National Cancer Institute Designated Cancer Center

The OHSU Knight Cancer Institute has been awarded Comprehensive Cancer Center status, the highest distinction given by the National Cancer Institute. Today, we are the only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center between Seattle and Sacramento –an honor earned only by the nation's top cancer centers.

To garner the NCI's top accolade, institutions are required to meet stringent criteria in three key areas: laboratory research, clinical research and population-based science. Specifically, a Comprehensive Cancer Center is required to demonstrate a proven aptitude in research that bridges these scientific areas, serve the broader population through cancer research, and integrate training and education of biomedical researchers and health care professionals to enhance its scientific mission.

The Knight Cancer Institute has been an NCI-designated center since 1997. It is the headquarters for one of the NCI's largest research collaboratives, SWOG, a cancer research cooperative group that designs and conducts multidisciplinary clinical trials to improve the practice of medicine in preventing, detecting and treating cancer and enhancing quality of life for cancer survivors. In addition to offering the latest treatments and technologies, the Knight Cancer Institute offers hundreds of research studies and clinical trials. For more information, visit the NCI website.

Commission on Cancer

The Commission on Cancer (CoC) is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival and quality of life for cancer patients through standard-setting, prevention, research, education and the monitoring of comprehensive quality care. Established by the American College of Surgeons in 1922, the multidisciplinary CoC establishes standards to ensure quality, multidisciplinary and comprehensive cancer care delivery in health care settings.

Accreditation as a cancer center is granted only to those facilities that have voluntarily committed to provide the best in cancer diagnosis and treatment and are able to comply with established CoC standards. Receiving care at a CoC-accredited cancer program hospital or facility ensures you high-quality, comprehensive care from teams of specialists who can coordinate the best treatment options available for you.
For more information, visit the CoC website.

Association of American Cancer Institutes

Members of the Association of American Cancer Institutes are dedicated to eradicating cancer through a comprehensive and multidisciplinary program of cancer research, treatment, patient care, prevention, education and community outreach.
For more information, visit the AACI website.

Other distinctions and accreditations

OHSU holds a number of other distinctions, accreditations and affiliationsthat relate to the depth, breadth and quality of our expertise in cancer care. We are committed to care of the highest caliber, personalized for each patient, and delivered with meticulous attention to quality.