UNM Joins Global Oncology Network, Boosting New Mexico's Cancer Fight

IRVING, TX – August 07, 2026 – In a significant move to advance personalized cancer treatment, Caris Life Sciences has announced that the University of New Mexico (UNM) Comprehensive Cancer Center will join its Precision Oncology Alliance (POA). The partnership integrates a vital regional healthcare provider into a global network that leverages cutting-edge molecular science and artificial intelligence to combat cancer, promising to expand access to advanced care for thousands of patients in the American Southwest.

The Caris POA is a collaborative network of leading cancer centers and research institutions dedicated to biomarker-driven research. By adding UNM, the alliance not only grows its ranks but strategically extends its reach into a region with unique demographic and geographic challenges. This collaboration underscores a powerful trend in healthcare: the fusion of technology, big data, and academic medicine to accelerate progress against one of the world's most complex diseases.

"Welcoming the University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center to the Caris Precision Oncology Alliance reflects our continued commitment to expanding collaborative cancer research and bringing the promise of precision medicine to more patients," said James Hamrick, MD, MPH, Chairman of the Caris Precision Oncology Alliance. "Together, we will leverage molecular science, clinical expertise and real-world evidence to generate insights that help improve outcomes for patients facing cancer."

A Strategic Lifeline for a Unique Region

The inclusion of the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center is more than just another pin on the map for the Caris POA; it represents a crucial link to a vast and diverse patient population. UNM is the only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer center within a 500-mile radius, making it the primary hub for advanced cancer care across New Mexico and surrounding areas. The center treats approximately 65% of the state's cancer patients—nearly 15,000 individuals annually—many of whom come from rural and underserved communities.

This partnership directly addresses the center's mission to reduce the cancer burden in New Mexico's multiethnic population. By gaining access to Caris's comprehensive molecular profiling—which includes Whole Exome, Whole Genome, and Whole Transcriptome Sequencing—UNM clinicians can create a detailed molecular blueprint of each patient's tumor. This allows for more precise, individualized treatment strategies that move beyond the one-size-fits-all approach of traditional chemotherapy.

"Joining the Caris Precision Oncology Alliance provides a valuable opportunity for research to help our patients, advance science to treat cancer and collaborate with leading cancer experts nationwide to help shape the future of precision oncology," stated Bernard Tawfik, MD, medical director of the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center Clinical Research Office. This sentiment highlights the dual benefit: immediate improvements in patient care and long-term contributions to the global fight against cancer.

The Network Effect: How Collaborative Data Is Redefining Oncology

The Caris Precision Oncology Alliance is a prime example of the 'TechBio' revolution, where technology companies are deeply embedded in the biological sciences. Caris isn't just a diagnostics company; it's a data science powerhouse. The alliance, now comprising over 95 institutions worldwide—including more than 45 NCI-designated centers—functions as a massive, distributed research engine.

Members contribute de-identified molecular and clinical data to a central clinico-genomic database. Caris then applies advanced AI and machine learning algorithms to this enormous dataset to uncover patterns, identify novel biomarkers, and validate new therapeutic targets. The scale of this operation is staggering. A single institution may see a few dozen cases of a rare cancer subtype in a year, but the alliance's collective database contains hundreds of thousands of tumor profiles, providing the statistical power needed to make meaningful discoveries.

This collaborative model has proven incredibly productive. Since its inception, the Caris POA has contributed to over 1,100 publications and presentations. This isn't just academic exercise; these findings directly influence care standards, inform the development of new drugs, and help clinicians make better-informed decisions. For UNM, joining the alliance means its researchers can now query this vast repository to investigate questions relevant to their own patient population, while their data contributes to a greater whole, accelerating scientific discovery on a global scale.

From Data to Dosing: What the Alliance Means for Patients

For a cancer patient in New Mexico, this partnership translates abstract concepts like 'big data' and 'AI' into tangible hope. The immediate benefit is improved access to world-class diagnostics that can guide treatment decisions with unprecedented precision. A comprehensive molecular profile can reveal a specific genetic mutation that makes a tumor vulnerable to a targeted therapy, potentially offering a more effective and less toxic alternative to standard treatments.

Furthermore, the alliance streamlines access to clinical trials. Caris's "Right-In-Time" program uses a patient's molecular data to automatically match them with relevant clinical trials across the country. This system, supported by dedicated Clinical Trial Navigators, helps overcome the significant logistical hurdles that often prevent patients from enrolling in studies that could be their best treatment option. It allows UNM to offer its patients access to the latest investigational therapies without them having to leave their local care team.

This partnership is emblematic of the direction the entire precision oncology market is heading. Valued at over $115 billion in 2024, the market is projected to surpass $200 billion by 2030, driven by the integration of genomics, AI, and multi-omics approaches. By forging this alliance, Caris and UNM are not just following a trend; they are actively building the infrastructure for a future where cancer treatment is truly personalized, data-driven, and accessible to all, regardless of where they live.