Stanford Cancer Center Partnership

Partnership wins NCI designation

Northern California Cancer Center researchers have been recognized as leaders in cancer epidemiology, outreach and education, and many have collaborated informally with the San Francisco Bay Area’s premier academic medical centers. Stanford University and the Northern California Cancer Center have formed a partnership that contributed to the university’s successful bid to become a designated National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Center.

"The purpose of this collaboration is to do better science," says Northern California Cancer Center Research Scientist Dee West, who is also Associate Director for Population Sciences at the Stanford Cancer Center. "Our population studies move science and medicine forward in a more complete way."

The Stanford Cancer Center received its designation from NCI in April based on having over 270 members, world class science, a portfolio of over $38 million in research grants and contracts from the NCI and a newly opened clinical cancer center. Stanford's collaboration with the NCCC, combined with increased access to NCI resources, will be a benefit especially for underserved minorities with limited access to cancer care and prevention, says Beverly Mitchell, Deputy Director of Stanford's Comprehensive Cancer Center.

In turn, the partnership means opportunities for collaboration and access to more resources for NCCC scientists. "I’m excited about this interaction," Dr. West says. "A formal relationship makes it easier for people to work together and motivates them to think more completely about what causes cancer and what makes for better outcomes.