Huntsman Cancer Institute
Encyclopedia
Huntsman Cancer Institute is an NCI
-designated cancer
research facility and hospital
located on the campus of the University of Utah
in Salt Lake City, Utah
. It is the only National Cancer Institute
-designated Cancer Center in the Intermountain West
. This title ensures patients benefit from the most current screening, diagnostic, and treatment methods. It means that Huntsman Cancer Institute follows national guidelines for the detection and treatment of cancer, and its physicians and researchers participate in the process of developing these guidelines.
, a philanthropist
and businessman. To date, Mr. Huntsman has donated more than $250 million dollars of his own money since Huntsman Cancer Institute was established. Mary Beckerle, PhD, is HCI’s executive director.
To support its mission, the Huntsman Cancer Institute campus currently consists of a research building dedicated in 1999 and a 50-bed hospital dedicated in 2004.
, radiation
, and/or chemotherapy
. These plans are based on the most up-to-date understanding of treating cancer generally and the individual patient specifically. This approach ensures the best possible outcome for both rare and more common cancers.
has long been a leader in the study of human genetics. Scientists at Huntsman Cancer Institute aim to understand cancer at a molecular and genetic
level and strive to find new and more effective ways to treat this disease
. A treatment approach based on genetic knowledge allows for more targeted, individualized cancer therapies.
Established Cancer Center research programs include the following:
National Cancer Institute
The National Cancer Institute is part of the National Institutes of Health , which is one of 11 agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The NCI coordinates the U.S...
-designated cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
research facility and hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
located on the campus of the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
in Salt Lake City, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. It is the only National Cancer Institute
National Cancer Institute
The National Cancer Institute is part of the National Institutes of Health , which is one of 11 agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The NCI coordinates the U.S...
-designated Cancer Center in the Intermountain West
Intermountain West
The Intermountain West is a region of North America lying between the Rocky Mountains to the east and the Cascades and Sierra Nevada to the west. It is also called the Intermountain Region.- Topography :...
. This title ensures patients benefit from the most current screening, diagnostic, and treatment methods. It means that Huntsman Cancer Institute follows national guidelines for the detection and treatment of cancer, and its physicians and researchers participate in the process of developing these guidelines.
Overview
Huntsman Cancer Institute was founded with a pledge of $100 million of personal wealth from Jon Huntsman, Sr.Jon Huntsman, Sr.
Jon Meade Huntsman, Sr. is an American businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder of Huntsman Corporation. He is the father of former United States Ambassador to China and former Governor of Utah Jon Huntsman, Jr....
, a philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
and businessman. To date, Mr. Huntsman has donated more than $250 million dollars of his own money since Huntsman Cancer Institute was established. Mary Beckerle, PhD, is HCI’s executive director.
"We will place into societySocietyA society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
assistance for those who suffer, hope for those who may need inspiration, and educationEducationEducation in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
for those who may feel the challenge but do not have the means." - Jon M. Huntsman, chairman of Huntsman Cancer Foundation
Mission statement
Huntsman Cancer Institute's mission is to understand cancer from its beginnings, to use that knowledge in the creation and improvement of cancer treatments, to relieve the suffering of cancer patients, and to provide education about cancer risk, prevention, and care. Former Huntsman Cancer Foundation President, Jon Huntsman, Jr., explains, "It is the goal of Huntsman Cancer Institute to become a symbol of hope and optimism. We want those carrying the heavy burden of cancer to feel strengthened and hopeful."To support its mission, the Huntsman Cancer Institute campus currently consists of a research building dedicated in 1999 and a 50-bed hospital dedicated in 2004.
Clinical
Huntsman Cancer Hospital stands adjacent to the research building and is connected by glass walkways. A team of experts customizes each patient’s treatment plan to design the most effective combination of surgerySurgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
, radiation
Radiation
In physics, radiation is a process in which energetic particles or energetic waves travel through a medium or space. There are two distinct types of radiation; ionizing and non-ionizing...
, and/or chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
. These plans are based on the most up-to-date understanding of treating cancer generally and the individual patient specifically. This approach ensures the best possible outcome for both rare and more common cancers.
Research
The University of UtahUniversity of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
has long been a leader in the study of human genetics. Scientists at Huntsman Cancer Institute aim to understand cancer at a molecular and genetic
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
level and strive to find new and more effective ways to treat this disease
Disease
A disease is an abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism. It is often construed to be a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs. It may be caused by external factors, such as infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune...
. A treatment approach based on genetic knowledge allows for more targeted, individualized cancer therapies.
Research Programs
The Cancer Center Support Grant, which is awarded by the National Cancer Institute, subsidizes cancer research performed by more than 130 members of our Cancer Center. The purpose of this grant is to promote scientific excellence through coordinated, broad-based transdisciplinary programs and to benefit state-of-the-art shared research resources.Established Cancer Center research programs include the following:
- Cancer Control and Population Sciences
- Cell Response and Regulation
- Gastrointestinal Cancers
- Imaging, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics
- Nuclear Control of Cell Growth and Differentiation
Shared Resources
Shared resources support research programs at Huntsman Cancer Institute. A shared resource is a service or technology used by more than one department or program for maximum efficiency. Huntsman Cancer Institute researchers utilize the following shared resources:- Biomolecular Nuclear Magnetic ResonanceNuclear magnetic resonanceNuclear magnetic resonance is a physical phenomenon in which magnetic nuclei in a magnetic field absorb and re-emit electromagnetic radiation...
- BiostatisticsBiostatisticsBiostatistics is the application of statistics to a wide range of topics in biology...
- Clinical Trials Office
- DNADNADeoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
/PeptidePeptidePeptides are short polymers of amino acid monomers linked by peptide bonds. They are distinguished from proteins on the basis of size, typically containing less than 50 monomer units. The shortest peptides are dipeptides, consisting of two amino acids joined by a single peptide bond... - DrugDrugA drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.In pharmacology, a...
Screening Resource - Flow Cytometry
- Fluorescence Microscopy
- Genetic Counseling
- Glass Wash Facility
- MicroarrayMicroarrayA microarray is a multiplex lab-on-a-chip. It is a 2D array on a solid substrate that assays large amounts of biological material using high-throughput screening methods.Types of microarrays include:...
and Genomic Analysis - Mass SpectrometryMass spectrometryMass spectrometry is an analytical technique that measures the mass-to-charge ratio of charged particles.It is used for determining masses of particles, for determining the elemental composition of a sample or molecule, and for elucidating the chemical structures of molecules, such as peptides and...
and ProteomicsProteomicsProteomics is the large-scale study of proteins, particularly their structures and functions. Proteins are vital parts of living organisms, as they are the main components of the physiological metabolic pathways of cells. The term "proteomics" was first coined in 1997 to make an analogy with... - Research InformaticsInformatics (academic field)Informatics is the science of information, the practice of information processing, and the engineering of information systems. Informatics studies the structure, algorithms, behavior, and interactions of natural and artificial systems that store, process, access and communicate information...
- SurveyStatistical surveySurvey methodology is the field that studies surveys, that is, the sample of individuals from a population with a view towards making statistical inferences about the population using the sample. Polls about public opinion, such as political beliefs, are reported in the news media in democracies....
Methods and DataDataThe term data refers to qualitative or quantitative attributes of a variable or set of variables. Data are typically the results of measurements and can be the basis of graphs, images, or observations of a set of variables. Data are often viewed as the lowest level of abstraction from which...
Collection - TissueTissue (biology)Tissue is a cellular organizational level intermediate between cells and a complete organism. A tissue is an ensemble of cells, not necessarily identical, but from the same origin, that together carry out a specific function. These are called tissues because of their identical functioning...
Resource and Applications Core - UtahUtahUtah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
PopulationPopulationA population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
Database