Only a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center such as City of Hope offers a full complement of services designed to address all aspects of cancer, from understanding its origins, to developing new therapies and testing them in patient clinical trials, to delivering superior patient care and providing support and education to patients, their families and the public.
City of Hope is one of a select few cancer centers nationwide to have received this prestigious honor. NCI-funded cancer centers must go through a rigorous review process every five years, in which they are evaluated and ranked. Only those conducting the most promising cancer research are awarded Comprehensive Cancer Center status. It is an important credential to consider when choosing a cancer treatment facility.
As a patient, a diagnosis of cancer brings with it many questions and concerns. Choosing a Comprehensive Cancer Center such as City of Hope is an empowering step, equipping you with the best possible resources to fight the disease.
Attributes of a Comprehensive Cancer Center
To achieve the Comprehensive Cancer Center designation, organizations must support a broad range of research programs and approach the problem of cancer in many different ways. Comprehensive Cancer Centers like City of Hope must have strong programs in all of the following areas:
- Cancer treatment
- Basic (laboratory) research
- Clinical research
- Prevention
- Cancer control
- Population research
- Outreach (such as support groups and community events)
- Cancer education for both professionals and the public
Comprehensive Cancer Centers also play important roles in their communities and regions, and influence the standards of prevention and care.
National Comprehensive Cancer Network Founding Member
Of the relatively few NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, only an elite 21 comprise the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), an alliance of the nation's leading Comprehensive Cancer Centers that defines and sets standards for cancer care. City of Hope is proud to be a founding member of the NCCN. NCCN member institutions are recognized for their world-renowned experts and for dealing with particularly complex, rare and aggressive forms of cancer. As an NCCN member institution, City of Hope plays a critical role in advancing state-of-the-art cancer treatment through education, research, and patient care. Learn more about the NCCN at www.nccn.org.
