University of Virginia Cancer Center

The University of Virginia Cancer Center was founded in 1984 and has been NCI-designated since 1987.{{cite web|url=https://www.cancer.gov/research/nci-role/cancer-centers/find/uvacc |title=University of Virginia Cancer Center - National Cancer Institute |publisher=Cancer.gov |date=2012-07-26 |accessdate=2016-12-12}} This status is reviewed every five years.{{cite web|title=Virginia State House Appropriations Committee on Higher Education|url=http://hac.state.va.us/subcommittee/2014_subcommittee/higher_education/files/01-20-14/Agenda%20Item%20III%20(3)%20Comprehensive%20designation%20goal%20and%20funding%20handout%201-17-14%20FINAL.pdf}} Its comprehensive designation became effective February 1, 2022.{{Cite web |date=2021-11-19 |title=Tom Loughran tells us how he got UVA over the hump to comprehensive designation |url=https://cancerletter.com/conversation-with-the-cancer-letter/20211119_1/ |access-date=2023-01-18 |website=The Cancer Letter |language=en-US}}

The center's director, Thomas P. Loughran Jr., discovered and is considered a leading expert in large granular lymphocytic (LGL) leukemia. He succeeded Michael J. Weber, who stepped down in 2013 after twelve years of service.{{Cite news|url=http://newsroom.uvahealth.com/2013/05/20/thomas-p-loughran-jr-md-appointed-director-of-uva-cancer-center/|title=Thomas P. Loughran Jr., MD, appointed director of UVA Cancer Center|date=2013-05-20|work=UVA Health Newsroom|access-date=2017-12-13|language=en-US}}

UVA Cancer Center is funded as a partner in the federal Cancer Moonshot.{{Cite web |date=2017-01-25 |title=Giant Leap Against Cancer: UVA a Lead Institution in 'Cancer Moonshot' |url=https://news.virginia.edu/content/giant-leap-against-cancer-uva-lead-institution-cancer-moonshot |access-date=2023-01-18 |website=UVA Today |language=en}} The initiative is led by the Biden administration and in 2022 set new goals of reducing the cancer death rate by half within 25 years while improving the lives of people with cancer and survivors.{{Cite web |title=Cancer Moonshot |url=https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/cancermoonshot/ |access-date=2023-01-18 |website=The White House |language=en-US}}

UVA Cancer Center is accredited by the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT).{{Cite web |title=FACT Accredited Institutions |url=https://accredited.factglobal.org/ |access-date=2023-01-18}} It is a leader in treatment of myelodysplastic syndrome and an MDS Foundation Center of Excellence.{{Cite web |title=MDS Centers of Excellence {{!}} MDS Foundation |url=https://www.mds-foundation.org/mds-centeres-of-excellence/ |access-date=2023-01-18 |language=en-US}}

The UVA Cancer Center's member researchers represent UVA's schools of Medicine, Nursing, Engineering and Applied Science, Education, Data Science, and the College of Arts and Sciences. Its primary research is divided into four collaborative, transdisciplinary programs:{{Cite web |title=Research Programs |url=https://med.virginia.edu/cancer-research/research-initiatives/research-programs/ |access-date=2023-01-18 |website=UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center |language=en-US}}

• Cancer Biology
• Molecular Genetics and Epigenetics
• Cancer Therapeutics
• Cancer Prevention and Population Health

The UVA Cancer Center is a leader in research and treatment of rare blood cancers and in research and development of focused ultrasound for cancer treatment. The center is affiliated with UVA's Translational Orphan Blood Cancer Research Initiative, which pursues new therapies for rare cancers that lack the funding afforded more common cancers, and with the School of Medicine's Focused Ultrasound Cancer Immunotherapy Center.{{Cite web |date=2022-08-04 |title=UVA Cancer Center Receives $5.75 Million to Battle Rare Blood Cancers |url=https://newsroom.uvahealth.com/2022/08/04/uva-cancer-center-receives-5-75-million-gift-rare-blood-cancers/ |access-date=2023-01-20 |website=UVA Health Newsroom |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=About |url=https://med.virginia.edu/uva-focused-ultrasound-cancer-immunotherapy-center/about/ |access-date=2023-01-20 |website=Focused Ultrasound Cancer Immunotherapy Center |language=en-US}}

UVA Cancer Center's research findings include:

• Discovery of the gene responsible for glioblastoma, the deadliest form of brain cancer. UVA researchers also found that the same gene factors in two forms of the childhood cancer rhabdomyosarcoma.{{Cite web |last=Jackson |first=Christina |date=2020-07-15 |title=Scientists Pinpoint Onocogene that Drives Deadly Brain Cancer |url=https://www.genengnews.com/news/scientists-pinpoint-onocogene-that-drives-deadly-brain-cancer/ |access-date=2023-01-20 |website=GEN - Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News |language=en-US}}
• Identification of a gene contributing to small-cell lung cancer, that when manipulated halted the disease's spread in mice{{Cite web |date=2022-02-24 |title=Surprise Discovery Suggests New Treatment for Small-Cell Lung Cancer |url=https://newsroom.uvahealth.com/2022/02/24/surprise-discovery-suggests-new-treatment-for-small-cell-lung-cancer/ |access-date=2023-01-20 |website=UVA Health Newsroom |language=en-US}}
• Discovery of link between the gut biome and the spread of breast cancer{{Cite web |last=PM |first=The ASCO Post Staff Posted: 9/28/2022 1:05:00 PM Last Updated: 9/28/2022 1:17:43 |title=Unhealthy Gut May Set the Stage for Breast Cancer to Spread, Preclinical Research Reveals - The ASCO Post |url=https://ascopost.com/news/september-2022/unhealthy-gut-may-set-the-stage-for-breast-cancer-to-spread-preclinical-research-reveals/ |access-date=2023-01-20 |website=ascopost.com |language=en}}
• Discovery of an inhibitor protein that is inactive in patients with hard-to-treat “triple negative” breast cancer{{Cite web |date=2017-11-20 |title=UVA Researchers Discover a New Target for 'Triple-Negative' Breast Cancer |url=https://news.virginia.edu/content/uva-researchers-discover-new-target-triple-negative-breast-cancer |access-date=2023-01-20 |website=UVA Today |language=en}}
• Analysis determining that Black and Asian lung cancer patients wait averages of 5 and 11 days longer than white patients for initiation of radiation therapy, respectively{{Cite web |title=Minorities face longer wait times for vital lung cancer treatment, study finds |url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/10/221025090509.htm |access-date=2023-01-20 |website=ScienceDaily |language=en}}
• Discovery of a form of RNA prevalent in prostate cancers that could serve as a target for treatments{{Cite journal |last1=Ta |first1=Huy Q. |last2=Whitworth |first2=Hilary |last3=Yin |first3=Yi |last4=Conaway |first4=Mark |last5=Frierson |first5=Henry F. |last6=Campbell |first6=Moray J. |last7=Raj |first7=Ganesh V. |last8=Gioeli |first8=Daniel |date=2019-06-28 |title=Discovery of a novel long noncoding RNA overlapping the LCK gene that regulates prostate cancer cell growth |journal=Molecular Cancer |volume=18 |issue=1 |pages=113 |doi=10.1186/s12943-019-1039-6 |issn=1476-4598 |pmc=6598369 |pmid=31253147 |doi-access=free }}

UVA Cancer Center operates the LGL Leukemia Registry, the only national database and specimen bank from patients of the disease.{{Cite web |title=LGL Leukemia Registry {{!}} UVA Health |url=https://uvahealth.com/services/lgl-leukemia/lgl-leukemia-registry |access-date=2023-01-20 |website=uvahealth.com}} It is a member of the Oncology Research Information Exchange Network (ORIEN), a group of 16 institutions, as well as the Cooperative Human Tissue Network and the Applied Proteogenomics Organizational Learning and Outcomes (APOLLO) network.

Patients who receive cancer treatment at UVA can participate in its Partners in Discovery program by consenting to donate tumor tissue from surgeries and information about their health and treatment. Analyses of these specimens and other data is anonymously entered into the nationwide databases to support research, to further the development of personalized medicine, and to expedite access to clinical trials.{{Cite web |title=Partners in Discovery |url=https://med.virginia.edu/cancer-research/research-resources/partners-in-discovery/ |access-date=2023-01-20 |website=UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center |language=en-US}}

The UVA Cancer Center is based at UVA Health. Outpatient treatment is provided at the Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Center (ECCCC) in Charlottesville and at satellite clinics in Albemarle and Augusta counties and in Culpeper, Virginia."[https://www.uvaphysicianresource.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/18-139183-Cancer-Community-Oncology-Referring-Prov.-Fact-Sheet-PRINT.pdf UVA Community Oncology Network]" Retrieved 2023-01-20. The ECCCC is a 150,000 square-foot facility built at a cost of $74 million.{{cite web |date= |title=UVA Health System Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Center - Gilbane |url=http://www.gilbaneco.com/project/univ-virginia-health-system-emily-couric-clinical-cancer-center/ |accessdate=2016-12-12 |publisher=Gilbaneco.com}} It was dedicated in 2011 and named for state senator Emily Couric, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2001.{{Cite web |date=2011-02-28 |title=Katie Couric Helps Dedicate Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Center |url=https://news.virginia.edu/content/katie-couric-helps-dedicate-emily-couric-clinical-cancer-center |access-date=2023-01-20 |website=UVA Today |language=en}}

• Thomas P. Loughran Jr.
• Michael J. Weber

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Category:Medical research institutes in the United States

Category:University of Virginia

Category:NCI-designated cancer centers

Category:1984 establishments in Virginia

Category:Research institutes in Virginia