About Us

The OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, known as one of the pioneers in personalized cancer medicine, is an international leader in research and cancer treatment. Driven by its mission to end cancer as we know it, the institute is building upon its expertise in targeted treatments to advance the early detection of cancer when the disease is most treatable.

One billion dollars raised in Knight Cancer Challenge

In June 2015, the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute announced to the world that it had achieved a $500 million fundraising challenge set by Nike co-founder Phil Knight and his wife, Penny, raising $1 billion for cancer research. The Knight Cancer Challenge garnered support from donors in every state in the nation and 14 countries. Donors were inspired by plans for the first grand-scale program of its kind dedicated to radically transforming early detection of lethal cancers ― one of the biggest unmet needs in cancer care today.

A team approach to cancer

Cancer takes many forms. Although cancer diagnoses and cancer treatments may vary, one thing remains constant: our commitment to the health and well-being of our patients. Experts at the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute work together to develop your treatment plan—personalized medicine that means drugs are customized for your cancer and DNA, advanced radiation treatment that protects healthy cells, and nurse navigators who guide you through cancer treatments.

Our experts conduct cancer research in all areas of cancer care, from advances in breast cancer and lung cancer to new treatments for leukemia and prostate and colorectal cancer. Our doctors focus their efforts, and treat patients, in a single area of cancer. No other place in Oregon offers such a range of expertise and specialization for cancer treatment.

NCI designated cancer center

The OHSU Knight Cancer Institute is the only National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center between Sacramento and Seattle –an honor earned only by the nation's top cancer centers.

We are also the headquarters for the NCI's SWOG collaborative, a cancer research cooperative group that designs and conducts multidisciplinary clinical trials to improve the practice of medicine for preventing, detecting, and treating cancer, and to enhance the quality of life for cancer survivors.

Precision cancer medicine

OHSU Knight Cancer Institute Director Brian Druker, M.D., revolutionized the treatment of cancer through research that resulted in the first drug to target the molecular defect of a cancer while leaving healthy cells unharmed. Marketed under the name Gleevec®, his discovery turned a once-fatal cancer, chronic myeloid leukemia, into a manageable condition.

Knight Cancer Research Building opens new era in cancer research

The state-of-the-art cancer research facility's unique design brings together people from different scientific disciplines with the goal of accelerating research progress. With a capacity of 650 occupants, the building will house the majority of researchers contributing to the Knight Cancer Institute's mission.

Early detection saves lives

Earlier detection of lethal cancers represents the greatest opportunity to increase cancer survival rates. Thanks to $1 billion in philanthropic funding, the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute is developing the first large-scale early detection program of its kind. CEDAR —Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research Center —is led by nanotechnology expert Sadik Esener, Ph.D.