The University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center announced that St. Mary’s Regional Cancer Center in Huntington, W.Va., is the first member of the Markey Cancer Center Research Network, a newly launched initiative conducting high priority cancer research through a network of collaborative centers with expertise in the delivery of cancer care and conduct of research studies.

Thousands of patients across Eastern Kentucky and West Virginia will have close-to-home access to innovative clinical research studies in the treatment and epidemiology of cancer as well as research studies in the prevention and early detection of cancer.

The team at St. Mary’s Regional Cancer Center were invited to participate based on their previous experience in conducting oncology research.