The University of Kansas Cancer Center's quest for NCI designation

2004-2005 |  2006  |  2007  |  2008  |  2009  |  2010  |  2011  |  2012

Background 

The University of Kansas Cancer Center earned National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation in June 2012. The quest for this prestigious designation took nearly a decade, with the cancer center benefitting from unprecedented support from individuals, policymakers, businesses and communities throughout the region.

NCI-designated Cancer Centers are recognized for their scientific excellence and are awarded federal funding through a rigorous peer review process. They are a major source of discovery and development of more effective approaches to cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment. NCI Cancer Centers also educate health care professionals and deliver medical advances to patients and their families.

Approximately 1,200 employees, including faculty, research support, clinical and administrative staff are specifically devoted to cancer clinical care and research activities. Cancer center leaders estimate that from 2006-2011, the NCI designation pursuit created 1,014 regional jobs and had a regional economic impact of $346 million. By 2016, they estimate the number of jobs created will reach 2,241 and the regional economic impact of NCI Investments will total $1.93 billion.

The University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC) has been working to eliminate the burden of cancer for decades. Its cancer program was started in 1969, with its first American Cancer Society Professor of Clinical Oncology and financial support from the Kansas Masonic Foundation. In the early 1970s, the NCI awarded KUMC funding to investigate the feasibility of establishing a clinical cancer research center in Kansas. By the 1990s, the cancer center was experiencing steady growth in research funding and discoveries.