Wilks to focus on advancements in novel therapies for breast cancer
Sharon T. Wilks, MD, FACP
(SAN ANTONIO) December 8, 2021 –– Medical oncologist Dr. Sharon Wilks joins NEXT Oncology bringing more than 30 years of research and clinical experience to the practice. NEXT Oncology’s Phase I oncology centers provide patients with advanced cancer access to the newest treatments available.
Dr. Wilks focuses on research and advancements in the treatment of breast cancer with more than 32 years of research and clinical experience as a hematologist and medical oncologist. She says she is making the transition to NEXT Oncology for a better opportunity to focus on caring for patients and serving them with options of hope for a better outcome in cancer care when they need it most.
“I have been involved in breast cancer research since my early career in the Air Force,” Dr. Wilks said. “I am extremely encouraged that novel measures in breast cancer are being offered literally every day. I want to continue to be involved with this area of research that may lead ultimately to better survival rates and improvements in quality for the breast cancer survivor seeking care.”
NEXT Oncology founder Dr. Anthony Tolcher said he values her depth of understanding in research that has helped advance cancer prevention and drug development in Phase II and III clinical trials. In her role at NEXT Oncology, she will be involved in all Phase I and drug development projects but with a dedication to breast cancer research.
“Our team and patients alike are excited to welcome Dr. Wilks to our team,” Dr. Tolcher said. “She is a compassionate physician who always wants the best in care for her patients and strives to provide novel treatments whenever necessary. At NEXT Oncology she will have the opportunity to carry out research and be involved with testing new agents that may provide better outcomes in survival and care for the patient with advanced forms of cancer.”
Dr. Wilks said she found limited research options due to established inclusion and exclusion criteria in trials. She believes that earlier forms of research, such as Phase I, provide a much broader net of options for her patients.
“The opportunities for a broader menu of research options are clearly well established at NEXT Oncology,” Dr. Wilks said. “At NEXT Oncology, patients understand when they come into the practice that this is a facility offering research. Most patients in private practice want standard of care options not understanding that research, in general, provides potentially better options. NEXT eliminates that barrier for me.”
Dr. Wilks joins NEXT Oncology after treating patients at Texas Oncology for 23 years, where she served as an associate chair for the breast cancer research committee for The US Oncology Network, which oversees more than 100 clinical studies. She received her medical degree at Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md. She obtained her subsequent training and fellowship at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio.
NEXT Oncology opened NEXT-Austin in July and entered a joint venture with Virginia Cancer Specialists in September to form NEXT-Virginia. In November, NEXT Oncology entered into an agreement with the Quirónsalud Hospital Group in Spain to open NEXT-Barcelona and NEXT-Madrid. NEXT Oncology has a relationship with Texas Oncology which is a practice in The US Oncology Network, the largest network of its kind in the United States.
About NEXT Oncology
NEXT Oncology is dedicated to the development of new anticancer agents for patients whose current cancer therapy is no longer working to benefit them and are looking for their next option. NEXT is partnered with Texas Oncology, the largest private oncology practice in the United States with more than 400 referring medical oncologists. Texas Oncology is a practice within The US Oncology Network, a network of independent, community-based oncologists in the U.S. This formidable size and reach provide NEXT unprecedented opportunities to transform what has come to be expected from clinical trials of new agents.