National Cancer Institute Extends Comprehensive Cancer Center Designation to include Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale

Wednesday, July 17, 2002

SCOTTSALE, Ariz., July 17, 2002 – Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale is now included as a National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated cancer center, joining Mayo Clinic locations in Rochester, Minn. and Jacksonville, Fla., with the designation as a Comprehensive Cancer Center and making plans to expand services both locally and nationally.

Mayo Clinic Scottsdale is the only medical center in the Phoenix area to achieve this NCI designation, and one of only two NCI-designated cancer centers in the state of Arizona. In the entire Southwest, there are no NCI-designated cancer centers in Nevada or New Mexico, and only one in Salt Lake City, Utah.

This year an estimated 13,000 new cancer patients will seek treatment at Mayo Clinic's three facilities. At Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale alone, more than 2,200 new cancer patients will be treated this year.

Mayo Clinic is the first multi-center clinic in the United States to be designated a comprehensive cancer center for its entire cancer program. Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., has been an NCI-designated Cancer Center since 1974, and of the 62 NCI-designated Cancer Centers in the U.S., Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center ranked tenth in NCI funding in 2001. The extended designation followed an endorsement by NCI of plans by Mayo Clinic to reorganize the cancer research, treatment and education programs at its three locations into a single cancer center.

Among its three locations, Mayo Clinic annually conducts approximately 200 clinical trials for advancing the understanding and treatment of cancer. Patients at Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale will have access to all clinical trials including the 78 clinical trials that are currently being conducted in Scottsdale. Complementing the expanded research efforts will be increased access for cancer patients in the Southwest and Southeast to these clinical trials and investigational treatments in Scottsdale and Jacksonville.

The NCI is the federal agency that sets standards for cancer centers. Only 62 cancer centers in the United States are NCI-designated and only 41 of those centers have the highest ranking of Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Under the guidelines to attain recognition from NCI as a Comprehensive Cancer Center, the organization must perform research in three major areas: ? Basic science research ? Clinical research ? Cancer prevention, control and population-based research

In addition to having an integrated research program of strong basic, clinical, prevention and control, and population sciences the Center must provide clinical care and service for cancer patients, and have extensive ancillary cancer-related activities such as outreach, education and information dissemination.

A competitive peer review process evaluates and ranks applicants for this highly selective designation.

"The designation of Mayo Clinic Scottsdale as a site of the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer means that cancer patients throughout the Southwest will have full access to all of the cancer research and treatment programs that are available through the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center without having to travel far from home," says Victor Trastek, M.D., Chair of the Board of Governors at Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale. "As an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center, Mayo Clinic ranks in the top tier of cancer centers in the United States."

Dr. Trastek also announced that Laurence Miller, M.D. will assume responsibility as the Deputy Director of the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center – Scottsdale, effective August 1. Dr. Miller has also been named Director for Research for Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale. Nationally recognized for his research and clinical practice in pancreatic cancer, Dr. Miller brings 23 years experience with the Comprehensive Cancer at Mayo Clinic in Rochester to the Scottsdale facility. He will now see patients and conduct his research in Scottsdale.

"Cancer patients coming to Mayo Clinic Scottsdale will benefit from the NCI designation because they'll have access to more clinical trials for cancer, increased funding for cancer research and the advanced integration of clinical collaboration among the three Mayo Clinic sites," says Dr. Miller. "I've seen first-hand through my experience at the NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer at Mayo Clinic in Rochester the advantages of being an integrated multi-discipline center when it comes to the highest level of cancer research, diagnosis and treatment for patients."

According to Franklyn Prendergast, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Mayo Foundation Comprehensive Cancer Center, the NCI designation is the culmination of more than four years of planning and formally establishes one Mayo Clinic Cancer Center with three doors of entry through each of the facilities.

"Currently, the largest share of cancer research and patient treatment occurs at our facility in Rochester, Minn.," says Dr. Prendergast. "We will maintain the reputation that Rochester has established in research and treatment while further developing areas of research and treatment in Scottsdale and Jacksonville."

Mayo Clinic has approved these expansion plans for the cancer center and its research programs: ? Rochester – Cancer research laboratories will expand into 35,000 square feet of new laboratory space in the recently constructed Gonda Building and 12 new researchers will be recruited. ? Scottsdale – Plans have been developed for a new radiation oncology and clinical oncology space at a new building on the Mayo Clinic Hospital site. Three new cancer researchers will be recruited this year and plans have been developed to build additional research facilities. ? Jacksonville – The recently completed Griffen Cancer Research Building will provide 40,000 square feet of new laboratory space for cancer researchers. Five new researchers will be recruited, including a new deputy director for the cancer center and research programs there.

In addition, the cancer center will enable Mayo Clinic to more cohesively expand its cancer prevention and treatment programs to minority and underserved populations. Examples of such efforts include a Scottsdale-based cancer screening and education program for Native Americans in Arizona and a breast cancer screening program for African-American women in the Jacksonville area. "We expect to expand these programs and develop others with a similar purpose," says Dr. Prendergast. "We fully agree with the reorganization of the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center that established a Foundation-wide Cancer Center encompassing the Jacksonville and Scottsdale sites," says Brian Kimes, Ph.D., director of the NCI's Office of Centers, Training and Resources. "We believe that the benefits that will accrue to cancer research and cancer patients will be substantial."

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