National Cancer Institute renews Yale Cancer Center’s designation

Yale Cancer Center (YCC)’s designation as a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) was recently extended for an additional 5 years following an extensive grant submission and review process. The award includes $12.2 million in funding over five years to support YCC’s research programs and shared resources, along with the continuation of YCC’s comprehensive status, the most prestigious level of designation from the NCI. The designation is given to centers that meet strict criteria for patient care, cancer research, clinical trials, and community outreach and education.

The renewed designation is “a reflection of the groundbreaking research efforts in our laboratories and the increasingly fast pace of translating our research findings to improved patient care and treatment options for our patients,” says Thomas J. Lynch Jr., M.D., director of Yale Cancer Center and physician-in-chief at Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven. “Our successes in cancer treatment, research, and education over the past five years, and those promised to come, will ensure Yale Cancer Center is exceeding the NCI’s expectations for comprehensive cancer centers,” Lynch says.

One of 41 comprehensive cancer centers in the nation, YCC is the only designated center in Connecticut. Among the many advantages of receiving care at a comprehensive cancer center are access to a large variety of oncologists specializing in specific types of cancer, and the close link between research and clinical care, which ensures that patients receive the most innovative and targeted treatments available.