Newswise — New Brunswick, N.J., January 9, 2012 - Receiving a boost to support its Breast Surgery Fellowship Program, The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) has been awarded a $75,000 grant from The Breast Cancer Alliance for academic year 2012-2013. CINJ is a Center of Excellence of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

CINJ’s one-year fellowship provides surgeons who have completed their general surgery residency with advanced training and experience that prepares them to provide state-of-the-art care specifically for patients with breast disease. Through the program, they learn how to apply a multidisciplinary approach to the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of breast cancer patients.

CINJ fellows also participate in clinical and/or laboratory research with opportunities to design and implement clinical trials. They also train in the basic methodology for conducting those trials. The Breast Cancer Alliance, a non-profit entity, awards grants to support innovative research as well as education and outreach initiatives devoted to breast cancer.

“The Breast Cancer Alliance has supported fellowships at many top institutions in the Northeast region through the years. We are pleased that its members recognize the strength of our program here at CINJ and that through this award we will be able to help advance breast cancer research and treatment,” said CINJ surgical oncologist Laurie J. Kirstein, MD, FACS, who heads the fellowship program and is an assistant professor of surgery at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

The grant will support the work of CINJ’s newest breast surgical fellow beginning July 1.

About The Cancer Institute of New JerseyThe Cancer Institute of New Jersey (www.cinj.org) is the state’s first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center dedicated to improving the detection, treatment and care of patients with cancer, and serving as an education resource for cancer prevention. CINJ’s physician-scientists engage in translational research, transforming their laboratory discoveries into clinical practice, quite literally bringing research to life. To make a tax-deductible gift to support CINJ, call 732-235-8614 or visit www.cinjfoundation.org. CINJ is a Center of Excellence of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Follow us on Facebook at www.cinjfoundation.org. The CINJ Network is comprised of hospitals throughout the state and provides the highest quality cancer care and rapid dissemination of important discoveries into the community. Flagship Hospital: Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. System Partner: Meridian Health (Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Ocean Medical Center, Riverview Medical Center, Southern Ocean Medical Center, and Bayshore Community Hospital). Major Clinical Research Affiliate Hospitals: Carol G. Simon Cancer Center at Morristown Medical Center, Carol G. Simon Cancer Center at Overlook Medical Center, and Cooper University Hospital. Affiliate Hospitals: CentraState Healthcare System, JFK Medical Center, Mountainside Hospital, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton (CINJ Hamilton), Somerset Medical Center, The University Hospital/UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School*, and University Medical Center at Princeton. *Academic Affiliate ###