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Pamela McDonnell
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NYU School of Medicine
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Deborah Axelrod, Breast Cancer Clinician, Researcher, and Advocate, Joins NYU Clinical Cancer Center

NEW YORK, January 10, 2005 -- Steven J. Burakoff, MD, Director of the NYU Cancer Institute, and Thomas S. Riles, MD, Chairman of the Department of Surgery, recently announced the appointment of Deborah Axelrod, MD, as the new Director of Clinical Breast Services and Medical Director of Community Cancer Education and Outreach at NYU’s new Clinical Cancer Center. Dr. Axelrod was recruited from St. Vincent’s Hospital and Medical Center where she served as the Chief of the Comprehensive Breast Center.

Dr. Axelrod, a board-certified surgeon specializing in breast cancer, is the author and co-author of more than 25 chapters and peer-reviewed articles on breast cancer. Additionally of great significance, she is a recipient of the 2001 Craft grant awarded by the Susan G. Komen Foundation to screen and recruit Chinese American women at risk for breast cancer in the closely watched and much-anticipated STAR trial. The trial, a study of tamoxifen and raloxifene, is one of the largest breast cancer prevention trials ever undertaken and will recruit 19,000 women from 400 sites located in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.

Dr. Axelrod has dedicated much of her career to educating the public about breast cancer including risk-reduction measures, detection, and treatment. At St. Vincent’s Hospital, Dr. Axelrod initiated the Community Lecture Series which provides lectures and resources to the community free of charge. Dr. Axelrod herself has given over 120 community lectures and professional presentations.

Her commitment to breast cancer patient advocacy and education is reflected in her steadfast community work, both locally and nationally. She is on the Board of Directors at SHARE (Self-Help Group for Women with Breast and Ovarian Cancer) in New York City, the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Northern New Jersey Affiliate, and Cancer 101, which offers organizational resources to men and women diagnosed with cancer. She is also a member of the Medical Resource Council at Gilda’s Club (a cancer support community), the Health Advisory Board at Hadassah, and the Medical Advisory Board at the Young Survival Coalition.

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