The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has affirmed its support for Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, renewing its status as one of 50 elite Comprehensive Cancer Centers and awarding a $22.5 million Cancer Center Support Grant to fund core research and education programs — the largest such award and highest application score in Roswell Park’s history. Roswell Park has held this prestigious NCI designation continuously since it became one of the nation’s very first Comprehensive Cancer Centers more than 45 years ago.
This coveted and competitive distinction in cancer demonstrates that Roswell Park serves its community needing cancer care in a way no other can. Cancer centers like Roswell Park must excel in many areas to earn this designation – patient care, bench research, clinical research, education for the next generation of cancer scientists and community outreach. At Roswell Park, we have incredible teams working in those areas, all fired by the passion to defeat cancer.
Comprehensive Cancer Center status has also been linked with improved patient outcomes. Three major studies concluded that long-term survival rates were improved by 6-20% overall, and within specific cancer types, for patients who received their cancer treatment from the start at an NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, compared to those treated at other teaching hospitals and community cancer treatment settings.