice will combine three offices into a single site, a $9.5 million cancer treatment facility that’s being built by real estate developer Optimal Outcomes LLC at 3402 W. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., next to One Buc Place. Florida Cancer Specialists will be the sole tenant and have an option to purchase the building when it’s completed in the fall of 2012.

It’s among a growing number of new or expanded health care facilities in the Bay area with a total construction cost topping $800 million, according to a Tampa Bay Business Journal survey last spring.

Health care construction is a bright spot for developers, said Patrick Marston, principal and founder of Optimal Outcomes.

“It’s been the most recession-proof industry right now, not that it hasn’t been hit, but not at the same impact. It’s a little more resilient,” Marston said.

Continuity of care

Many of the projects are focused on treating cancer, the second leading cause of death in the United States, surpassed only by heart disease. In Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, the prevalence of cancer is at or above the national average, statistics from the National Cancer Institute show.

The National Institutes of Health has estimated the direct cost for medical care for cancer-related treatment in the United States in 2010 was $102.8 billion. With a 68 percent five-year survival rate for all cancers from 1999-2005, oncology remains a significant unmet need, according to the American Cancer Society .

Florida Cancer Specialists’ new treatment center will provide continuity of care, offering all the services oncology patients need in a single location, said Tim Boozan, vice president of informatics and marketing.

Florida Cancer Specialists, headquartered in Fort Myers and with 42 locations along the west coast of Florida, has grown largely in Tampa through acquisitions, said Glenn Noble, chief financial officer. Three Tampa locations within about a mile of each other — at 4910 N. Armenia Ave., 4301 N. Habana Ave., and 4612 N. Habana Ave. — will be merged into the new two-story, 36,000-square-foot facility.

The new facility will have 13 medical oncologists and a radiation oncologist, once everyone is fully integrated. “We’ll be able to do better scheduling and utilize staff more efficiently,” Noble said.

Investing in technology

The project will include construction of a vault to house a linear accelerator used in radiation therapy. The linear accelerator will be used to provide sophisticated treatments such as intensity-modulated radiation therapy and image guided radiation therapy, attacking cancer cells through precisely targeted high-powered beams of radiation.

“There’s a lot of challenges for hospitals and clinics, whether to invest in new technology in the face of cutbacks in reimbursements,” said Dr. Robert Miller, one of three radiation therapists who opened WellSpring Oncology in Pinellas Park in 2008. “Our philosophy is to continue to try to offer multiple different technologies.”

WellSpring was the first in the state with TomoTherapy, using a CT scanner to provide a 3D image and IMRT and IGTR techniques to hit the exact spot. In May, it added TomoDirect, expanding treatment to a larger patient population.

WellSpring also collaborates with Cyberknife Centers of Tampa Bay, a provider of stereotactic radiosurgery, which is a non-invasive treatment that uses very accurately targeted and large doses of radiation to kill cancer cells. Dr. Frank Franzes, a co-founder of WellSpring, is medical director at Cyberknife Centers of Tampa Bay.

The technology investments have paid off in increased patient volume for WellSpring, said Lan Pratt, executive director. The practice treats about 70 patients on average on a daily basis, many of whom self-refer after hearing advertisements about the technology or reading about it on the Internet.

by Margie Manning, Tampa Bay Business Journal

August 16, 2011

For the fourth consecutive year, FCS President Dr. William Harwin participated in the Pan Mass Challenge, a bike riding event in Massachusetts that raises money for breast cancer research at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. Backed by over 250 donors and personal supporters, Dr. Harwin rode a total of almost 200 miles in the two-day event and personally raised over $48,000 for breast cancer research. Dr. Harwin stated that he was very impressed by the dedication of those who participated in the event.

According to Dr. Harwin, "At the Friday night opening ceremonies there was electricity in the air as Lance Armstrong spoke well energizing several thousand people in the room. It is remarkable to see the support of thousands of people who cheer you on at various point all along the route. I didn't see Lance ride the first day as he was at the front but both Massachusetts Senators John Kerry and Scott Brown participated. I am attaching a couple of pictures and including one of Eric Winer, the head of breast cancer at Dana Farber, and myself as we are both part of Team Wow."

In all, over 30 million dollars was raised, making this the single largest fundraiser of its kind in the United States. Now, we all understand why Dr. Harwin was a part of Team Wow!

July 12, 2011

Read about Florida Cancer Specialists clinical trials program and current patient: Carmen Ortega. Click Here to read the entire article.

July 7, 2011

Read Florida Cancer Specialists Dr. George's mention in the Sarasota Herald Tribune: Click Here to read the entire article.

June 30, 2011

New England Journal of Medicine Publishes FCS Clinical Trial Findings
FCS physician Dr. Luis Chu is one of the authors of a paper appearing last month in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine, the oldest continuously published medical journal in the world. Dr. Chu, along with the other researchers, reported on findings of a clinical trial for the prostate cancer drug abiraterone acetate in the treatment of patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). In a clinical trial of 1195 patients, the drug was shown to prolong survival rates for mCRPC patients when used in combination with prednisone. It received approval from the FDA in April of this year, and is now available via prescription through the FCS RxToGo program. Dr. Chu sees patients at the downtown Sarasota office, and is one of the many FCS physicians participating in clinical trial research and improving the outcomes for cancer patients everywhere. Click Here to read the entire article.

June 4, 2011

Florida Cancer Specialists is a proud recipient of ASCO's 2011 Clinical Trials Participation Award, awarded to practices that have established high-quality clinical cancer research programs.

Click Here to View Highlights of some of the most important scientific and educational presentations from Saturday June 4th, at the 2011 ASCO Annual Meeting.

March 29, 2011

FCS is pleased to announce the hiring of our second hematopathologist, Dr. Mojdeh Naghashpour. Dr. Naghashpour has outstanding credentials and is currently working for Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa. Her first day of employment will be on July 5, 2011.

This is another example of FCS expanding the services we offer to our patients and would only have been possible as a result of our growth over the past few years.




February 10, 2011

The new Lakewood Ranch Cancer Center brings a team approach to fighting cancer by combining treatment talent under one roof. Click here to read the full article on Bradenton.com