Recent Medical and Health Science News Stories

University of Colorado Cancer Center elected to elite group

Written by Erika Matich | March 20, 2013

By: Erika Matich | University Communications

AURORA, Colo. - University of Colorado Cancer Center has been added to an elite group of cancer centers that establish and deliver the gold standard in cancer clinical care. CU Cancer Center has been elected as a member institution by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN), an alliance of the world’s leading cancer centers dedicated to improving the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of care provided to patients with cancer.

NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) are used as the standard of care for oncology patients. NCCN Guidelines® are developed through a rigorous review of the evidence integrated with expert medical judgment and recommendations by multidisciplinary panels from NCCN Member Institutions.

“We are honored and humbled by being elected to institutional membership by NCCN,” says Dan Theodorescu, MD, PhD, director of the CU Cancer Center. “NCCN has been a national leader in advancing the quality and practice of cancer medicine. We look forward to contributing our expertise and ideas while supporting NCCN’s national and international initiatives in patient care and research.”

CU Cancer Center is Colorado’s only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center. The center is a consortium of three state universities, including the University of Colorado (CU) Boulder and University of Colorado Denver, and six institutions (University of Colorado Health, a network comprised of University of Colorado Hospital, Poudre Valley Hospital, Medical Center of the Rockies and Memorial Hospital; Children’s Hospital Colorado; Denver Health, Denver VA Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente Colorado and National Jewish Health).

University of Colorado Hospital (UCH) is the primary adult teaching hospital and where the majority of CU Cancer Center clinical care is delivered and clinical research is conducted. University HealthSystem Consortium named UCH the #1 academic medical center in quality in the nation in 2011 and 2012. U.S. News & World Report ranks University of Colorado Cancer Center among the nation’s top 50 cancer centers and named UCH the best hospital in Colorado in 2012.

Children’s Hospital Colorado, where pediatric cancer care takes place, is acknowledged as one of the nation's top 10 children’s hospitals by U.S. News & World Report. Children's Colorado is also recognized, nationally and internationally, for medical, research, education and advocacy programs.

In addition to CU Cancer Center, UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center in La Jolla, California has been elected as a Member Institution by NCCN.

“We are extremely pleased that the University of Colorado Cancer Center and UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center have been elected to institutional membership in NCCN,” says Dr. Robert Carlson, CEO of NCCN. “These two institutions add substantial strength and expertise to the excellence of cancer care, research and education characteristic of the other 21 world-class Member Institutions.”

Contact: Erika.Matich@ucdenver.edu