St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital aerial view
For the third consecutive time since 2013, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has received a rating of “exceptional” from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for renewal of the hospital’s designation as a Comprehensive Cancer Center. The exceptional rating is the highest the NCI awards to cancer centers.
“Our designation as a Comprehensive Cancer Center reflects our dedicated laboratory, clinical and survivorship research, as well as leadership in education and community outreach,” said Charles W. M. Roberts, MD, PhD, St. Jude Executive Vice President and St. Jude Comprehensive Cancer Center director. “Achieving exceptional status for the third consecutive time is a testament to the work of our faculty and staff members, and the impact this Center has on pediatric cancer research and treatment.”
What sets apart a Comprehensive Cancer Center?
St. Jude remains the first and only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. St. Jude first achieved Comprehensive Cancer Center status in 2008. In order to achieve this designation, a cancer center must have a deep and broad portfolio of research that extends from the laboratory to the clinic and includes population-based research.
Comprehensive Cancer Centers are at the forefront of scientific discovery, translating cutting-edge research into advanced clinical care. They offer patients access to the latest therapies and clinical trials not widely available. NCI-designated cancer centers also play a crucial role in training the next generation of cancer researchers and clinicians, ensuring a continued commitment to reducing the burden of cancer through innovation and advanced care.
The St. Jude Comprehensive Cancer Center staff includes scientists, physicians and educators who collaborate across disciplines to advance pediatric cancer care.
“Applying for renewal was a major endeavor, involving faculty and staff across the institution, and it is gratifying to have the scientific work of the center recognized with this superb score,” said Charles Mullighan, MD, St. Jude Comprehensive Cancer Center senior deputy director of strategic initiatives. “Despite remarkable progress in the past several decades, cancer remains the leading cause of death by disease for children in the U.S., and thus continued support for the research we do is vital for patients and survivors nationally and around the world.”
The St. Jude approach to research and care
The St. Jude Comprehensive Cancer Center includes five cross-disciplinary, multi-departmental programs aligned to specific disease and research areas: Developmental Biology and Solid Tumors, Neurobiology and Brain Tumors, Hematological Malignancies, Cancer Control and Survivorship, and Cancer Biology.
The vision of the Cancer Center’s leadership is to ensure a future where every child with cancer can look forward to a long and healthy life, while improving outcomes and the overall understanding of pediatric cancer to benefit patients and survivors. The work of St. Jude reaches beyond the hospital’s walls, sharing breakthroughs with the global scientific community to advance cures for children everywhere.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats, and cures childhood catastrophic diseases. As the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children, St. Jude advances groundbreaking research and shares its discoveries worldwide to accelerate progress in pediatric medicine. Treatments developed at St. Jude have helped increase overall childhood cancer survival rates from 20% to 80% since the hospital opened more than 60 years ago. Through collaboration and innovation, St. Jude is working to ensure that children everywhere have access to the best possible care. To learn more, visit stjude.org, read St. Jude Progress, a digital magazine, and follow St. Jude on social media at @stjuderesearch.