History/Timeline

NCCC Milestones

The Northern California Cancer Center was formed in 1974 by the deans of the medical schools at University of California, San Francisco, Stanford University and by the president of the California division of the American Cancer Society. Milestones throughout the organization's history include:

1970s

1971 -  The National Cancer Act declares "The War on Cancer"

1973 - Representatives from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) meet in the Bay Area with local organizations to discuss a cancer consortium. Funding is provided from the San Francisco Foundation, Hewlett Foundation and Kaiser Family Foundation.

1974 - The Northern California Cancer Program (NCCP later becomes NCCC) is incorporated. A cancer research symposia is held.

1975 - NCCP receives a Head and Neck Cancer Control Contract, a Cancer Center Core Planning Grant, and a multidisciplinary drug research group is formed.

1976 - NCCP receives a Cancer Control Grant and a Multidisciplinary Drug Research Group Grant is funded.

1977 - The Northern California Oncology Group is formed to conduct clinical trials.

1978 - NCCP receives a Cancer Control Support and Development Grant.

1979 - A Risk Assessment Group is formed. NCCP research includes Testicular Cancer and Prenatal DES Exposure.

1980s

1980 - Biologic Response Modifier trials are conducted. An Experimental Cancer Therapy Group (ECTG) is formed and the first ECTG symposia is held: "Human Tumor Clonogenic Assay Symposium."

1982 - NCCP organizes the Western States Conference on Rehabilitation. NCCP research includes Case-Control Study of Breast Cancer in Young Asian Americans, New Approaches to Drug Development. NCCP monograph published: Cancer Incidence and Mortality in Northern California and Nevada, 1970-1980.

1983 - NCCP receives a Cancer Center Support Core Grant, a Ewing's Sarcoma Grant, an Anal/Rectal Carcinoma Grant and a Community Clinical Onocology Program (CCOP) Research Base Grant. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program is moved to NCCP.

1984 - NCCC receives a Farmitalia Grant for Clinical Study and a Biomedical Research Grant. The Northern California Cooperative Drug Discovery Group is formed. NCCP research includes Male Breast Cancer Study; Melanoma, Oral Contraceptive Use and Reproductive Factors; Epidemiological Study of Black/White Differences in Cancer Patient Survival; Men's Health Study.

1985 - NCCP receives a Cancer Control Outreach Grant. NCCP conducts a clinical study for Bristol Meyers Corporation. NCCP research includes Lung Cancer in Non-Smoking Women; Reducing Avoidable Cancer Mortality Among Blacks.

1986 - NCCP becomes NCCC. NCCC research includes Screening Compounds for Radiosensitizing Activity.

1987 - NCCC receives a Cancer Center Support Grant Minority Supplement and a Small Instrumentation Grant. NCCC conducts a Feasibility Study for an Occupational Cancer Database. NCCC conducts clinical studies for Bristol Meyers Corporation and GD Searle Co. NCCC conducts a Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Melanoma Comparison Slide Review. E.E. Ho, Ph.D., receives a Preventive Oncology Academic Award. NCCC research includes Mutagenic Mucus in the Uterine of the Cervix of Smokers; Low Grade Glioma (Orphan Drug) Study; Treatment of Malignant Brain Tumors.

1988 - NCCC takes over management of Region 1 and Region 8 Bay Area Cancer Registries. NCCC research includes Record Linkage Studies Utilizing Population-Based Registries; Childhood Brain Tumors and N-Nitroso Exposures; Improving Cancer Knowledge Among Blacks; Epidemiology of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and Retroviral Tests.

1989 - NCCC receives a Small Instrumentation Grant and pharmaceutical company grants to conduct clincial trials. NCCC provides support services for epidemiologic studies to address emergent cancer issues. NCCC initiates community seminar program on breast cancer. NCCC holds "Taking Time: Caring For Loved Ones Who Have Cancer" Conference. NCCC research includes Reproductive Factors in Hodgkin Lymphoma in Women; Prostate Cancer in High, Medium, and Low Risk Populations; Labeled Monoclonal Antibodies in Treatment of Cancer.

1990s

1990 - Rapid Case Ascertainment Service initiated. NCCC research includes Epidemiology of Salivary Gland Cancer; Misclassification Study of Hispanic Ethnicity in Registry Data; Breast Cancer Incidence Study; Smoking Cessation for American Indians: Case-Control Study of Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma; Smoking and Passive Smoking Patterns in Chinese Americans.

1991 - NCCC receives Fund Development Grant. Work Site Seminar program initiated. NCCC research includes Misclassificatiion of Vietnamese Ethnicity in Registry Data; Breast and Cervical Cancer Intervention Study (BACCIS).

1992 - NCCC research includes Surveillance of Cancer Patients With Breast Implants; Pathways to Screening in Four Ethnic Groups (Pathways); Improving Health Surveys for Multiethnic Populations.

1993 - NCCC receives a research supplement for Underserved Minorities and a Supplement to Screening in Four Ethnic Groups. The Cancer Information Service (CIS) begins. Tumor Block Retrieval Service initiated. A "Bay Area Corporate Summit: Breast Cancer in the Work Place" is held. NCCC research includes Breast Cancer in Young Women: A Population Based Approach.

1994 - Fashion Times II Grant Program initiated. NCCC research includes Thyroid Cancer in a Multiethnic Population; Relationship Between Dietary Intake and Urinary Phytoestrogen Levels: EBV and Hodgkin Lymphoma in Women; Western Culture and Breast Cancer; Vitamin D and Breast Cancer; Early Cancer Detection for Filipino American Women; Mammographic Practice and Performance in the Population.

1995 - NCCC establishes the Northern California Cooperative Family Registry for Breast Cancer (FRBC) as part of the international Breast Cancer Family Registry. NCCC is granted the Breast Cancer Early Detection Program Telephone Information Service. NCCC received a supplement for Phytoestrogens and Breast Cancer in Hispanic Women. NCCC holds "Breast Cancer and Sexuality Conference." NCCC research includes Breast Cancer Risk Factors in Hispanic Women; EBV and Breast Cancer: Role of Plant Estrogens in Reducing Breast Cancer Risk; Social Class, Racial Ethnicity and Women's Healthy Eating and Living (WHEL) Pilot Study.

1996 - NCCC holds "Breast Cancer and Sexuality Conference." Financial District Education Seminar Series initiated. Work Site Education Seminars initiated. NCCC research includes Racial/Ethnic Differences in Breast Cancer Risk Factors; Genetic Epidemiology of Ovarian Cancer: Phytoestrogens and Breast Cancer: Nutrient Analysis: Breast Cancer Outreach for Underserved Women: A Randomized Trial and Cost Effectiveness Analysis (BACCIS II); False-Positive Mammograms: A Potential Barrier to Annual Screening.

1997 - Health Education Quarterly produced; issue dedicated to BACCIS and Pathways studies. NCCC research includes Epidemiology of EBV-defined Hodgkin Lymphoma; Phytoestrogens, Physical Activity and Endometrial Cancer; Vitamin D and Breast Cancer; WHEL Study; Using Tailored Messages to Promote the 5-A-Day (fruits and vegetables) Program.

1998 - NCCC receives Northern California Cooperative FRBC supplement and CDC Registry supplement. A Minority Training Program in Cancer Control Research is held. NCCC Community Education programs include: the "Breast Cancer & Sexuality Conference," "Alternative Medicine Conference for Physicians," and a "Latina Facilitator Training Project." NCCC conducts studies in the California Teachers Study Cohort on: Cancer; Smoking, Passive Smoke and Cancer Risk; Diet and Breast Cancer. NCCC research includes SEER Patterns of Care Study; Vitamin D and Prostate Cancer Risk - Follow Up Study; Dietary Intake and Vitamin D; Timing of Surgery and Survival in Cervical and Ovarian Cancers; Hodgkin Lymphoma and Survival in Cervical and Ovarian Cancers: Hodgkin Lymphoma and Survival in Epstein Barr Virus (EBV); Hodgkin Lymphoma and EBV; Reliability of EBV Detection in Hodgkin Lymphoma; Validity of Self-Reported Family History of Lymphoma; Phytoestrogens and Prostate Cancer; Breast Cancer and Women with Disabilities; Risk Notification of Women at High Risk for Breast Cancer; Cancer Screening, Managed Care, and the Underserved (Pathfinders); Young Breast Cancer Survivors: A Population-Based Cohort; Increasing Diversity in Cancer Control; Quality of Cancer Care Study - Colorectal Cancer.

1999 - NCCC receives a Minority Supplement for Cancer Screening, Managed Care and the Underserved. The Cancer Information Service is expanded to all of California. Community Education programs include the "New Directions in Breast Cancer Symposium" and the initiation of the "Making Healthy Choices Lecture Series." NCCC conducts studies in the California Teachers Study Cohort on Breast Cancer and on Historical Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Exposures. NCCC research includes Lifestyle and Risk of Advanced Prostate Cancer; Prostate Cancer Survival; Quality of Care for Women with Ovarian Cancer; Vitamin D Receptor Gene and Breast Cancer Risk; Vitamin D and Prostate Cancer Progression; Oral Contraceptives, BRCA1/2 Mutations and Ovarian Cancer: Using Cancer Registries to Assess Quality of Cancer Care; Assessing Quality of Life Among Cancer Survivors; Childhood Cancer Trials: Who Has Access? SEER Special Study; Utility of the NCDB & SEER Population-Based Data Systems for Studies of Cancer Patient Care; WHEL Study continuation and Regional Variations in Breast Cancer Rates in California.

2000s

2000 - The Breast Cancer Early Detection Program begins taking calls in Asian languages. NCCC produces Working With Breast Cancer: Employment Guide. The Civic Center Seminar Series is initiated. NCCC research includes Breast Cancer Screening in Women Surviving Hodgkin Lymphoma; Improving Completeness & Timeliness of Registry Data Through Electronic Reporting; Risk Factors for Advanced Prostate Cancer: Validity of Self-Reported Family History of Lymphomas; Utility of SEER Data in the Descriptive Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS-Associated Cancers; Feasibility of Retrieval & Storage of Tissue Blocks for Cancer Patients; Assessing and Improving Quality of Cancer Surveillance Data for American Indians: Accuracy of Cancer Registries on Race/Ethnicity and Birthplace: A Comparison of the Medical Record, Death Certification and Self-Reported Information; Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Cross-Sectional Study of Attributable Cause; Epidemiologic, Histopathologic and Biologic Tumor Block Retrieval/Predictors of Recurrent Breast Tumors in Women with DCIS; Using Tailored Messages to Increase Colorectal Screening.

2001 - NCCC launches Prostate Cancer Awareness Campaign. NCCC receives renewal for the Northern California FRBC, renewal for Increasing Diversity in Cancer Control Research, and a Minority Supplement for Breast and Other Cancers in the California Teachers Cohort. The Cancer Information Service introduces "LiveHelp" on its website. The Cancer Care Outcomes Research and Surveillance Consortium (CanCORS) is formed. NCCC launches www.dcis.info, a website dedicated to ductal carcinoma in situ. NCCC begins annual Breast Cancer in African American Women Conference. NCCC research includes Barriers to Colon Cancer Screening in Minority Populations; Migration and Breast Cancer Risk in Hispanics; Association of Medicaid Status with Late-Stage Cancer and Validation of Medicaid Status from the Medical Record; An Evaluation of Different Sources of Data on Comorbidity for Cancer Surveillance; Population-Level Effects of a Colorectal Cancer Screening; Behavioral Constructs and Culture in Cancer Screening; Risk Notification for Women at High Risk of Breast Cancer.

2002 - Cancer Information Service begins smoking cessation counseling. The Minority Outreach and Education Program begins. NCCC holds "Geographic Variations in Breast Cancer Incidence in Bay Area Symposium" and "Breast Cancer Family Seminar Series." NCCC produces English edition of Latina Faciliator Training Guide and fourth edition of Estate Planning book. NCCC research includes Breast Cancer Risk and Genetic Polymorphisms of TGF-B1 and its Receptor; Polyphenols and Nutrients: Genes, Proteins and Cancer Risk; Dietary Fat, Lipoxygenase Genes and Breast Cancer Risk; Genes and the Estrogen Effect on Endometrial Cancer; Assessment of Patients' Experience of Cancer Care: A Pilot Evaluation of the CAHPS Instrument in a Cancer Population; Improving the Surveillance of Lymphoma Subtypes: A Feasibility Study; Hospital Policy and Practice Regarding the Collection of Patient Information on Race, Ethnicity and Birthplace: Cross-Cultural Communication and Colorectal Screening; Immune-Function Genes and Race Differences in Breast Cancer.

2003 - NCCC receives a renewal for SEER. A Prostate Cancer Conference and a "Prostate Cancer Screening Choices for African Americans" program are held. The English version of When Breast Cancer Hits Home booklet is published. NCCC partners with the Center for Nutrient Gene Interaction and Cancer Prevention for the GRowth and LifeStyle (GRLS) study. NCCC research includes Bridging Prostate Cancer Screening Gaps for High Risk Men; Colorectal Screening in Vietnamese: A Controlled Trial; Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) Genotype as a Contributor to Racial/Ethnic Differences in Breast Cancer; The Hygiene Hypothesis and Breast Cancer Risk; Epstein-Barr Virus in Breast Cancer Tissues; The IGF Pathway and Breast Cancer Risk in African Americans; Socioeconomic Trends in Breast Cancer Incidence; Barriers to Accrual in Clinical Trials; Insulin Resistance and Risk of Prostate Cancer.

2004 - NCCC recruits minorities for the Family Registry for Colon Cancer. The Spanish editions of the Latina Facilitator Training Guide and the When Breast Cancer Hits Home booklet are published. NCCC research includes Risk Modifiers in BRCA Mutation Carriers; Genetics, Obesity and Breast Cancer Risk; Body Size, Physical Activity and Hodgkin Lymphoma; Plant Foods and Endometrial Cancer: Diet and Risk of Ovarian Cancer; Treatment Choice and Quality of Life after Localized Prostate Cancer.

2005 - NCCC and the Stanford Cancer Center apply for the National Institutes of Health cancer center designation. NCCC initiates "Sobrevivir al Cancer: Una Colaboracion Comunitaria" (Cancer Survivorship: A Community Collaborative) to serve the cancer education needs of the Latino community. NCCC research includes Culture and Ethnic Variations in Breast Cancer Treatment: The Hygiene Hypothesis and Breast Cancer: A Novel Application of an Etiologic Theory for Allergies, Asthma and Other Immune Disorders; Admixture and Breast Cancer Risk Among Latinas; Socioeconomic Disparities in Survival After Hodgkin Lymphoma.

2006 - NCCC hosts "Cultural Influence on Medical Decision-Making: Strategies for Health Care Professionals" seminar. NCCC research includes Body Size and Breast Cancer Risk in a Multiethnic Population; Genetic Studies of Mammographic Density; Social and Built Environment and Race/Ethnic Variations in Cancer Outcomes; Birth Characteristics and Breast Cancer in Younger Women; Nutrition and Thyroid Cancer Risk in the CTS Cohort; Breast Cancer Risk Profile of Vietnamese Nail Salon Workers; Defining Populations at Risk of Melanoma in California: Influences of Race, Socioeconomic Status, and Ultraviolet Light Exposure: Determinants of Hepatitis B Awareness and Prevention in Chinese Americans.

2007 - NCCC and the Stanford Cancer Center are awarded the National Cancer Institute's cancer center designation.

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