Established and designated by the National Cancer Institute as one of eight original comprehensive cancer centers in 1973, the Duke Cancer Institute (DCI) is now among just 41 cancer centers in the United States to hold that distinction.
Continually ranked among the leading programs in the nation, the DCI integrates compassionate patient care with the most advanced treatments and research available. DCI researchers, physicians, and clinical staff are dedicated to the mission of helping patients live longer and fuller lives, easing the burden of cancer, and accelerating scientific progress.
By uniting cancer physicians, researchers, educators, and staff across the medical center, medical school, and health system, the DCI offers unprecedented opportunities for teamwork between the scientists in laboratories and the caregivers in hospitals and clinics.
The DCI comprises nine programs, representing areas of specialized expertise and focusing on basic, translational, clinical, and population research.
Patients at the DCI receive specialized care in every cancer type, including breast, prostate, and brain cancers. Among its many leading programs, the DCI is especially renowned for the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center. One of the longest-standing and largest brain tumor research and clinical programs in the nation, the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center is dedicated entirely to the treatment and cure of brain and spinal tumors in children and adults.
Duke currently receives more than $300 million annually in cancer research funding from a variety of sources. Duke University Hospital and the DCI have approximately 9,000 inpatient and more than 300,000 outpatient encounters annually for patients with cancer as a primary or secondary diagnosis. Patients treated at the Duke Cancer Institute represent every county in North Carolina, plus nearly every state in the nation and countries beyond the United States.
The new Duke Cancer Center facility for ambulatory care opened in February 2012 and is a cornerstone of the DCI. A state-of-the-art, patient-care facility, the Duke Cancer Center provides patients access to a more streamlined approach to cancer care. The 267,000-square-foot building epitomizes the Duke Cancer Institute model, enabling patients to undergo tests, screenings, exams and therapy under one roof.
Members of the cancer care team - including physicians, nurses, clinical trials team members, pharmacists, social workers, and dietitians - work side-by-side to provide comprehensive and compassionate care, while striving to one day make cancer a disease of the past.
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