| Fact Sheet |
The
Association of American Cancer Institutes is comprised of 95
of the leading academic and freestanding cancer research centers
in the United States. AACI’s membership roster is comprised of
National Cancer Institute-designated centers and academic-based
cancer research programs that receive NCI support.
Established in 1959, AACI functioned initially as an important
leadership network for cancer center directors across the country.
Today, the Association is dedicated to promoting the nation’s
leading research institutions’ efforts to eradicate cancer
through a comprehensive and multidisciplinary program of cancer
research, treatment, patient care, prevention, education and
community outreach. AACI cancer centers are acclaimed for their
excellence around the world. They merit this distinction because
of their success in translating promising research findings
into new interventions to prevent and treat cancer, and ultimately
ease the burden of cancer on patients, families and communities.
AACI in Recent Years
In 1999, AACI established a permanent headquarters in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania led by Executive Director Barbara Duffy Stewart,
MPH, the former director of communications and public affairs
for the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. The office
that has been established in Pittsburgh provides AACI the infrastructure
necessary to develop, facilitate and implement programs and
strategies that benefit member institutions and contribute to
the goals of national cancer program.
Contributions of AACI Cancer Centers
AACI cancer centers form the country’s cancer research
infrastructure, which is recognized as the best in the world.
AACI efforts support 16,000 scientific and clinical investigators
at cancer centers nationwide who work collaboratively to translate
promising research findings into new approaches to prevent and
treat cancer. AACI cancer centers serve as headquarters for
most of the nation’s cooperative group clinical trials,
and are the sites for many industry-sponsored and center-specific
clinical studies.
Many present-day curative therapies and key research discoveries
originated in the cancer center setting and were developed in
close partnership with the NCI and the American pharmaceutical
industry. Clinical trials carried out at U.S. cancer centers
have resulted in cures for many childhood cancers, as well as
Hodgkin's disease, testicular cancer, and certain forms of leukemia.
These well-planned and research-based therapies have also resulted
in improved treatments for a variety of the most common solid
tumors, including colon, lung, and breast cancers.
AACI Cancer Centers Serve Their Communities
AACI cancer centers serve regional communities across the nation
and link them to the resources of the national cancer program.
AACI centers provide their local populations ready access to
a wide array of multidisciplinary experts specializing in prevention,
diagnosis, treatment, and cancer care, as well as access to
novel cancer therapies. AACI cancer centers have developed key
interactions and partnerships with local community and state
health agencies to design and implement programs aimed at reducing
the overall cancer burden of the region.
Additionally, AACI cancer centers contribute
to the growth of local economies. By constructing new laboratories
and clinical facilities, recruiting new faculty and staff, and
developing entrepreneurial opportunities in the biotech and
pharmaceutical industries, cancer centers serve as an economic
stimulus for the region. |
