Dr. Patrick Cobb Named President of Community Oncolog...( WASHINGTON Jan. 28 /- Patrick Cob...),Health

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Patrick Cobb, M.D., a community-based oncologist in Billings, Montana, has been elected president of the Community Oncology Alliance (COA), a national advocacy group for cancer patients and professionals.

"It's a great honor to be chosen to lead COA for the next year," said Dr. Cobb, who is managing partner of Hematology-Oncology Centers of the Northern Rockies in Billings, Montana. "Community cancer care faces severe challenges, and I'm looking forward to continuing our efforts in Washington and across the country."

COA's mission is to protect and foster the community oncology delivery system in the United States through information, advocacy, education, and public policy. COA has been instrumental in working with Congress and the Administration to ensure that cancer patients will continue to receive state-of-the-art care close to home.

"Community oncology is the front line in the war on cancer," Cobb continued. "Almost 85% of cancer patients in the United States are treated close to home by a community oncologist and dedicated team of health professionals, rather than in a distant university setting. It's a huge success story, and it's vital to the nation's health that community oncology remains viable."

Cobb previously served as vice-president of COA and will continue to lead its advocacy efforts in Washington, D.C. Cobb, a graduate of Ruston High School and Louisiana Tech, obtained his medical degree from Tulane University in 1985. He did his postgraduate training at U.S. Army hospitals in Denver and San Antonio and has been in private practice in Billings since 1995. Cobb helped direct investigational chemotherapy research during his tenure in the Army, overseeing early human trials of experimental anticancer drugs.

Dr. Cobb's academic positions have included appointment as clinical assistant profess
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