Roswell Park Cancer Institute
Encyclopedia
The Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) is a comprehensive cancer
research and treatment center located in Buffalo, New York
. Founded in 1898 by Dr. Roswell Park
, it was the first dedicated medical facility for cancer treatment and research in the United States
. The facility is involved in drug
development and conducts clinical research for cancer treatment. Roswell Park Cancer Institute is the only upstate New York
facility to hold the National Cancer Institute
designation of "comprehensive cancer center" and to serve as a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network
.
The campus spans 27 acres (109,265.2 m²) in downtown Buffalo and includes 1500000 square feet (139,354.6 m²) of space equally distributed between clinic
al programs and research/education functions. A hospital building, completed in 1998, houses a comprehensive diagnostic and treatment center. The campus includes a medical research complex and renovated existing education and research space.
Education Annually:
Dr Park said that “Only through a deliberate well-planned, combined attack from various directions by means fitted for such work could real advances be made and further the relationship of laboratory work, clinical study and education must be closely associated.
Research started in three rooms in the University of Buffalo School of Medicine. It did not take long to outgrow those three rooms. Buffalo citizens saw the importance of cancer research and decided to donate money to purchase land and a new building. The biggest contributor was Mrs. William Gratwik who donated $25,000. The Gratwick Research Laboratory of the University of Buffalo was constructed in 1901. It was located on High and Elm in Buffalo, New York.
Dr. Park was a busy man; he wrote many books, gave lectures, and was the administrator at the cancer research center. In 1904 Dr. Park stepped down from and Dr. Harvey R. Gaylord took over as the second director of the institute. Dr. Park remained as the head chairman of the board of trustees.
/Infusion; Dermatology
, Soft Tissue Melanoma, Thoracic; Lower Gastrointestinal; Upper Gastrointestinal; Genito-Urology; Head & Neck; Pediatric; Gynecology and Hematology
/Neurology
/Pain. Supporting these Centers are important clinical resources that include, but are not limited to: Anesthesiology & Critical Care Medicine; Blood Bank/Plateletpheresis
; Clinical Research Services; Community Cancer Resource
Center; Diagnostic Imaging; Genetics Counseling/Testing; Infectious Disease Service; Nursing
; Pain Medicine; Pathology
& Laboratory Medicine; Patient Advocacy; Photodynamic Therapy
; Psychosocial Support; Radiation
Oncology
; Rehabilitation
(physical, occupational and speech therapy); and Therapeutics (experimental).
RPCI also offers specialized treatments, services and therapies including: High-dose Chemotherapy; Photodynamic Therapy; Gamma Knife; Follow-up Clinic for Long- term Survivors of Childhood Cancer; a Regional Center for Maxillofacial Prosthetics; the Buffalo-Niagara Prostate Cancer Consortium; Clinical Genetics Testing and Counseling; the Center for HIV-related Malignancies; Lymphedema Clinic; Balloon Kyphoplasty; Brain Mapping
; Cancer Pain
Management Service; High Risk Breast Clinic; Intraoperative MRI; Minimally Invasive Surgical Suite; Mohs’ Surgery;
Robotic Surgery
and Colorectal Cancer Risk Management Clinic.
Biotech Spin-offs
Historical Firsts:
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network Member Profile http://www.nccn.org/members/profiles/roswell.asp
Grad Schools Overview http://www.gradschools.com/School/NY_United-States/Roswell-Park-Cancer-Institute/66448.html
National Marrow Donor Program Overview http://www.marrow.org/PATIENT/Plan_for_Tx/Choosing_a_TC/US_NMDP_Transplant_Centers/Detailed_Center_Information/tc_idx.pl?ctr_id=583&p_src=state
US News & World Report Hospital Directory http://health.usnews.com/listings/hospital-directory/new_york/roswell_park_cancer_institute
Core Grant Renewed http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92711.php
Partnership with the University at Buffalo http://www2.universitybusiness.com/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=885
Roswell Park Cancer Institute http://www.roswellpark.org
We Are Roswell Park Institute Publication Version July 2008
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 and treatment center located in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. Founded in 1898 by Dr. Roswell Park
Dr. Roswell Park
Dr. Roswell Park is best known for starting Gratwick Research Laboratory, which is now known as Roswell Park Cancer Institute. He was also a professor of surgery at the University of Buffalo Medical School and a surgeon at Buffalo General Hospital.When Dr. Park was thirty-one he came to Buffalo,...
, it was the first dedicated medical facility for cancer treatment and research in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The facility is involved in drug
Drug
A 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...
development and conducts clinical research for cancer treatment. Roswell Park Cancer Institute is the only upstate New York
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
facility to hold the 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...
designation of "comprehensive cancer center" and to serve as a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network
National Comprehensive Cancer Network
National Comprehensive Cancer Network is an alliance of twenty-one cancer centers in the United States, most of which are designated by the National Cancer Institute as comprehensive cancer centers...
.
The campus spans 27 acres (109,265.2 m²) in downtown Buffalo and includes 1500000 square feet (139,354.6 m²) of space equally distributed between clinic
Clinic
A clinic is a health care facility that is primarily devoted to the care of outpatients...
al programs and research/education functions. A hospital building, completed in 1998, houses a comprehensive diagnostic and treatment center. The campus includes a medical research complex and renovated existing education and research space.
Education Annually:
- 250 clinical residents/oncology fellows
- 100 postdoctoral research fellows
- 196 predoctoral graduate students
- 75 summer research students in high school and college, medical and dental schools
- 40 exchange visitors - international research scholars
History
Roswell Park Cancer institute was established in 1898 by Dr. Roswell Park, who was a professor of surgery at the University of Buffalo School of Medicine. It was the first institute to focus on cancer treatment and research in the world. Dr Roswell Park saw that there was a need for cancer care and acted.Dr Park said that “Only through a deliberate well-planned, combined attack from various directions by means fitted for such work could real advances be made and further the relationship of laboratory work, clinical study and education must be closely associated.
Research started in three rooms in the University of Buffalo School of Medicine. It did not take long to outgrow those three rooms. Buffalo citizens saw the importance of cancer research and decided to donate money to purchase land and a new building. The biggest contributor was Mrs. William Gratwik who donated $25,000. The Gratwick Research Laboratory of the University of Buffalo was constructed in 1901. It was located on High and Elm in Buffalo, New York.
Dr. Park was a busy man; he wrote many books, gave lectures, and was the administrator at the cancer research center. In 1904 Dr. Park stepped down from and Dr. Harvey R. Gaylord took over as the second director of the institute. Dr. Park remained as the head chairman of the board of trustees.
Centers of research
RPCI’s multidisciplinary centers include: the Breast Service; ChemotherapyChemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
/Infusion; Dermatology
Dermatology
Dermatology is the branch of medicine dealing with the skin and its diseases, a unique specialty with both medical and surgical aspects. A dermatologist takes care of diseases, in the widest sense, and some cosmetic problems of the skin, scalp, hair, and nails....
, Soft Tissue Melanoma, Thoracic; Lower Gastrointestinal; Upper Gastrointestinal; Genito-Urology; Head & Neck; Pediatric; Gynecology and Hematology
Hematology
Hematology, also spelled haematology , is the branch of biology physiology, internal medicine, pathology, clinical laboratory work, and pediatrics that is concerned with the study of blood, the blood-forming organs, and blood diseases...
/Neurology
Neurology
Neurology is a medical specialty dealing with disorders of the nervous system. Specifically, it deals with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of disease involving the central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems, including their coverings, blood vessels, and all effector tissue,...
/Pain. Supporting these Centers are important clinical resources that include, but are not limited to: Anesthesiology & Critical Care Medicine; Blood Bank/Plateletpheresis
Plateletpheresis
Plateletpheresis is the process of collecting thrombocytes, more commonly called platelets, a component of blood involved in blood clotting...
; Clinical Research Services; Community Cancer Resource
Center; Diagnostic Imaging; Genetics Counseling/Testing; Infectious Disease Service; Nursing
Nursing
Nursing is a healthcare profession focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life from conception to death....
; Pain Medicine; Pathology
Pathology
Pathology is the precise study and diagnosis of disease. The word pathology is from Ancient Greek , pathos, "feeling, suffering"; and , -logia, "the study of". Pathologization, to pathologize, refers to the process of defining a condition or behavior as pathological, e.g. pathological gambling....
& Laboratory Medicine; Patient Advocacy; Photodynamic Therapy
Photodynamic therapy
Photodynamic therapy is used clinically to treat a wide range of medical conditions, including malignant cancers, and is recognised as a treatment strategy which is both minimally invasive and minimally toxic...
; Psychosocial Support; 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...
Oncology
Oncology
Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with cancer...
; Rehabilitation
Physical medicine and rehabilitation
Physical medicine and rehabilitation , physiatry or rehabilitation medicine, is a branch of medicine that aims to enhance and restore functional ability and quality of life to those with physical impairments or disabilities. A physician having completed training in this field is referred to as a...
(physical, occupational and speech therapy); and Therapeutics (experimental).
RPCI also offers specialized treatments, services and therapies including: High-dose Chemotherapy; Photodynamic Therapy; Gamma Knife; Follow-up Clinic for Long- term Survivors of Childhood Cancer; a Regional Center for Maxillofacial Prosthetics; the Buffalo-Niagara Prostate Cancer Consortium; Clinical Genetics Testing and Counseling; the Center for HIV-related Malignancies; Lymphedema Clinic; Balloon Kyphoplasty; Brain Mapping
Brain mapping
Brain mapping is a set of neuroscience techniques predicated on the mapping of quantities or properties onto spatial representations of the brain resulting in maps.- Overview :...
; Cancer Pain
Cancer pain
Pain is a symptom frequently associated with cancer. Cancer can cause pain by irritating or damaging nerves, by stimulating nociceptors , or by releasing chemicals that make nociceptors respond to normally non-painful stimuli. Cancer pain may be caused by the tumor itself or by medical...
Management Service; High Risk Breast Clinic; Intraoperative MRI; Minimally Invasive Surgical Suite; Mohs’ Surgery;
Robotic Surgery
Robotic surgery
Robotic surgery, computer-assisted surgery, and robotically-assisted surgery are terms for technological developments that use robotic systems to aid in surgical procedures....
and Colorectal Cancer Risk Management Clinic.
Vital statistics
Vital statistics:- One of Western New York’s top 20 employers
- Cited as one of “The Best Places to Work” in WNY by Business First
- More than 3,200 employees, including 256 physicians and senior scientists, and over 500 nurses
- Average Length of Service: 9.26 years
- Active employees who are members of the 25-Year Club (length of service > 25 years): 365
- Members of The Jurassic Society (retired, but active senior faculty): 19
- Hospital Admission: 4,539
- Outpatient Visits: 168,845
- Patients Under Active Care: 26,041
- Surgical Procedures (Annual) 4,200
- Patient Origin: 39 states, 7 foreign countries
- Number of Beds: 133 (Licensed)
- Average Length of Stay: 7.1 days
- Results of Patient Satisfaction Surveys: Over 98 percent of Roswell Park patients consistently rate the care at Roswell Park as excellent or very good and over 97 percent of patients say they would recommend Roswell Park to other cancer patients.
- Grant monies (per annum): $89.1 million
- Funded Research Projects: 522
- License Agreements: 65
- U.S. Patents: 119
- Collaborations with Biopharmaceutical Companies: 169
Affliiations/Satellites and research partners
- Amherst Center, Williamsville, NY (Chemotherapy and Infusion Satellite)
- Bradford Regional Medical Center, Bradford, PA (Network Affiliate)
- Cayuga Medical Center, Ithaca, NY (Radiation Oncology Satellite and Network Affiliate)
- King Hussein Cancer Center, Amman, Jordan (Network Affiliate)
- King Hussein Cancer Biotechnology Institute, Amman, Jordan (Network Affiliate; Research, Clinical and Education Programs)
- Rochester General Hospital, Rochester, NY (Network Affiliate)
- University of Puerto Rico Río Piedras Campus (Education)
- WCA Hospital, Jamestown, NY (Radiation Satellite and Network Affiliate)
- Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China (Research and Education Programs)
Biotech Spin-offs
- AndroBioSys
- Cleveland BioLabs, Inc.
- Empire Genomics
- PersonaDX
Historical facts
Previous names:- State Pathological Laboratory of the University of Buffalo, 1898–1911
- State Institute for the Study of Malignant Diseases, 1911–1946
- Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RPMI), 1946–1992
Historical Firsts:
- America’s First Cancer Center
- First example of direct government interest (New York State) in cancer research
- Developed the world’s first chemotherapy program in 1904
- Pioneered the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test
- Pioneered Photodynamic Therapy
- Pioneered 5-FU and Leucovorin for colorectal cancer – the gold standard chemotherapy for this disease
- Collaborated on the landmark studies of the Human Genome project
- Leads the nation in the number of robotic cystectomies performed
Notable staff
- Gerty Cori and Carl Cori jointly won the 1947 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discovery of the Cori cycle at RPMI.
- Thomas DaoThomas DaoLing Yuan "Thomas" Dao was a Chinese American physician and specialist in breast cancer, its causes and treatment, who was one of the earliest proponents of minimalist alternatives to radical mastectomy as a treatment option for breast cancer, in addition to advocacy of breast self-examination and...
(1921–2009), served as director of the breast surgery department from 1957 to 1988, where he developed breast cancerBreast cancerBreast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
treatment alternatives.
Sources
National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Centers http://cancercenters.cancer.gov/cancer_centers/rpci.htmlThe National Comprehensive Cancer Network Member Profile http://www.nccn.org/members/profiles/roswell.asp
Grad Schools Overview http://www.gradschools.com/School/NY_United-States/Roswell-Park-Cancer-Institute/66448.html
National Marrow Donor Program Overview http://www.marrow.org/PATIENT/Plan_for_Tx/Choosing_a_TC/US_NMDP_Transplant_Centers/Detailed_Center_Information/tc_idx.pl?ctr_id=583&p_src=state
US News & World Report Hospital Directory http://health.usnews.com/listings/hospital-directory/new_york/roswell_park_cancer_institute
Core Grant Renewed http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92711.php
Partnership with the University at Buffalo http://www2.universitybusiness.com/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=885
Roswell Park Cancer Institute http://www.roswellpark.org
We Are Roswell Park Institute Publication Version July 2008
External links
- Roswell Park Cancer Institute Homepage
- Roswell Park Alliance Foundation
- Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus - RPCI
- Roswell Park Cancer Institute Education Home
- The Paint Box Project
- Carly's Club
- Ride for Roswell
- Team Cure Challenge
- Y-Roswell Park for Generation Y
- Gilda Radner Familial Ovarian Cancer Registry
- Roswell Park Cancer Connect Community Site