History
Initially founded in 1976 as a Division of the University of Arizona's College of Medicine, the Arizona Cancer Center currently stands as Center of Excellence in the Arizona Health Sciences Center. In 1990, the Arizona Cancer Center was designated as one of the first comprehensive cancer centers by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The Arizona Cancer Center is one of only two comprehensive cancer centers within the five-state region of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah.
Academic/Research Programs
The primary responsibility of an NCI comprehensive cancer center is to conduct research that will lead to the reduction of cancer morbidity and mortality. A framework for this research consists of focusing upon the molecular and cellular mechanisms of oncogenesis. Molecular mechanisms emphasize genetic, epigenetic, and signaling mechanisms, while cellular mechanisms emphasize the biology of invasion and metastasis, as well as stromal-cellular interactions. With the primacy of this research mission in mind, the research programs and core services constitute a bedrock of the Arizona Cancer Center.
Overall, the Arizona Cancer Center has five scientific research programs that work together to accomplish the Center’s mission to prevent and cure cancer:
- Cancer Biology and Genetics;
- Cancer Imaging;
- Cancer Prevention and Control;
- Gastrointestinal Cancer; and
- Therapeutic Development.
These five research programs collaborate concerning a breadth of issues from benchtop to bedside involving translational and clinical research with a major emphasis on discovery. Furthermore, these programs also focus on the development and delivery of novel treatments to reduce the morbidity and mortality of cancer in the Southwest and across the nation.
The Arizona Cancer Center provides an essential forum to foster outstanding basic and clinical translational research, interdisciplinary collaboration, education, training and internal and external peer review. The infrastructure of the research program support is established by 13 shared services to support our research, education and training mission: Analytical Core; Behavioral Measurements; Informatics/Bioinformatics; Biometry; Imaging Core; Clinical Research; Experimental Mouse; Experimental Radiation; Flow Cytometry; Genomics; Proteomics; Synthetic Chemistry & Molecular Modeling; and Tissue Acquisition, Cell and Molecular Analysis.
The extensive research portfolio of the Arizona Cancer Center includes more than $70 million in annual research funding, including six large NCI interdisciplinary program and collaborative research grants, and two Special Programs of Research Excellence, one in gastrointestinal cancers and one in lymphoma.
Clinical Programs
The Arizona Cancer Center has its outpatient clinics based at the Arizona Cancer Center at University Medical Center North Campus in Tucson, with multi-disciplinary clinics in: BMT-Leukemia; Breast Cancer; Gastrointestinal Cancers; Genitourinary Cancers; Gynecologic Cancers; High-Risk Cancer Genetics; Lung Cancers; Lymphoma; Neuro-Oncology; Pediatric Hematology/Oncology; Sarcoma; and Skin Cancer. These clinics include multi-disciplinary patient care conferences for prospective patient management. Radiation Oncology continues to be located at the main University Medical Center campus adjacent to the Salmon and Levy research buildings of the Arizona Cancer Center. The Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/BMT clinic is located at the main University Medical Center campus.
Two New Research Institutes within the Arizona Cancer Center
Two innovative institutes have been established within the Arizona Cancer Center to focus upon special populations. The first of these is the Cancer Health Disparities Institute, which addresses cancer disparities in underserved populations in Arizona by bringing together and synergizing the strengths and expertise of several units at the University of Arizona. This institute will provide research and training opportunities for investigators proposing research or planning to work in underserved communities. The second institute is the Skin Cancer Institute, which aims to unify various skin cancer-related research and educational activities into one coordinated entity. The Skin Cancer Institute brings together innovative research, visionary, clinical care and life changing education and outreach under one roof.
Economic Impact
The translational research performed by Arizona Cancer Center investigators has resulted in the development of at least 15 bio-technology and pharmaceutical companies, mostly in Arizona. Biotechnology companies include: Ventana Medical Systems, Cancer Technologies, DeMetrix, and ImaRx. Pharmaceutical companies focused on cancer treatment include: AmpliMed, Cylene, Montigen Pharmaceuticals, ProLx, Selectide, and Targeted Cancer Therapeutics, LLC. Pharmaceutical companies focused on cancer prevention include: Cancer Prevention Pharmaceuticals, Clinuvel, Niadyne, Surface Safe, and Topical Technologies, Inc.
A study performed by the Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona in 2008 suggests that the impact of a sustained $70 million in annual research funding through the Arizona Cancer Center includes: 5,180 jobs, $237 million in wages, $795 million in gross sales, $7 million in city and county revenues, and $10.5 million in state revenues.