Arizona Cancer Center earns world-class reputation

TUCSON—Its official name is the Arizona Cancer Center, and the facility is a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Established in 1976, the center’s name was bestowed by the Legislature in 1978 to reflect its service to all Arizonans.

Now celebrating its 30th anniversary as the state’s premier NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, its goal is “to prevent and cure cancer” by focusing on patient care, basic and clinical research, prevention, education and training.

AZCC’s researchers have created more than 14 cancer-fighting drugs, and the Center has more than 270 world-class physician and science members with national and international reputations.

To patients and families in the Santa Cruz Valley facing a diagnosis of cancer, this means that the latest state-of-the-medical-arts research and treatment are available close by.

The research facility is located adjacent to UMC. In November, its gastrointestinal cancer program received renewal of a five-year, $12 million Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant from NCI. The center is one of only five institutions nationwide to receive this grant; the others include Harvard, Johns Hopkins, the University of North Carolina and Vanderbilt University.

The grant is one of the five largest ever awarded to the University of Arizona College of Medicine and is the largest new grant to be funded in the past 10 years.

In a November 2007 press release, the center’s director, Dr. David Alberts, commended Dr. Eugene Gerner and his research colleagues for developing one of the top five research programs in the country for the prevention and treatment of colon, pancreatic and esophageal cancers. “Their research is absolutely world class,” Alberts said.

In a brief interview with Gerner, he said he and his associates are currently focusing on developing a “prepless” colonoscopy. “It’s a goal that will increase screening,” he said.

Research administrator Kim Nikolini said in the center’s focus on pancreatic, colon and esophageal cancer there’s a strong “research to clinic” focus and researchers have already developed two new drugs and five patents. “As a state institution we’re very proud of what we’ve done to date.”

Beyond the medical breakthroughs that researchers are continually working on Nikolini stressed the human factor and said the center focuses on treating patients as people, not cases.

Coordinator of Outreach and Education Ilya Sloan said that, in addition to new and improved diagnostic tools and focusing on development of targeted therapies that don’t involve the whole body in treatment as chemotherapy does, in order to have “Comprehensive” Cancer Center status the center must also have a focus on cancer prevention.

“As part of the ongoing education here, medical students are paired with oncologists in a specialized area of research… we’re able to attract excellent research physicians because of the affiliation with a quality research facility.”

Sloan said when taking part in a clinical trial every facet of the trial is explained to the patient.

“All patients who receive standard treatment today stand on the shoulders of the patients who came before them who proved the efficacy of the treatment.”

With four floors and 60 research labs focusing on finding new treatments for breast, colon, lung, lymphoma, ovarian and prostate cancers it’s reassuring to know that if there is a diagnosis of cancer the region has one of the nation’s leading research and patient treatment cancer centers.

As part of its outreach and education program two upcoming lectures will be held at the West Center. On Feb. 20 the topic will be skin cancer, and on April 9 researcher Dr. Gene Gerner will speak on the latest findings, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of colon cancer.