University of Virginia Cancer Center has been awarded a Comprehensive Cancer Center designation effective Feb. 1, 2022, by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the largest funder of cancer research in the world. Centers who achieve this level of recognition must meet the most rigorous standards for innovative research and leading-edge clinical cancer care.
UVA Cancer Center’s history of conducting nationally and internationally recognized research as well as providing highly specialized patient care that spans the Commonwealth of Virginia and beyond has led to recognition as an NCI-designated cancer center for the past 34 years. By earning designation as a Comprehensive Cancer Center, UVA moves into an elite group of 52 of the most outstanding cancer programs in the nation and is the only Comprehensive Cancer Center in Virginia.
To achieve this status, it was necessary to demonstrate:
- Additional strength in national recognition and leadership
- Enhanced depth and breadth of basic, clinical, and population research
- Enhanced outreach and education to our cancer center’s catchment area and community
- Transdisciplinary research that bridges multiple scientific areas, evidenced by the center’s ability to take maximum advantage of research and innovation across UVA
UVA Cancer Center has grown tremendously over the past several years. Since 2014, its patient-care volume has grown by more than 50%, with many patients traveling great distances to access its specialists. Over the last four years, funding for cancer research at UVA has increased 45%, totaling more than $30 million in 2020. During that same period, participation in clinical trials at UVA Cancer Center has increased by almost 500% with outreach throughout Virginia and its neighboring states.
“As the only Comprehensive Cancer Center in Virginia, this recognition signifies our ability to deliver cancer prevention, new discoveries and innovative treatments to our patients leading to improved quality of life, care, and survival,” said Thomas P. Loughran Jr., MD, director of the UVA Cancer Center. “For all of our patients, this means they benefit from the most exceptional, leading-edge cancer care available.”