The National Cancer Institute (NCI), a major component of the National Institutes of Health, has reaffirmed the formal designation of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center as an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. Only 40 cancer centers around the country currently hold this designation, placing the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center among the top tier of centers nationally.
Fast becoming a competitive powerhouse of basic science and clinical research world-wide, the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center under the direction of Stanton L. Gerson, M.D., brings together more than 320 basic- and clinical-science cancer physician and faculty experts from Case Western Reserve University, the Ireland Cancer Center of University Hospitals Case Medical Center and Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Center.
“Our Center is one of only a few around the country that have effectively brought institutions together. Cleveland is unparalleled in this regard. We are a much stronger Center through this collaboration and can help many more patients while we make cutting edge discoveries. Our goal is to rapidly bring discoveries to clinical practice to improve the results for our cancer patients,” stated Dr. Gerson, who also serves as director of the Ireland Cancer Center at Case Medical Center. “This is possible because of the cooperation among the leading scientists and clinicians at our three institutions. More than 1,200 patients benefit from these clinical trials of new cancer treatments at the Center annually. Our goal is to further expand our reach by bringing into our program MetroHealth Medical Center, the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center and many of the community-based cancer treatment sites throughout Northern Ohio.”
The Comprehensive Cancer Center Designation reflects the outstanding commitment of the Center to education, community outreach, efforts to support minority population cancer care needs and efforts to bring innovative cancer treatments to patients in Northern Ohio. The Case Comprehensive Cancer Center sponsors six NIH funded training programs for graduate students, post-PhD and MD trainees, medical trainees and new faculty who come to Case because of the training environment. Over 40 individuals benefit from this training support. Overall, more than 120 students are involved in cancer research across the campuses.
The Center receives support from the Susan G. Komen ‘For the Cure’ Foundation, the Lance Armstrong Foundation and the American Cancer Society, to promote cancer prevention and early detection programs using colonoscopy for colon cancer, blood tests and exams for prostate cancer, a new swab test for cervical and endometrial cancer and digital mammograms for breast cancer. Center members also present cancer health screening and education programs throughout the region. “We are concerned that the Cleveland African American community suffers a high rate of cancer and often has a worse than expected outcome. For this reason, we have developed community outreach efforts and interactions with Cleveland medical practices to offer the best care for cancer as early as possible,” said Dr. Gerson.
The Center is the only NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center in Northern Ohio. It is currently in its 18th year, beginning at Case Western Reserve and University Hospitals Case Medical Center in 1987, expanding to include Cleveland Clinic in 2004. Each institution has made substantial investments in cancer research in the past few years: Case built the Iris S. & Bert L. Wolstein Research Building, which houses a number of Cancer Center labs and facilities; University Hospitals has committed to building a 320,000 square foot cancer hospital and establishing a regional cancer care network; and Cleveland Clinic has expanded its Cancer Biology Department and organized its community based cancer clinical practices.
The Case Comprehensive Cancer Center’s re-designation followed a rigorous review process that in late 2006 brought the NCI staff and its 28-member scientific review group to tour, evaluate and listen as the Center demonstrated through comprehensive presentation and documented achievements, its expertise in laboratory, clinical, and behavioral and population-based research. Reinforcing the interactive commitment to the community, the leadership of the partner institutions affirmed their current and projected collaborations, and poster presentations by core facility directors outlined the development of joint resources to further support the overall plan.
Dr. Gerson, who also serves as Director, Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine and Professor, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, is optimistic about the future of cancer-based research and community education. Dr. Gerson said, “I congratulate the institutions, our memberships and the City of Cleveland for establishing one of the best Cancer Centers in the country.”
About Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Founded in 1843, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine is the largest medical research institution in Ohio and 12th largest among the nation’s medical schools for research funding from the National Institutes of Health. Eleven Nobel Laureates have been affiliated with the school.
The School of Medicine is recognized throughout the international medical community for outstanding achievements in teaching and in 2002, became the third medical school in history to receive a pre-eminent review from the national body responsible for accrediting the nation’s academic medical institutions. The School’s innovative and pioneering Western Reserve2 curriculum interweaves four themes--research and scholarship, clinical mastery, leadership, and civic professionalism--to prepare students for the practice of evidence-based medicine in the rapidly changing health care environment of the 21st century.
Annually, the School of Medicine trains more than 600 M.D. and M.D./Ph.D. students and ranks in the top 25 among U.S. research-oriented medical schools as designated by U.S. News and World Report Guide to Graduate Education.
The School of Medicine’s primary clinical affiliate is University Hospitals Case Medical Center and is additionally affiliated with MetroHealth Medical Center, the Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, with which it established the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University in 2002.