The UCSD Moores Cancer Center has received double honors from the National Cancer Institute (NCI): renewal of its core support grant amounting to approximately $21 million over the next five years, and in a separate but related review process, renewal of its status as a Comprehensive Cancer Center, the only such Center in San Diego.
The core grant helps to cover the costs of administering the center’s research programs and operating its 10 core facilities, called shared resources. These facilities provide sophisticated technical services to researchers throughout the center. The award marks 28 years of continuous federal funding support.
The NCI designation as a comprehensive cancer center is awarded only to centers that demonstrate research excellence in the basic, clinical, prevention and control, and population sciences. It also acknowledges a center’s pivotal role as a community and regional resource regarding cancer information, education and outreach. Federal funding is not provided for community programs such as patient education symposia and support groups. These services are supported by the University, philanthropy and other discretionary resources, and demonstrate the Center’s ongoing commitment to cancer patients and their families.
“An NCI designation is a highly prized hallmark of quality and is only awarded to cancer centers that meet stringent criteria defined by the NCI,” said David Brenner, M.D., UCSD Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences and Dean of the School of Medicine. “It demonstrates that Moores UCSD Cancer Center meets the nation’s highest standards for conducting cancer research, providing high-quality clinical care and educating our community about cancer. We are fortunate to have such a nationally recognized center serving our region.”
The Cancer Center includes more than 330 clinicians and researchers whose work ranges from fundamental cancer research in molecular genetics to the most advanced treatments, from drug discovery to pain and symptom control, and from population studies of cancer incidence to community education on prevention and early detection.
“This award represents a monumental effort by many people, and is a rare achievement. There are only 40 NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the United States,” said Dennis A. Carson, M.D., director of the Moores UCSD Cancer Center. “The faculty and staff at this center are justly proud of this accomplishment, and the citizens of our community should take comfort in the fact that such a respected resource is so close to home.”
The Moores UCSD Cancer Center ranks among the top centers in the nation conducting basic, translational and clinical cancer research, providing advanced patient care and serving the community through innovative outreach and education programs. In 2005, the Center centralized its clinical and research activities in a new 270,000-square-foot building that has since won numerous awards for its design, which was created with patient comfort and research collaboration in mind.
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Media Contact: Nancy Stringer, 619-543-6163, nstringer@ucsd.edu