• Cancer

    Mayo Clinic Cancer Center Earns “Exceptional” Rating, Wins NCI Grant Renewal

National Cancer Institute logoROCHESTER, Minn. – The Mayo Clinic Cancer Center (MCCC) announced today that it has received an overall "exceptional" score on the competitive renewal of its National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG). The grant award will provide roughly $28.6 million in funding over five years, providing essential support for the MCCC's 10 research programs and 13 shared resources through 2018.

The MCCC's NCI designation as a comprehensive cancer center was also renewed. To earn the comprehensive cancer center designation, an institution must participate in multidisciplinary laboratory, clinical and population-based research and educate the community it serves about research advances. There are 41 NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers across the country. The MCCC is the only single comprehensive cancer center with three geographic sites – in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Ariz.; Jacksonville, Fla., and Rochester, Minn.

"Exceptional" is the highest rating given by the NCI. Fewer than 10 percent of NCI-designated cancer centers receive "exceptional" scores.

"This rating reflects the level of science being conducted by our researchers and the high quality of our staff," says MCCC director, Robert Diasio, M.D.

In December 2013, the MCCC hosted a 21-member NCI review team for a day of presentations and question and answer sessions to clarify and update the information in the written application. More than 150 MCCC members, staff and senior leadership spent more than five months preparing for the review, which lasted more than eight hours and included 16 presentations, a tour of the Cancer Clinical Research Office and a Shared Resource poster session.

Through its CCSG program, the NCI has provided more than $150 million in cancer research funding to Mayo Clinic over the past 40 years. Mayo was first designated as an NCI Cancer Center in 1973.  In 2003, the NCI recognized the MCCC as a single comprehensive cancer center with three locations in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota.  http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/newsfromnci/2014/NCTNlaunch

More information about the MCCC can be found at: http://www.mayoclinic.org/departments-centers/mayo-clinic-cancer-center.

About Mayo Clinic Cancer Center
As a leading institution funded by the National Cancer Institute, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center conducts basic, clinical and population science research, translating discoveries into improved methods for prevention, diagnosis, prognosis and therapy. For information on cancer clinical trials, call 1-855-776-0015 toll free.

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About Mayo Clinic
Recognizing 150 years of serving humanity in 2014, Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit worldwide leader in medical care, research and education for people from all walks of life. For more information, visit 150 years.mayoclinic.orghttp://www.mayoclinic.org/ and newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Joe Dangor, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, 
newsbureau@mayo.edu

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