Association of Community Cancer Centers Honors Community Oncologist with National Award

Rockville, MD—The Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) has honored James L. Wade III, MD, FACP, FASCO, with the prestigious David King Community Clinical Scientist Award. Dr. Wade is an active leader in cancer research and works as both a committee chair and a board member of several NCI-sponsored national and international research organizations.

Dr. Wade developed the Cancer Care Specialists of Illinois (CCSI) into the largest interdisciplinary oncology hematology practice in Illinois outside of Chicago. CCSI—and its 20 board-certified physicians—is nationally recognized as an outstanding cancer care practice and recipient of Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI) Certification from the American Society of Clinical Oncology. An associate professor of clinical medicine, Dr. Wade also teaches and mentors young physicians at the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University in Chicago.

“It is such an honor to present this year’s award to Dr. Wade, who was president of ACCC in 1997 and 1998 and worked closely with Dr. David King,” said ACCC Executive Director Christian G. Downs, JD, MHA. He co-presented the award with Vicki King, the widow of Dr. David King, who passed away in 2006 after a brief battle with cancer.

The David King Community Clinical Scientist Award recognizes active community clinical research leaders. Award recipients have demonstrated leadership in the development, participation, and evaluation of clinical studies and/or are active in the development of new screening, risk assessment, treatment, or supportive care programs for cancer patients.

Dr. King spent his entire career caring for individuals with cancer and advocating for their access to cutting-edge therapies, while also championing the Community Clinical Oncology Program and the value of clinical research in the community setting.

In accepting the award Dr. Wade remarked, “The David King Award is a great honor. David was a good friend. He was a strong advocate for cancer clinical trials in the community. I consider this an award to our team. It really reflects the work that everyone has done to make this successful. It is only through clinical trials, and clinical trials where real people live, in communities like ours, that we’ll find the answers. So that’s why we do what we do. To find answers.”

The award was presented on October 18, during the ACCC 35^th National Oncology Conference in Phoenix, Arizona.