HHS grant will provide more than $4 million of support over next four years

UNMC Eppley Cancer Center Earns Clinical Cancer Center

Designation

The University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Eppley Cancer Center has

earned the clinical cancer center designation from the National Cancer

Institute (NCI).  This designation recognizes that the UNMC Eppley

Cancer Center has strong cancer research programs in both basic sciences

as well as clinical research on cancer patients.

In conjunction with the new designation, the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center

also received a $4.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and

Human Services (HHS), which will provide support for the cancer center’s

core functions over the next four years.

“I applaud HHS in its recognition of the Eppley Cancer Center and UNMC’s

efforts to become a leader in cancer research,” said Sen. Chuck Hagel,

whose office made the announcement Wednesday.

“This is a major milestone for the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center,” said

Kenneth H. Cowan, M.D., Ph.D., director of the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center.

“We’ve been an NCI-designated cancer center since 1983 and have worked

extremely hard to become a clinical cancer center. This is a tremendous

accomplishment, and the entire state should be proud to have a cancer research

center of this quality.”

The NCI Cancer Centers Program supports nearly 60 NCI-designated cancer

centers nationwide. These are major academic and research institutions

involved in broad-based, coordinated, interdisciplinary cancer research

programs.

There are three types of cancer centers based on the degree of specialization

of their research activities: cancer center (basic science), clinical cancer

center (basic and clinical research) and comprehensive cancer center (basic

and clinical research with prevention, control and population-based 

research).  With the new designation, the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center

becomes one of only 14 clinical cancer centers in the country. There are

about 10 cancer centers and 35 comprehensive cancer centers.

“Translational research (research involving patients) is the key to

winning the battle against cancer,” Dr. Cowan said. “While work in the

laboratory is crucial to developing new insights into cancer treatment,

these insights must be confirmed in clinical trials.

“Our vision for the cancer center is to further enhance the interactions

between laboratory research and clinical research, so we can hasten the

translation of research discoveries into treatment options for patients.

This upgraded designation and funding should help make our vision for the

cancer center a reality.”

Although pleased with reaching clinical cancer center status, Dr. Cowan

said he hopes the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center will eventually become a comprehensive

cancer center. “This is our ultimate goal, and I’m confident we can reach

it. We want to continue to move forward.  It’s a major step, but with

the combined strength of UNMC and NHS, we think we have the resources to

get it accomplished. I’m optimistic we can move to the next level within

the next five years.”