SAN ANTONIO — Dr. Ian M. Thompson Jr., M.D., professor and chair of urology at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and executive director of its Cancer Therapy & Research Center, today has been elected chairman of the Early Detection Research Network, an initiative of the National Cancer Institute.

Dr. Thompson said he is “very honored and pleased — it’s an enormous responsibility.”

“With virtually every cancer, the outcomes of its treatment depend on how early it’s detected,” Dr. Thompson said. “I think it’s one of the most important programs in the National Cancer Institute.”

The EDRN is a collaborative effort overseen by the National Cancer Institute’s Division of Cancer Prevention. It involves dozens of institutions working to improve early detection of cancers using the body’s own biomarkers, and it coordinates validation studies to determine whether a biomarker delivers on its early promise.

Dr. Thompson previously held the position of vice chairman of the EDRN, running its executive committee. His leadership has been key in the committee’s reviews of validation studies, said EDRN program director Sudhir Srivastava, Ph.D., chief of NCI’s Cancer Biomarkers Research Group.

Dr. Thompson holds the Glenda and Gary Woods Distinguished Chair in Genitourinary Oncology at the UT Health Science Center. He serves as chairman of the Genitourinary Committee of the Southwest Oncology Group, the largest clinical trials organization supported by the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Thompson also currently is principal investigator on two large prostate cancer studies and is a trustee of the American Board of Urology.