The University of Florida Health Cancer Center this year received a prestigious designation from the National Cancer Institute, or NCI, and joined the ranks of the country’s most distinguished cancer centers.
The UF Health Proton Therapy Institute, UF physicians and staff are an integral part of the UF Health Cancer Center and received this designation from the NCI because of the exceptional, multidisciplinary care the Cancer Center delivers to patients and the leading-edge, clinical research conducted by its faculty.
With the NCI Cancer Center designation, the UF Health Cancer Center will receive $2.1 million annually from the NCI to enhance its ability to attract world-class researchers and clinical investigators and train the next generation of cancer research workforce, while increasing its competitiveness for cancer research grants.
The UF Health Proton Therapy Institute has a robust clinical research program to improve the effectiveness and availability of proton therapy. Most of the studies conducted at the Institute are based on the expectation that at least one outcome of treatment will be significantly better than what can be achieved with traditional radiation therapy.
Since opening in 2006, the Institute has completed dozens of clinical trials and published more than 400 peer-reviewed articles in medical journals. These studies are showing excellent patient outcomes in reducing side effects of treatment while achieving tumor control that is on par with or is better than what can be expected with conventional radiotherapy.
The patients being treated with proton therapy at UF Health Proton Therapy Institute receive state-of-the-art cancer treatment based on decades of research, expertise and experience of the physicians and staff. The NCI Cancer Center designation recognizes the program’s excellence and leadership in providing the highest quality, compassionate cancer care.