Alert

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Claire McCaskill (Mo.), along with members of the Missouri and Kansas congressional delegations, teamed up to support the designation of the University of Kansas Cancer Center and its partner, the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute.

“The University of Kansas Cancer Center and its partner, the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, are at the forefront of collaborative, cutting-edge biomedical research,” Blunt said. “Designating KUCC as a comprehensive cancer center will enhance its ability to drive progress toward new, life-saving cures and strengthen the role the entire Kansas City biomedical community plays in cancer research. As chairman of the Senate appropriations subcommittee that funds the Department of Health and Human Services, I’ve been proud to advocate for increased resources for the National Cancer Institute, and I’ll continue working to make KUCC an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center.”

“This cancer center is a vital resource for the region and a national asset in our fight against this disease,” said McCaskill, a breast cancer survivor. “This designation will help further recognize the incredible care and breakthroughs in treatment KU and Stowers offer, and continue advancing the front lines in our search for a cure.”

The National Cancer Institute, a division of the National Institutes of Health, is the federal government's primary agency to address research and training needs for the cause, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. The Senators’ letter details that in the KU Cancer Center catchment area, which includes 105 counties in Kansas and 18 counties in western Missouri, it is estimated that over 22,000 people will be diagnosed with cancer, and more than 8,500 people will die from cancer in 2016. Cancer causes approximately 15 deaths per day in both Kansas and western Missouri, and accounts for approximately 22 percent of all deaths.

National Cancer Institute Designated Cancer Centers are recognized for their scientific leadership, resources, and the depth and breadth of their research in basic, clinical, and/or population science. Comprehensive Cancer Centers demonstrate an added depth and breadth of research, as well as substantial transdisciplinary research that bridges these scientific areas. There are 15 Cancer Centers and 47 Comprehensive Cancer Centers.

 Read the full text of the letter here.