The Tisch Cancer Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has been named a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Cancer Center, an honor reserved for an elite group of U.S. institutions committed to researching and treating cancer.
In conjunction with the NCI designation, The Tisch Cancer Institute received a five-year, $8.5 million grant to support research and the recruitment of top physicians and scientists. More than 50 of the nation’s leading cancer researchers have joined The Tisch Cancer Institute since it was established in 2008.
“The NCI designation signifies excellence,” says Steven J. Burakoff, MD, Director of The Tisch Cancer Institute and the Lillian and Henry M. Stratton Professor of Cancer Medicine. “Receiving this designation in New York City, which is a highly competitive market, is tangible proof of the meaningful work we are accomplishing in research and clinical care.”
Sixty-nine cancer institutions in 35 states and the District of Columbia carry the NCI designation. To qualify, Mount Sinai met stringent requirements and demonstrated its strength in laboratory and clinical research, and population science.
In granting the designation, the NCI cited The Tisch Cancer Institute’s focus on at-risk populations in East and Central Harlem that have a high incidence of aggressive prostate and breast cancers; its comprehensive liver cancer program; a strong immunotherapy program; expertise in environmental health; its World Trade Center First Responders Program; and Mount Sinai’s commitment to reducing health disparities among underserved cancer patients.
“Under Dr. Burakoff, The Tisch Cancer Institute has become a national leader in basic, clinical, and population cancer research and treatment,” says Kenneth L. Davis, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mount Sinai Health System. “These strengths were central to our success in receiving this NCI designation.”
Mount Sinai’s cancer research teams have earned grants totaling $79 million. Renowned physicians and scientists in cancer immunology, cancer cell signaling, cancer genomics and bioinformatics, cancer epidemiology, and cancer pathology are making new discoveries. Their collaborations across the Mount Sinai Health System have led to promising clinical trials.
Research and clinical space in the Leon and Norma Hess Center for Science and Medicine, a nearly 500,000-square-foot building at 1470 Madison Avenue that opened in 2012, has helped foster collaborations. The Tisch Cancer Institute’s Ruttenberg Treatment Center, which provides patients with chemotherapy and a range of treatments, is located there, along with many of Mount Sinai’s laboratories.
“This honor is based on the exceptional leadership of Steven J. Burakoff, MD, and his team, extensive research facilities, and an institution-wide commitment to cancer research,” says Dennis S. Charney, MD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and President for Academic Affairs, Mount Sinai Health System. “The NCI designation will help facilitate the expansion of novel treatment options and clinical trials for cancer patients throughout the Mount Sinai Health System.”