Let's Beat Cancer Together

National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Cancer Centers deliver cutting-edge cancer treatments to patients across the United States. The NCI Cancer Centers Program was created as part of the National Cancer Act of 1971 and is one of the anchors of the nation’s cancer research effort. Through this program, NCI recognizes centers around the country that meet rigorous standards for transdisciplinary, state-of-the-art research focused on developing new and better approaches to preventing, diagnosing, and treating cancer.

As New Jersey’s ONLY NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, Rutgers Cancer Institute together with RWJBarnabas Health provide patients access to the most advanced cancer treatment options including complex surgical procedures, immunotherapy, precision medicine, bone marrow transplantation, proton therapy, CAR T-cell therapy, and clinical trials - many of which are not available at other facilities across the state.

To schedule an appointment with one of our cancer specialists, please call (844) CANCERNJ or (844) 226-2376.

The Impact of Cancer Centers on Cancer Care

NCI-designated Cancer Centers such as ours develop and translate scientific knowledge from promising laboratory discoveries into new treatments for cancer patients. Each year, approximately 250,000 patients receive their cancer diagnoses at an NCI-designated Cancer Center. An even larger number of patients are treated for cancer at these centers each year, and thousands of patients are enrolled in cancer clinical trials at NCI-designated Cancer Centers.

What is a Comprehensive Cancer Center as designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI)?

The prestigious Comprehensive Cancer Center designation from the NCI, held by an elite group of such centers across the nation, is granted competitively to institutions characterized by the highest level of scientific excellence in cancer research and the ability to translate scientific discoveries into novel treatments. NCI Comprehensive Cancer Centers are recognized for leadership and resources as well as their depth and breadth of research. These centers may be freestanding organizations or aligned with an academic institution or others.

Rutgers Cancer Institute together with RWJBarnabas Health is the state’s only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.

How does the NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center designation impact research and new treatments?

The NCI allows designated Cancer Centers to formally establish research consortia with institutions that have strengths in particular areas but may not have the depth and breadth of capabilities to become independently designated. Currently, 16 such research consortia are approved by the NCI. A Consortium Cancer Center is a designation given to an NCI-designated center and a non-designated partner that may not have the breadth and depth to become an independently designated NCI center but brings value to the designated center and essentially has a similar focus and mission for the region that they serve.

Aiming to address the cancer burden that impacts New Jersey and beyond, Rutgers Cancer Institute collaborates with Princeton University, which is one of the 16 NCI-approved research consortia partners. As a result of this relationship, scientific advances in the areas of cancer metabolism, the spread of cancer and genomics have contributed to impactful clinical progress in areas such as precision medicine and immunotherapy, and serve as a foundation for the development of future innovative cancer therapies.

To schedule an appointment with one of our cancer specialists, please call (844) CANCERNJ or (844) 226-2376.

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