The MCW Cancer Center is bringing personalized medicine to more patients through the new Center for Precision Oncology and Rare Cancers (PORC). The Center builds on the success of the Rare Cancer and Precision Medicine Clinic, where clinicians and scientists work together to match patients with rare or hard-to-treat cancers to therapies informed by the molecular makeup of their tumors. Now formally designated within the Cancer Center, the PORC will help expand patient access to precision diagnostics and trials, and strengthen the infrastructure needed to turn discoveries into more tailored care.
The PORC will be led by Razelle Kurzrock, MD, FACP, an internationally recognized pioneer in precision oncology and rare cancer research. Dr. Kurzrock previously served as the Cancer Center’s Associate Director of Clinical Research and now steps into this new leadership role to guide the Center’s growth and translational vision. Mehdi Hamadani, MD, a leading investigator in hematologic malignancies, will assume the Associate Director of Clinical Research position, overseeing clinical research development and operations. Working alongside other Cancer Center clinical research leaders, they will drive the next generation of precision oncology trials, deepen collaboration between research and clinical teams, and help shape a future where cancer care is truly personal.
The Power of Many to Understand One
Since opening in 2023, the Rare Cancer and Precision Medicine Clinic has recorded nearly 4,000 patient visits from across the United States, Canada, and Europe. Its success stems from the multidisciplinary expertise of clinicians and scientists who collaborate to understand each patient’s cancer and guide individualized treatment.
At the heart of this work is the Molecular Tumor Board, where oncologists, pathologists, geneticists, and data scientists review each case, analyze tumor profiles, and recommend targeted therapies or clinical trial opportunities. This collaboration extends across MCW, where experts study each tumor at the DNA, RNA, and protein levels to identify the biological drivers of disease.
Juan Felix, MD, Vice Chair of Anatomic Pathology and Director of Surgical Pathology, developed a 16-protein immunohistochemistry panel—one of the only tools of its kind in the world—to uncover new treatment targets. Phoebe H. Lemert, MS, CGC, the clinic’s genetic counselor, provides germline testing and counseling for every patient, identifying hereditary mutations that standard guidelines often miss. This approach has revealed actionable inherited alterations in nearly one in five patients, uncovering opportunities for earlier intervention and more tailored therapy.
“The average tumor has five genomic alterations and hundreds of potential driver genes,” said Dr. Kurzrock. “The number of possible patterns is in the trillions. Understanding that complexity takes many disciplines working together.”
As the clinic transitions into a Center, it will recruit additional oncologists, bioinformaticians, and research scientists; expand collaborations with the Clinical Trials Office and Experimental Therapeutics Program; and build stronger connections with MCW researchers studying tumor biology and treatment resistance to translate their discoveries into new cutting-edge therapies.
Next Generation Cancer Care for Every Patient
The Center’s expansion will broaden access to adaptive, precision-driven trials such as MCW I-PREDICT, a master protocol led by Hui-Zi Chen, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Hematology and Oncology, that matches therapies to each patient’s molecular profile. Since launching at MCW in 2023, it has treated more than 140 patients, enrolling about 60 new participants each year—a rate that far exceeds traditional single-agent studies and has already strengthened clinical trial accruals across the Cancer Center. Because the protocol is continually updated, new therapies can be added as they emerge, ensuring patients have access to the most advanced options without delay.
“What we are doing here with I-PREDICT, I don’t think anybody in the world is doing,” said Dr. Kurzrock. “It’s open to anyone in the Cancer Center and allows us to treat each patient as an individual, not by putting them in buckets but by optimizing therapy for every person.”
The Center also plans to expand universal sequencing, offering comprehensive molecular testing for every patient, regardless of cancer type or background. The program will include both somatic sequencing of tumors and germline testing, led by Lemert, to uncover inherited mutations that guide treatment and prevention strategies for patients and their families.
“When everyone is sequenced, no one is left behind,” said Dr. Kurzrock. “It ensures that every person, from any community, can benefit from the same level of precision care.”
By advancing trials like I-PREDICT and implementing universal sequencing, the PORC will help grow the Cancer Center’s overall research portfolio and increase opportunities for collaboration among Disease-Oriented Teams. The result is a stronger clinical research infrastructure capable of enrolling more patients, generating richer datasets, and advancing discoveries that move quickly from concept to care.
Learn more about clinical research and trials.