NCI-designated Cancer Center

Cancer research institutions in the US From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

NCI-designated Cancer Centers are a group of 73 cancer research institutions in the United States supported by the National Cancer Institute.[2]

A map of National Cancer Institute Cancer Centers.[1]

Three designations are recognized: Comprehensive Cancer Centers, Clinical Cancer Centers and Basic Laboratory Cancer Centers. As of January 10, 2026, there are 8 Clinical Cancer Centers, 58 Comprehensive Cancer Centers and 7 Basic Laboratory Cancer Centers.[2] Most are associated with a university. Receiving the NCI-designation places cancer centers among the top 4% of the approximately 1,500 cancer centers in the United States.[citation needed]

In 2021, more than 411,000 new patients were enrolled in a clinical trial at an NCI-designated Cancer Center.[3]

Program

Designation process

The NIH funds cancer centers through a P30 Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG) mechanism.[4] To be eligible to apply, a cancer center must receive at least $10 million in cancer research funding annually. Preparation for these grant applications can be extensive. The most recent grant application prepared by MD Anderson Cancer Center took 24 months to prepare and ran to 2,963 pages.[5] Cancer centers must renew their status with the NIH every 5 years.[citation needed]

The NCI considers the certain characteristics essential to a cancer center, and requires that applications address the institutions' resources in the areas of: Physical Space, Organizational Capabilities, Transdisciplinary Collaboration and Coordination, Cancer Focus, Institutional Commitment, Center Director.[4]

Independent or freestanding cancer centers are entities unto themselves and are not considered to be part of a larger institution or university. The center’s administration controls all space, appointments and budgets. These institutions may have university affiliations, but they remain administratively and financially distinct.[6]

The NCI also supports Consortium Centers, wherein scientists and clinicians from multiple institutions enter into formal agreements to expand cancer research programs.[4] Importantly, Consortium Partners are not themselves considered NCI-designated. The NCI has strict guidelines on how Consortium Partners can refer to their relationship with their parent Consortium Center.[citation needed]

Designations

Comprehensive Cancer Center

The standards for Comprehensive Cancer Centers are the most restrictive. These facilities must demonstrate expertise in each of three areas: laboratory, clinical and behavioral and population-based research. Comprehensive Cancer Centers are expected to initiate and conduct early phase, innovative clinical trials and to participate in the NCI's cooperative groups by providing leadership and recruiting patients for trials. Comprehensive Cancer Centers must also conduct activities in outreach and education, and provide information on advances in healthcare for both healthcare professionals and the public. Comprehensive cancer centers may apply for up to $1.5 million per year from the Department of Health and Human Services.[4]

These grants fund shared resources to further the goals of the National Cancer Institute. Some of these include the administration of cancer research programs, training activities, core facilities with technology shared by investigators and clinical trial management services.[4]

Clinical Cancer Center

Clinical Cancer Centers generally conduct a combination of basic, population sciences and clinical research, and are encouraged to stimulate collaborative research involving more than one field of study. Clinical cancer centers may apply for up to $1.4 million per year.

Basic Laboratory Cancer Centers

Basic Laboratory Cancer Centers conduct only laboratory research and do not provide patient treatment. Basic Laboratory Cancer Centers are more often affiliated with research institutes rather than universities. They are eligible to apply for up to $1.2 million per year.[4]

List of centers

More information Cancer Center, State ...
List of NCI-Designated Cancer Centers[7]
Cancer CenterStateCityDesignationInstitutionRef
O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer CenterAlabamaBirminghamComprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham[8]
Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center[note 1]ArizonaPhoenixComprehensive Cancer CenterIndependent[9]
University of Arizona Cancer CenterArizonaTucsonComprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of Arizona[10]
Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer CenterCaliforniaOrangeComprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of California, Irvine[11]
City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer CenterCaliforniaDuarteComprehensive Cancer CenterIndependent[12]
Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer CenterCaliforniaSan FranciscoComprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of California, San Francisco[13]
Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer CenterCaliforniaLos AngelesComprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of California, Los Angeles[14]
Moores Cancer CenterCaliforniaLa JollaComprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of California, San Diego[15]
Salk Institute Cancer CenterCaliforniaLa JollaBasic Laboratory Cancer CenterIndependent[16]
Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery InstituteCaliforniaLa JollaBasic Laboratory Cancer CenterIndependent[17]
Stanford Cancer InstituteCaliforniaStanfordComprehensive Cancer CenterStanford University[18][19]
UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer CenterCaliforniaSacramentoComprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of California, Davis[20]
USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer CenterCaliforniaLos AngelesComprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of Southern California[21]
University of Colorado Cancer CenterColoradoAuroraComprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of Colorado[22]
Yale Cancer CenterConnecticutNew HavenComprehensive Cancer CenterYale University School of Medicine[23]
Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer CenterDistrict of Columbia[note 2]WashingtonComprehensive Cancer CenterGeorgetown University[24][25]
Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center[note 1]FloridaJacksonvilleComprehensive Cancer CenterIndependent[26]
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research InstituteFloridaTampaComprehensive Cancer CenterIndependent[27]
Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer CenterFloridaMiamiClinical Cancer CenterUniversity of Miami Miller School of Medicine[28]
University of Florida Health Cancer CenterFloridaGainesvilleClinical Cancer CenterUniversity of Florida[29]
Winship Cancer InstituteGeorgiaAtlantaComprehensive Cancer CenterEmory University[30]
University of Hawaiʻi Cancer CenterHawaiʻiHonoluluClinical Cancer CenterUniversity of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa[31]
Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer CenterIllinoisChicagoComprehensive Cancer CenterNorthwestern University[32]
University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer CenterIllinoisChicagoComprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of Chicago[33]
Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer CenterIndianaIndianapolisComprehensive Cancer CenterIndiana University[34]
Purdue Institute for Cancer ResearchIndianaWest LafayetteBasic Laboratory Cancer CenterPurdue University[35]
Holden Comprehensive Cancer CenterIowaIowa CityComprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of Iowa[36]
University of Kansas Cancer CenterKansasKansas CityComprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of Kansas[37][38]
Markey Cancer CenterKentuckyLexingtonComprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of Kentucky[39]
Jackson Laboratory Cancer CenterMaineBar HarborBasic Laboratory Cancer CenterIndependent[40]
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center[note 3]MarylandBaltimoreComprehensive Cancer CenterJohns Hopkins University[41]
University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer CenterMarylandBaltimoreComprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of Maryland, Baltimore[42]
Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer CenterMassachusettsBostonComprehensive Cancer CenterHarvard University[43]
David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer ResearchMassachusettsCambridgeBasic Laboratory Cancer CenterMassachusetts Institute of Technology[44]
Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer InstituteMichiganDetroitComprehensive Cancer CenterWayne State University School of Medicine[45]
Rogel Cancer CenterMichiganAnn ArborComprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of Michigan[46]
Masonic Cancer CenterMinnesotaMinneapolisComprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of Minnesota[47]
Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center[note 1]MinnesotaRochesterComprehensive Cancer CenterIndependent[48]
Alvin J. Siteman Cancer CenterMissouriSt. LouisComprehensive Cancer CenterWashington University School of Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital[49]
Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer CenterNebraskaOmahaClinical Cancer CenterNebraska Medicine and the University of Nebraska Medical Center[50]
Dartmouth Cancer CenterNew HampshireLebanonComprehensive Cancer CenterGeisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College[51]
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New JerseyNew JerseyNew BrunswickComprehensive Cancer CenterRutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences[52]
University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer CenterNew MexicoAlbuquerqueComprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of New Mexico[53]
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Cancer CenterNew YorkCold Spring HarborBasic Laboratory Cancer CenterIndependent[54]
Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer CenterNew YorkNew YorkComprehensive Cancer CenterColumbia University[55]
Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer CenterNew YorkNew YorkComprehensive Cancer CenterNYU Langone Health[56]
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkNew YorkComprehensive Cancer CenterIndependent[57]
Montefiore Einstein Cancer CenterNew YorkThe BronxComprehensive Cancer CenterAlbert Einstein College of Medicine[58]
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer CenterNew YorkBuffaloComprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity at Buffalo[59][60]
Tisch Cancer InstituteNew YorkNew YorkComprehensive Cancer CenterIcahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai[61]
Wilmot Cancer InstituteNew YorkRochesterClinical Cancer CenterUniversity of Rochester[62]
Duke Cancer InstituteNorth CarolinaDurhamComprehensive Cancer CenterDuke University Medical Center[63]
UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer CenterNorth CarolinaChapel HillComprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill[64]
Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer CenterNorth CarolinaWinston-SalemComprehensive Cancer CenterWake Forest University[65]
Case Comprehensive Cancer CenterOhioClevelandComprehensive Cancer CenterCleveland Clinic, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, and Case Western Reserve University[66]
Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research InstituteOhioColumbusComprehensive Cancer CenterOhio State University[67]
Stephenson Cancer CenterOklahomaOklahoma CityClinical Cancer CenterThe University of Oklahoma[68]
Knight Cancer InstituteOregonPortlandComprehensive Cancer CenterOregon Health and Science University[69]
Abramson Cancer CenterPennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaComprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of Pennsylvania[70]
Fox Chase Cancer CenterPennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaComprehensive Cancer CenterTemple University Health System[71]
Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center[note 3]PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaComprehensive Cancer CenterThomas Jefferson University[72]
UPMC Hillman Cancer CenterPennsylvaniaPittsburghComprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical Center[73]
Wistar Institute Cancer CenterPennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaBasic Laboratory Cancer CenterIndependent[74]
Hollings Cancer CenterSouth CarolinaCharlestonClinical Cancer CenterMedical University of South Carolina[75]
St. Jude Children's Research HospitalTennesseeMemphisComprehensive Cancer CenterIndependent[76]
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer CenterTennesseeNashvilleComprehensive Cancer CenterVanderbilt University Medical Center[77]
Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer CenterTexasHoustonComprehensive Cancer CenterBaylor College of Medicine[78]
Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer CenterTexasDallasComprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of Texas Southwestern Medical Center[79]
Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San AntonioTexasSan AntonioClinical Cancer CenterUniversity of Texas Health Science Center[80]
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterTexasHoustonComprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of Texas[81]
Huntsman Cancer InstituteUtahSalt Lake CityComprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of Utah[82]
Massey Comprehensive Cancer CenterVirginiaRichmondComprehensive Cancer CenterVirginia Commonwealth University[83]
University of Virginia Cancer CenterVirginiaCharlottesvilleComprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of Virginia School of Medicine[84]
Fred Hutchinson/University of Washington/Seattle Children's Cancer ConsortiumWashingtonSeattleComprehensive Cancer CenterFred Hutchinson Cancer Center, the University of Washington and Seattle Children's Hospital[85]
University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer CenterWisconsinMadisonComprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison[86]
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See also

References

External links

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