Mitchell Dowsett Receives 2007 William L. Mcguire Award Recipient For Excellence In Breast Cancer Research

Mitchell Dowsett, Ph.D., a leading
international researcher on the endocrinology of breast cancer and the use
of biomarkers to measure response to treatment, received the 2007
William L. McGuire Award at the 30th Annual San Antonio Breast Cancer
Symposium (SABCS). Supported by GlaxoSmithKline Oncology (GSK) since its
inception in 1992, this award acknowledges distinguished researchers for
their significant contributions in the field of breast cancer.


"Mitch Dowsett is one of the real giants of research on hormonal treatment
in breast cancer and a leader in translational research," said C. Kent
Osborne, MD, Co-Director of the SABCS and Director, Baylor College of
Medicine Cancer Center. "He is extremely deserving of this award which pays
tribute to William McGuire, one of the legends in our field, and recognizes
Professor Dowsett's important achievements in advancing our knowledge of
breast cancer."


Widely recognized for his research on aromatase inhibitors and biomarkers of
response and resistance to treatment, Mitchell Dowsett, Ph.D., is Head of
the Academic Department of Biochemistry at The Royal Marsden Hospital,
Professor of Biochemical Endocrinology at the Institute of Cancer Research
and Professor of Translational Research in the Breakthrough Breast Cancer
Research Centre, London.


The award was established to commemorate the significant contributions of
Dr. William L. McGuire to oncology medicine. Dr. McGuire's research played
a major role in introducing estrogen receptor assays on breast tumor tissue
as a guide to treatment decisions for women with breast cancer. These tests
are now widely used around the world.


Dr. McGuire, along with Dr. Charles A. Coltman, founded the San Antonio
Breast Cancer Symposium in 1977. The symposium is the world's leading
breast cancer research meeting and is attended by more than 8,000 doctors
from more than 80 different countries.


"GSK is honored to support this award, now in its sixteenth year, and we
congratulate Mitchell Dowsett, a dedicated researcher whose tireless efforts
have made a tangible impact on the lives of breast cancer patients
everywhere," said Paolo Paoletti, MD, Senior Vice President of the Oncology
Medicine Development Center at GlaxoSmithKline. "It is important that we pay
tribute to accomplished scientists like Professor Dowsett who are leaders in
the field and role models for future researchers."


About the William L. McGuire Award and Memorial Lectureship


Recipients of the William L. McGuire Award and Memorial Lectureship are
selected by the SABCS Executive Committee from persons nominated by
distinguished researchers in the field. Recipients are respected figures in
the international scientific/medical communities and have made significant
contributions to the field of breast cancer research. The San Antonio
Breast Cancer Symposium provides a forum for McGuire Award recipients to
present a topic of high current interest related to the diagnosis and
treatment of breast cancer or to the study of its underlying mechanisms. The
award is supported by an annual grant from GlaxoSmithKline. Past recipients
include:














1992 - Dr. Marc Lippman

1993 - Dr. Bernard Fisher

1994 - Dr. Craig Jordan

1995 - Dr. Bert O'Malley

1996 - Dr. Benita S. Katzenellenbogen

1997 - Kathryn Bloch Horwitz

1998 - Dr. C. Kent Osborne

1999 - Dr. Charles A. Coltman, Jr.

2000 - Dr. Trevor J. Powles

2001 - Dr. Nancy E. Davidson

2002 - Dr. Michael Baum

2003 - Dr. Umberto Veronesi

2004 - Amy S. Langer

2005 - Dr. Dennis J. Slamon

2006 - Dr. Richard J. Santen


About the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium


The 30th Annual Charles A. Coltman, Jr. San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium,
held December 13-16, 2007 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Center, will attract more
than 8,000 health care professionals from around the world to focus on
breast cancer and new efforts in prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the
disease. The symposium is the leading breast cancer conference in the world
and is sponsored by the San Antonio Cancer Institute (Cancer Therapy &
Research Center and University of Texas Health Science Center at San
Antonio) and Baylor College of Medicine.


About GlaxoSmithKline


GlaxoSmithKline - one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical
and healthcare companies - is committed to improving the quality of human
life by enabling people to do more, feel better, and live longer. For
company information, visit GlaxoSmithKline at gsk.


GSK Oncology is dedicated to producing innovations in cancer that will make
profound differences in the lives of patients. Through GSK's "bench to
bedside" approach, we are transforming the way treatments are discovered and
developed, resulting in one of the most robust pipelines in the oncology
sector. Our worldwide research in oncology includes partnerships with more
than 160 cancer centers. GSK is developing a new generation of patient
focused cancer treatments in prevention, supportive care, chemotherapy and
targeted therapies.


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