100 hospitals and health systems with great oncology programs | 2026

Cancer care is one of medicine’s greatest frontiers, and the institutions on this list are leading the charge.

Becker’s is proud to unveil its 2026 list of hospitals and health systems recognized for excellence in oncology. This list celebrates the cancer programs that are setting the standard for what exceptional, innovative, patient-centered cancer care looks like in America today by driving the research, pioneering the treatments, and conducting the clinical trials that are changing what it means to receive a cancer diagnosis.

Many of these institutions hold National Cancer Institute designations and are consistently ranked among the nation’s premier cancer programs by U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek and other respected evaluators.

Note: This list is not exhaustive, nor is it an endorsement of included hospitals, health systems or associated healthcare providers. Organizations cannot pay for inclusion on this list. Organizations are presented in alphabetical order. We extend a special thank you to Rhoda Weiss for her contributions to this list.

We accepted nominations for this list. Contact Anna Falvey at afalvey@beckershealthcare.com with questions or comments.


AdventHealth Central Florida Division (Orlando). AdventHealth Cancer Institute diagnoses approximately 30,000 cancer cases annually, representing 20% of Florida’s estimated 145,000 annual cancer cases. In Central Florida, one in every two patients with cancer have cancer surgery at AdventHealth. The Cancer Institute has 17 cancer centers, with two more planned, 12 disease-site and subspecialty oncology programs, and more than 300 oncology providers. The program is ranked No. 1 for cancer care in the greater Orlando area by U.S. News & World Report. It offers over 250 oncology clinical trials, including 25 phase 1 studies, and 112 dedicated research employees, including principal investigators and research staff. AdventHealth is expanding quaternary cancer care with a new Central Florida cancer flagship, since an estimated one in five residents in the region require quaternary cancer care, which is the highest, most acute level of care. It is also home to the only Lymphatic Education & Research Network center of national excellence in the Southeast. AdventHealth leads the market in inpatient and outpatient cancer surgeries, and is Central Florida’s first and only blood and marrow transplant program. The program also reports some of the best outcomes in the nation for treating leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma and more. It is also one of the most active lung and esophageal clinical trial sites in the country. Its gynecological, brain and spine cancer programs are also among the top in the nation, with outcomes that exceed averages. Recent clinical milestones include performing a liver transplant for metastatic colon cancer and lymphatic bypass surgery.

Allina Health (Minneapolis). Allina Health Cancer Institute, a 128-bed program staffed by 188 specialists, launched the Twin Cities’ first histotripsy program in late 2025, using focused high-intensity sound waves to destroy liver tumors without surgery, and plans to pilot high-intensity focused ultrasound for prostate cancer in the third quarter of 2026. In 2025, the cancer institute introduced Pluvicto, a targeted theranostics therapy for prostate-specific membrane antigen-positive prostate cancer. The institute also expanded AI-assisted screening that processed more than 115,000 lung nodule studies, flagging 759 clinically significant findings, plus prostate imaging studies that identified 793 lesions. The institute became Minnesota’s first system to offer mobile low-dose CT lung cancer screening in July 2026, projecting 3,500 scans in its first year, building on a mobile mammography program launched in January 2026 that has already completed hundreds of overscreenings across underserved clinics and identified several cancers. The institute’s research program grew from two sites in 2022 to six in 2025, supporting 57 active clinical trials across more than 10 disease types, with new therapeutic trial accruals up 500% since 2023 and projected to rise another 30% in 2026. On quality, the institute held its surgical site infection rate to 1.1%, well below its 2.5% target, and implemented a systemwide access transformation strategy aimed at seeing new patients in fewer than 10 days. The institute also delivered $7 million in patient drug-cost savings and secured $500,000 in copay assistance to reduce financial barriers to treatment. 

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago treats more children with cancer and blood disorders than any other hospital in Illinois, caring for 220 new cancer patients each year. Lurie Children’s is ranked 19th in the nation for pediatric cancer care by U.S. News & World Report for 2025-26. The center also offers the region’s most complete array of programs for blood disorders, including hemoglobin disorders, hemophilia, thrombophilia and sickle cell disease. Physicians in the center have access to specialists across 70 medical and surgical specialties at Lurie Children’s, and work closely with pediatric radiation oncologists at the nearby Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University. In partnership with Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, the center offers a three-year accredited fellowship in pediatric hematology, oncology, neuro-oncology and stem cell transplantation, along with a separate fellowship in pediatric neuro-oncology. In September 2026, Lurie Children’s launched a first-in-kids clinical trial for an innovative brain tumor radiation therapy.

Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center (Gilbert, Ariz.). In 2025, Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center received Commission on Cancer accreditation and had over 160,000 clinic visits. The cancer center integrates the latest research, education and prevention using the same protocols and practice standards at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. The evidence-based, multidisciplinary approach brings together 375 providers and other clinical experts from all cancer specialties at five Arizona and two Northern Colorado cancer center sites to provide treatment plans tailored to each patient’s unique cancer type and needs. Leading-edge therapies include CAR-T, bispecific antibody therapy, lymphedema surgery, intraperitoneal therapies, and nearly 100 clinical trials that explore new treatment modalities and therapies not widely available. It is among a few cancer centers with tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte cellular immunotherapy, using a patient’s immune cells to fight cancer, and histotripsy focused ultrasound to treat both malignant and benign liver tumors. In addition, holistic care addresses physical, emotional and psychological needs, as well as nutrition counseling, pain management and psychological support. In 2026, Phoenix-based Banner Health became the first hospital system in Arizona to launch the Tulsa PRO procedure for prostate cancer patients, a less invasive treatment option that uses high temperatures to destroy prostate cancer. It was also the first-in-state to offer robotic-assisted single-port nipple-sparing mastectomy for breast cancer patients. Robust community outreach and education programs raise awareness about prevention, screening and treatment. In 2026, Banner is celebrating a 15-year partnership with the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Baptist Health South Florida (Coral Gables, Fla.). Baptist Health Cancer Care is anchored by the Herbert Wertheim Cancer Institute, the Christine E. Lynn Cancer Institute and multiple satellite locations. The program treats the second-most new cancer patients of any hospital system in Florida each year and consistently ranks in the top 10% of U.S. News & World Report‘s national cancer rankings. The program is the only South Florida member of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Alliance and offers every major radiation modality, including proton therapy, alongside high-volume surgical oncology and a large clinical trials portfolio. Baptist Health Foundation recently announced a $100 million gift, the largest single philanthropic donation in the 66-year history of Baptist Health South Florida. The gift helped establish the Herbert Wertheim Cancer Institute Transformational Impact Fund, a $100 million fund dedicated to advancing cancer care, research, prevention and education systemwide. Separately, Baptist Health reached a major construction milestone on a new proton therapy center at the Lynn Cancer Institute, bringing the precision therapy to patients in Palm Beach County, Fla. The system is also building the Al and Jane Nahmad Women’s Cancer Center on the Wertheim Cancer Institute campus, slated to open in early 2027 to treat breast cancer and gynecological cancers. On the most recent U.S. News & World Report rankings, Baptist Health was named the most awarded health system in the region, with Baptist Health Cancer Care earning 11 “high-performing” ratings, including for colon, lung and prostate cancers.

Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute (Detroit). The only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in metro Detroit, the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute is part of Detroit-based McLaren Health Care and partners with Wayne State University School of Medicine on more than 700 cancer-specific research programs annually. In fiscal year 2025, Karmanos treated 15,754 new cancer cases. This represents a 47% increase from the 10,670 cases it treated in 2020, growth fueled by more than $60 million in annual research spending and nearly 128,000 square feet of new and expanded clinical space added systemwide, including the $48 million expansion of the Weisberg Cancer Center in Farmington Hills, Mich. Between 2020 and October 2025, the institute opened 609 clinical trials and enrolled more than 2,700 patients, while its clinical trials office cut median trial activation time by 38%, to 86 days, beating the NCI’s 90-day benchmark. Karmanos has notched several firsts, including the FDA-approved TheraBionic P-1 device for liver cancer, lifileucel tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte therapy for metastatic melanoma in Michigan, and status as the first freestanding cancer center in the nation to offer Hemgenix gene therapy for hemophilia B. Its AI-powered breast cancer risk program has screened more than 62,000 patients, identifying roughly one in eight as elevated risk, and its specialty pharmacy has delivered copay reductions of up to 95% for patients. The institute received more than $72 million in extramural peer-reviewed funding between fiscal years 2020 and 2025, including over $10 million from the NCI, and in 2026 was named one of “America’s Best Hospitals for Cancer Care” by the Women’s Choice Award. Since 2023, Karmanos has ranked among CMS’s “Top Hospitals for Patient Experience.”

Baylor Scott & White (Dallas). Baylor University Medical Center, flagship facility of Baylor Scott & White Health, combines Baylor Scott & White Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center–Dallas and Baylor Scott & White T. Boone Pickens Cancer Hospital into one of the largest cancer centers in the nation and the only dedicated inpatient cancer hospital in North Texas, treating more than 36,000 patients annually. U.S. News & World Report has consistently rated the center “high-performing” in colon cancer surgery, leukemia and lymphoma and myeloma surgery, lung cancer surgery, ovarian cancer surgery and prostate cancer surgery, and NRC Health has named it the most preferred cancer center in North Texas. The center holds accreditation from the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons, the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy, the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers and the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer, along with Magnet recognition for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Baylor University Medical Center was the first hospital in North Texas to offer adult commercial CAR T-cell therapy for large B-cell lymphoma and acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and one of the first in the country to offer tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte cellular therapy for metastatic melanoma. Through the Swim Across America Innovative Clinical Trials Center and a partnership with Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, Texas Oncology and U.S. Oncology, patients have access to more than 150 national clinical trials across dedicated research and treatment centers for blood, breast, colorectal, endocrine, genitourinary, lung and esophageal, pancreatic and skin cancers. In 2026, the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center renewed its National Cancer Institute comprehensive cancer center designation, remaining one of only three such centers in Texas, and the Baylor Scott & White Health network opened a new two-story radiation oncology facility at the Glenda Tanner Vasicek Cancer Treatment Center in Temple, Texas to expand regional access.

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Boston). The Cancer Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center was ranked No. 28 in the nation for cancer care by U.S. News & World Report in 2026-27 and No. 3 among hospitals in both the Boston metro area and Massachusetts. It is the only cancer center in Massachusetts, and one of only 34 nationally, to receive the “Outstanding Achievement Award” from the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons. In 2012, the center became one of the first academic medical centers in the country, and the first in Boston, to attain “Quality Oncology Practice Initiative” certification from the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and it has maintained that certification since. The medical center is a founding member of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, Harvard’s NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center, and participates in the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group and the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group. Its research platforms incorporate RNA medicine, immunotherapies, organoids and co-clinical trials, and the center’s “Innovation in Cancer” program offers early-stage, including phase 1, clinical trials for patients with advanced cancers that have not responded to standard therapy. The medical center is a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School and consistently ranks as a national leader among independent hospitals in National Institutes of Health funding. The hospital is part of Cambridge, Mass.-based Beth Israel Lahey Health, a system of more than 4,700 physicians and 39,000 employees.

Carilion Clinic (Roanoke, Va.). Carilion Clinic, a seven-hospital system caring for nearly 1 million Virginians and West Virginians, delivers oncology care through 12 multidisciplinary tumor boards spanning disciplines from surgical and radiation oncology to cardio-oncology and integrative medicine. The system broke ground on the seven-story, 257,000-square-foot Carilion Taubman Cancer Center in Roanoke, a project anchored by a $25 million gift that helped push a $100 million campaign to $105 million by fall 2025, with the center scheduled to open in 2028. In fall 2025, Carilion announced the center will include proton therapy, backed by a $17.5 million gift toward a $50 million goal that has reached $32.5 million in community contributions. When it opens in 2029, Carilion will be among the first 50 U.S. programs to offer proton therapy treatment. Carilion Clinic, along with recognition as the top hospital in the region, has earned U.S. News & World Report “high-performing” ratings in 13 procedures and conditions for 2026-27, including for colon, gynecological, lung and prostate cancer surgery, as well as in leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. The oncology program was among the first programs nationally accredited by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging and the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission for radiopharmaceutical therapy. Carilion Clinic’s cancer program has held Commission on Cancer accreditation from the American College of Surgeons since 1979. Research collaborations with Virginia Tech’s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute now support more than 40 actively enrolling clinical trials and a $2.1 million oncology research portfolio from fiscal years 2022 through 2026, including a $100,000 Society of Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging “Mars Shot” grant to expand targeted radiopharmaceutical therapy access into rural Appalachia. A weekly “GI Big Board” conference and a dedicated nurse navigation team round out Carilion’s push to standardize care pathways and speed up time to treatment.

Cedars-Sinai (Los Angeles). Cedars-Sinai Cancer treats more than 60 types of cancer, with specialists spanning brain, breast, colorectal, gastrointestinal, gynecologic, head and neck, lung and orthopedic oncology, among other specialties, at locations throughout the greater Los Angeles area. At any given time, patients have access to more than 200 clinical trials, giving them access to the latest treatments and diagnostics as they become available. Researchers there are using AI and machine-learning technology to build a computational model of the patient known as the “Molecular Twin,” aimed at advancing precision medicine. In early July 2026, the hospital launched the Cedars-Sinai Cayton BRCA Center to expand genetic counseling and risk-assessment services for patients with hereditary cancer risk. A September 2026 clinical update found that adding a federally regulated, FDA-approved sickle cell supplement to standard chemotherapy may boost survival rates for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. Cedars-Sinai Cancer’s approach combines discovery research, precision medicine and patient-centered, community-informed care with training the next generation of cancer scientists and clinicians.

Children’s Health (Dallas). The Pauline Allen Gill Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s Health is the largest childhood cancer and blood disorder center in North Texas, diagnosing up to 400 new cancer patients and roughly 1,600 new hematology patients annually. U.S. News & World Report named Children’s Health among the nation’s best children’s hospitals for cancer in 2025, the eighth consecutive year it has earned the distinction. The Gill Center’s 36 pediatric hematologists and oncologists hold faculty appointments at Dallas-based UT Southwestern Medical Center and its Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in North Texas. The cancer center is currently studying how the gut microbiome influences infection risk and response to immunotherapies such as CAR T-cell therapy, while its multi-site “VITAS” trial is now enrolling children with rhabdomyosarcoma in a phase 2 study of a novel combination regimen after phase 1 established its safety. The Gill Center has also expanded cell and gene therapies beyond hematology and oncology into neurology and rheumatology, treating conditions such as adrenoleukodystrophy and systemic lupus. Children’s Health is backing a $5 billion pediatric campus with UT Southwestern expected to open in 2031, anchored by Moody Children’s Hospital’s 552 inpatient rooms, while a 2024 expansion made Children’s Medical Center Plano the largest children’s hospital in Collin and Denton counties. In 2025, the center reported a central line-associated bloodstream infection rate of 0.58 per 1,000 catheter days, tracked as part of the “Solutions for Patient Safety” initiative.

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. The Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta is one of the largest and most renowned pediatric cancer and blood disorder treatment and research programs in the U.S., treating more than 10,000 patients across its campuses each year, including more than 500 new cancer patients. The center ranks No. 13 in the nation for pediatric cancer on U.S. News & World Report‘s “Best Children’s Hospitals” list, which evaluates hospitals on outcomes, program structure and national reputation. It is Georgia’s top pediatric cancer research center and home to one of the largest clinical trial programs in the country, offering patients access to more than 200 clinical studies. The center’s Marcus Center for Cellular Therapy provides cell and gene therapy for patients with a range of diseases beyond cancer, manufacturing therapies in-house at its own good manufacturing practices lab for direct delivery to patients. The Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center offers comprehensive cancer, blood disorders, and blood and marrow transplant programs to treat conditions ranging from the most common to those rarely seen outside top centers. Recent news includes Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and the Peach Bowl marking the 10th annual “Touchdowns for Children’s” fundraising campaign, whose proceeds support the Peach Bowl LegACy Fund, which is currently funding 18 clinical trials and research studies aimed at new treatments and potential cures for childhood cancers.

Children’s Hospital Colorado (Aurora). According to U.S. News & World Report for 2025-26, the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s Hospital Colorado ranks fourth in the nation, as well as first in Colorado and the region, for pediatric cancer. The center also holds National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center status. The center’s blood and marrow transplant and cellular therapy program has performed more than 1,500 bone marrow transplants and cellular therapy infusions over its 30-year history, one of the most experienced such units in the country, and Children’s Colorado reports cure rates exceeding national averages across pediatric cancers and blood disorders. Physician-investigators lead more than 300 clinical trials and 100 active research studies, drawing more than $15 million in National Institutes of Health and other grant funding, and the program diagnoses more than 300 new pediatric cancer cases annually while running one of the largest pediatric neuro-oncology research programs in the country. Children’s Colorado is a member of all major pediatric blood and cancer collaborative consortia. A pediatric hematologist at Children’s Colorado recently co-authored new research published in the New England Journal of Medicine on gene therapies designed to prevent sickle cell disease complications at their source, developed in collaboration with the CU Gates Center. The center also maintains a dedicated apheresis team trained specifically in pediatrics. Quality efforts track central line-associated bloodstream infections, codes occurring outside the ICU and outcomes through the Pediatric Sepsis Collaborative.

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. The Cancer and Blood Disease Institute at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles has ranked among the nation’s top pediatric cancer programs by U.S. News & World Report every year since 2008, currently No. 6 nationally and No. 1 in California for 2025-26. The institute treats one of the highest volumes of pediatric cancer patients in the country, with nearly 40,000 outpatient visits and more than 7,200 unique patients annually. In fiscal year 2025, it enrolled more than 600 patients in more than 250 clinical trials across 20 major trial consortia. The institute operates one of the largest CAR T-cell therapy programs in the country for relapsed and refractory leukemia and lymphoma, and its treatment regimen for high-risk neuroblastoma achieves a 66% survival rate, above the national average, and 100% for standard-risk cases. CHLA was the first center on the West Coast to perform Luxturna retinal gene therapy and has treated more children with it than any other center nationwide, while also helping secure FDA approvals for therapies including Hemgenix and Kymriah. Its radiation oncology program is one of only three freestanding pediatric programs in the country, and it is the first and only freestanding children’s hospital accredited through the American Society for Radiation Oncology’s accreditation program for excellence. The institute reported approximately $53.5 million in active research funding last year, including $5.7 million from the National Institutes of Health. Recently, it developed a clinically validated liquid biopsy test that in one case diagnosed an extremely rare tumor without invasive brain surgery.

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The cancer center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia brings together a multidisciplinary team of more than 1,000 experts who treat more than 5,600 patients annually. The center is consistently ranked among the nation’s top pediatric cancer centers by U.S. News & World Report and Newsweek. The center conducts nearly 600 research studies, more than any other U.S. pediatric hospital, across 19 specialized clinical programs covering the full range of childhood cancers and related conditions. It is also home to the Center for Precision Medicine for High-Risk Pediatric Cancer, which builds individualized treatment plans based on each patient’s specific vulnerabilities and therapeutic markers. In 2012, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia treated the first pediatric gene therapy patient using CAR T-cell therapy for relapsed leukemia, a case that directly led to the first FDA-approved gene therapy in the U.S. in 2017. Since then, the hospital has treated more than 700 children with this therapy, more than any other hospital. CHOP continues to lead the field of cell and gene therapy, including securing FDA approval for the first two gene therapies for sickle cell disease.

Children’s National (Washington, D.C.). The division of oncology at Children’s National is annually recognized as a top 10 pediatric cancer program by U.S. News & World Report, coordinating disease-specific specialty programs in leukemia and lymphoma, solid tumors and neuro-oncology alongside a survivorship program and a translational cancer predisposition program. The division holds leadership roles within the Pediatric Early Phase Clinical Trials Network, the Children’s Oncology Group and consortia including Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Consortium, CONNECT and Therapeutic Advances in Childhood Leukemia & Lymphoma, giving children access to early-phase trials, including for patients who have exhausted standard treatment options. The program’s rare brain tumor initiative hosts an international tumor board with integrated molecular analysis and an ultra-rare tumor registry. In June 2026, Children’s National researchers reported encouraging early results from “ReMIND,” a first-in-human phase 1 trial of an intravenously delivered T-cell therapy for children and young adults with aggressive brain tumors, including diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, published in Nature Medicine. Children’s National also led the largest astroblastoma study to date, analyzing tumor samples from 200 patients worldwide and publishing findings in Neuro-Oncology that reclassify “astroblastoma, MN1-altered” as three distinct molecular diseases. The hospital made history when a 12-year-old became the first person in the world to begin commercially approved gene therapy for sickle cell disease, and it remains one of the few pediatric centers offering both FDA-approved sickle cell gene therapies. Children’s National also opened enrollment in “SABRE,” a first-of-its-kind international CAR T-cell trial combining two T-cell platforms for children with hard-to-treat solid tumors, and with two advanced low-intensity focused ultrasound systems, it is the only freestanding pediatric hospital in the world with this level of focused ultrasound capability for pediatric brain tumor research.

Cincinnati Children’s. Cincinnati Children’s Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute is staffed by 109 MD, MD/PhD and PhD faculty across 92 inpatient beds, a 35-bed clinic and a 13-bed infusion center. The hospital was ranked No. 1 in the nation for cancer among honor roll hospitals by U.S. News & World Report for 2025-26. It is also the first institute in the world advancing ultra-high dose rate “FLASH” proton therapy through its “FAST-01” and “FAST-02” clinical trials, and in late 2025 it opened a 55,000-square-foot Applied Gene and Cell Therapy Center to develop and manufacture CAR T-cell and gene-editing therapies in-house. Basic and translational research from the institute led directly to the FDA’s 2020 approval of Selumetinib for neurofibromatosis and its 2021 pediatric approval of Vyxeos for relapsed acute myeloid leukemia, and its virus-specific T-cell therapy program has infused more than 600 patients over 1,200 times. The institute received 60 grants from the National Institutes of Health in fiscal year 2026 and recently launched its Advanced Leukemia Therapies and Research Center alongside the Engraft Learning Health Network, an 18-program national collaborative performing roughly 2,000 transplants annually that won $1.48 million in Ohio state funding in 2025. Targeted quality initiatives over the past year cut inpatient central line-associated bloodstream infections by 72%, from 2.23 to 0.63 per 1,000 line days, and reduced rate-related medication errors by 28%. The institute has completed more than 2,400 pediatric bone marrow transplants in its history and operates one of the nation’s oldest and largest survivorship programs for pediatric cancer patients.

City of Hope (Duarte, Calif.). City of Hope, an independent biomedical research and treatment organization focused solely on cancer, holds the National Cancer Institute’s highest rating and is ranked among the top hospitals for cancer care by U.S. News & World Report. The organization has played a foundational role in developing breakthrough therapies including Herceptin, Avastin and synthetic human insulin, and has performed more than 20,000 bone marrow and stem cell transplants while treating more than 1,800 patients with CAR T-cell therapy. Its department of supportive care medicine was the first in the U.S. to integrate evidence-based supportive care into routine clinical practice and has grown into one of the largest programs of its kind. More than 1,000 scientists conduct research across City of Hope’s laboratories and on-site good manufacturing practices facilities, supported by a national clinical trials network whose centralized hub allows trials to open simultaneously across multiple states. With centers across California, Arizona, Illinois and Georgia, City of Hope is accessible to more than 86 million Americans and served more than 168,000 patients in 2025. In May 2026, City of Hope convened the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services secretary, the National Institutes of Health director, and leaders from the nation’s top cancer centers for a symposium on the microbiome’s role in cancer treatment, building on the organization’s own research into how microorganisms affect immune response and treatment outcomes.

Cleveland Clinic. Cleveland Clinic Cancer Institute is part of the National Cancer Institute- and National Comprehensive Cancer Network-designated Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, where more than 700 physicians, researchers, nurses and technicians care for thousands of patients annually across more than 15 specialized cancer programs. The institute unites clinicians and researchers based in Taussig Cancer Institute with specialists across Cleveland Clinic’s 25 other clinical and specialty institutes, its regional hospitals and health centers, and Cleveland Clinic Florida in Weston. Patients have access to nearly 300 cancer clinical trials, supported by more than $27.3 million in research funding excluding philanthropic giving, and the institute has set a goal of seeing new patients within seven days of referral. Treatment options include cell and immune therapies, genomic therapies and theranostics, with cases reviewed by multidisciplinary tumor boards to determine the best medical or surgical approach. Cleveland Clinic’s cancer programs report a 70% five-year overall survival rate for patients diagnosed with cancer, reflecting broader national gains in early detection and advanced treatment. The institute also recently became the first in Ohio to perform a robotic nipple-sparing mastectomy with immediate breast cancer reconstruction, offering a minimally invasive option for breast cancer surgery and risk-reducing mastectomy.

Connecticut Children’s (Hartford). Connecticut Children’s Center for Cancer & Blood Disorders treats more than 120 children diagnosed with cancer each year, along with a wide range of blood disorders. Board-certified pediatric oncology and hematology specialists work closely with pediatric surgery, neurosurgery, orthopedics and radiation to design individualized treatment plans that may include chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery, blood transfusions or clinical trials. As one of more than 200 international members of the Children’s Oncology Group, Connecticut Children’s has more than 100 active clinical trials open at any time. Researchers there are developing personalized treatment plans based on whole genome analysis of tumors. The center runs dedicated programs, including an adolescent and young adult cancer program, solid tumor program, sarcoma program, neuro-oncology program and “REACH for the STARS” survivorship program. Patients also have access to specialists in nutrition, psychology, child life, rehabilitation and social work to support them throughout treatment.

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Boston). Founded in 1947, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital that U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks the No. 1 cancer hospital in New England and among the best in the nation. It is the only hospital ranked in the top three nationally for both adult and pediatric cancer care. Dana-Farber partners with Boston-based Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital to deliver integrated care, with the Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center providing comprehensive adult cancer care across Dana-Farber’s Longwood (Mass.) campus and an inpatient hospital located within Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Meanwhile, the Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center has been ranked the No. 1 pediatric cancer hospital by U.S. News & World Report more often than any other program. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute records 600,000 outpatient visits annually while supporting more than 1,200 clinical trials, and its faculty publishes more than 1,200 scientific articles each year, driving advances that shape cancer research and care around the world. A recent study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research shows that Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has the highest scientific output per researcher of any institution in the world. In early 2026, Dana-Farber began the construction process for a new 300-bed adult inpatient hospital, which will grow capacity and increase access to specialized cancer care. Dana-Farber is a founding member of the Harvard Cancer Consortium, and is one of the largest recipients of National Cancer Institute grant funding, supporting 90 National Institutes of Health-sponsored research grants, 173 principal investigators and 764 research fellows. The institute trains 84 clinical fellows across adult and pediatric oncology. 

Emory Healthcare (Atlanta). Founded in 1937, the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University is Georgia’s only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, treating more than 22,000 new patients a year. Winship earned a No. 1 ranking for cancer care in Georgia and metro Atlanta, and No. 45 nationally, in U.S. News & World Report’s 2026-27 rankings. The institute conducted more than 400 clinical trials and enrolled more than 850 patients in trials in 2025, and operates the largest phase 1 clinical trials unit in Georgia. It is also one of 30 inaugural lead academic participating sites in the NCI’s National Clinical Trials Network. Winship’s research enterprise includes more than 689 members across 41 departments in five Emory schools and Georgia Tech, which was supported by $133 million in grant funding between November 2024 and October 2025. Winship physicians provide care at eight Emory Healthcare locations and three affiliated locations, including the Emory Proton Therapy Center, Georgia’s only proton center, which opened in December 2018, and Winship Cancer Institute at Emory Midtown, which opened in May 2023. In July 2026 it became the first center in Georgia to offer a small cell lung cancer theranostic clinical trial pairing molecular imaging with targeted radiopharmaceutical therapy, and in August 2026, Winship was awarded a five-year, $10.9 million specialized program of research excellence grant from the NCI to advance lung cancer treatments. 

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and UW Medicine (Seattle). Fred Hutch Cancer Center is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Washington state and was the first in the Pacific Northwest to earn that distinction. An independent organization that also serves as the cancer program for UW Medicine, Fred Hutch offers more than 750 active treatment trials, more than any other medical center in the region. Together, Fred Hutch and the University of Washington Medical Center has been ranked among the nation’s best hospitals for adult cancer care by U.S. News & World Report, and has held the top ranking for cancer care in the Pacific Northwest for more than 10 years, earning “high-performing” ratings in areas including colon cancer surgery and lung cancer surgery. The center serves about 72,000 patients and logs about 112,000 outpatient visits annually, supported by a workforce of about 6,200 employees. Fred Hutch marked its 50th anniversary in 2025, capping five decades of research spanning cancer, HIV and other diseases. In August 2026, a Fred Hutch physician and stem cell transplant expert was awarded a five-year, $15 million grant from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to lead a national clinical trial initiative determining the best treatment strategies for older adults with acute myeloid leukemia.

Geisinger (Danville, Pa.). The recent opening of Geisinger Cancer Center Lewisburg expands the Geisinger Cancer Institute’s reach across northeast and central Pennsylvania, where the program now cares for more than 5,000 patients annually at 11 locations. Patients have access to advanced treatments without leaving the region, including genetic testing, chemotherapy and radiation therapy such as CyberKnife and CAR T-cell therapy. Geisinger Medical Center in Danville and Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. are both accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer and hold “Quality Oncology Practice Initiative” certification from the American Society of Clinical Oncology. The Cancer Institute’s education and treatment programs carry additional accreditations spanning its bone marrow transplant program, micrographic surgery and dermatologic oncology fellowship, and oncology pharmacy residency program. Its AI-powered “System to Track Abnormalities of Importance Reliably” program helps detect cancer earlier as part of the lung cancer screening program. Geisinger also participates in nearly 100 national clinical research trials and studies, giving patients access to the latest treatments.

Hackensack Meridian Health (Edison, N.J.). Hackensack Meridian Health’s John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack (N.J.) University Medical Center serves as the flagship of the health system’s cancer program, which ranks as the top cancer program in New Jersey and No. 38 nationally in U.S. News & World Report‘s 2026-27 rankings. The center’s 16 specialized divisions deliver subspecialized, multidisciplinary care across the cancer spectrum, and the center is a research partner with Georgetown University’s National Cancer Institute-designated Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in Washington, D.C., expanding patients’ access to clinical trials. Hackensack Meridian Health’s cancer program includes one of the country’s largest blood cancer destination programs, anchored by the world’s largest multiple myeloma program with more than 5,000 patients treated, more than 12,000 bone marrow transplants performed, and more than 1,250 CAR T-cell therapy cases since becoming the first center in New Jersey to offer the treatment. John Theurer Cancer Center runs more than 450 open clinical trials, including more than 30 in CAR T-cell and natural killer cell therapy, enrolling more than 1,800 patients annually, with research revenue exceeding $30 million a year. In 2024, Hackensack Meridian Health launched the Hennessy Institute for Cancer Prevention and Applied Molecular Medicine with a $25 million gift to expand cancer risk assessment and early detection. Systemwide, a quality dashboard has closed 85% of identified performance gaps by giving hospital and network leaders real-time, site-specific data to drive improvement. The network’s oncology accreditation portfolio includes multiple Commission on Cancer designations, National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers status and Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy accreditation, with John Theurer Cancer Center also holding the Joint Commission’s “Gold Seal of Approval” for brain tumor and thoracic cancer care.

Houston Methodist. The Houston Methodist Dr. Mary and Ron Neal Cancer Center treats about 7,000 new cancer cases each year across eight locations throughout the Greater Houston area, with specialists covering common and rare cancers from diagnosis through recovery and survivorship. Oncologists, radiologists, surgeons, pathologists and genetic counselors collaborate on individualized treatment plans, supported by a network of dedicated professionals who provide coordinated care for patients and caregivers throughout their cancer journey. Houston Methodist Hospital is ranked No. 19 in the nation and No. 2 in the state for cancer care according to U.S. News & World Report for 2026-27, and is an overall nationally ranked honor roll hospital. Physician-scientists at the center conduct translational research and support clinical trial protocols for brain, breast, liver, lung and other cancers, giving patients access to new treatment options. In July 2026, Rice University’s Synthesis X Center and the Neal Cancer Center awarded $90,000 in collaborative seed grants for translational cancer research. The center hosted its 14th annual Houston Methodist Cancer Symposium in August 2026 to highlight ongoing clinical and therapeutic advancements. 

Jefferson Health (Philadelphia). Jefferson Health’s Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center remains a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, backed by $57.7 million in direct-cost research funding, with $80.5 million in total cost. Since Jefferson Health’s 2024 merger with Allentown, Pa.-based Lehigh Valley Health Network, the cancer center has accelerated care across the combined network. Allentown-based Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute implanted 21 hepatic artery infusion pumps in its first fiscal year through a new program for gastrointestinal cancers, and its cellular therapy program completed more than 42 autologous, CAR-T and tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte procedures, including the region’s first CAR-T trials for both hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. A philanthropic gift established the Peter and Odete Kelly Center for Personalized Cancer Immunotherapy at Lehigh Valley Topper, while a separate gift from the Biller Family Foundation recognized the cancer center’s supportive cancer care model. Research grants awarded this past year include an $8.2 million grant to study neuroendocrine prostate cancer, a $3.1 million Department of Defense grant to study uveal melanoma, and a $1.1 million DOD career development grant examining why lung cancer patients fail the “PACIFIC” treatment regimen. The cancer center also launched an enterprisewide initiative guaranteeing newly diagnosed patients an appointment with an oncology navigator within 72 hours, work that earned national recognition for billing oncology navigation under principal illness navigation codes. On the quality side, the center tracks CMS measure OP-35 to catch preventable complications before they require emergency or inpatient care, and its social work team reaches out to 80% of high-risk patients on active treatment within two days of identification.

Johns Hopkins Children’s Center (Baltimore). Johns Hopkins Medicine provides pediatric cancer care through the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore and Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Fla. Founded in 1912 as the birthplace of academic pediatrics in the U.S., Johns Hopkins Children’s Center today offers one of the most comprehensive pediatric medical programs in the country, with more than 65,000 patient visits and nearly 9,000 admissions each year. It is Maryland’s largest children’s hospital, with 209 beds and recognized centers of excellence across dozens of pediatric subspecialties, including oncology. At Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center’s division of pediatric oncology operates dedicated inpatient and outpatient facilities, housed in The Charlotte R. Bloomberg Children’s Center building that opened in 2012, and staffed by specialists and subspecialists in childhood cancers. Johns Hopkins Children’s Center ranks No. 17 in the nation for pediatric cancer and No. 1 overall in Maryland on U.S. News & World Report‘s “Best Children’s Hospitals” list for 205-26. Johns Hopkins recently launched the Johns Hopkins Pediatric Radiation Oncology Research Center, backed by a $40 million investment, to improve treatment for pediatric brain tumors.

Johns Hopkins Medicine (Baltimore). The Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center ranked in the top 25% of all cancer centers during its two most recent National Cancer Institute cancer center support grant renewals, and over the course of just one year produced more than 1,000 publications, garnered roughly $70 million in peer-reviewed funding and accrued more than 1,100 interventional trials. Since its last competitive renewal, the cancer center has recruited 56 new members, secured more than $75 million in philanthropic support and expanded to 58 endowed chairs and professorships, while deepening research ties through initiatives such as “Break Through Cancer.” The center recently launched the Giovanis Institute to advance research on cancer metastasis and the Cancer Convergence Institute to link oncology with engineering, public health and data science, alongside continued expansion of the Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy. Cancer center investigators validated the “DELFI” liquid biopsy approach for lung cancer detection and developed new methods for detecting low levels of circulating tumor DNA, and contributed to FDA approvals including quizartinib for newly diagnosed FLT3/ITD-positive acute myeloid leukemia. In bone marrow transplantation, a national trial involving investigators from the cancer center found post-transplant cyclophosphamide prophylaxis produced 52.7% graft-versus-host-disease-free, relapse-free survival at one year, compared with 34.9% for standard prophylaxis, establishing a new standard of care. The center’s community outreach and engagement program has funded more than 60 community-focused projects and delivered 73 educational presentations reaching approximately 3,600 people in six months, part of a broader research portfolio that includes $40 million in NCI funding and various grants.

Keck Medicine of USC (Los Angeles). In 1973, USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center became among the first eight cancer centers in the nation to receive a National Cancer Institute comprehensive designation. Today, more than 300 physicians and scientists treat patients at its 60-bed USC Norris Cancer Hospital and outpatient clinics across Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura counties, with recent expansions into Santa Clarita, Irvine, Newport Beach and Pasadena. U.S. News & World Report ranked Keck Medical Center of USC among the nation’s top 30 hospitals and No. 6 in the state for cancer care in 2026-27, while the Los Angeles-based flagship Keck Hospital of USC ranked No. 12 out of 118 comprehensive academic medical centers in Vizient’s “Bernard A. Birnbaum, MD, Quality Leadership Award” for 2025, marking its third consecutive year as a top performer. Keck Hospital of USC and USC Verdugo Hills Hospital in Glendale, Calif. both earned “A” hospital safety grades from The Leapfrog Group in spring 2026, Keck’s 12th since 2019, and USC Norris Cancer Hospital claimed its fifth consecutive Leapfrog “Top Teaching Hospital” distinction in 2025. At the USC Brain Tumor Center, researchers published clinical trial results showing tumor treating fields and laser therapy can work alongside immunotherapy to treat certain brain tumors. Meanwhile, USC Urology led the trial that won FDA approval of a gemcitabine intravesical system as a non-surgical bladder cancer treatment and is now testing focused steam bursts to ablate prostate tumors. Separately, USC Norris researchers are studying an injectable therapy using a modified herpes virus that appears to fight melanoma lesions beyond the injection site, and surgical oncologists found that corticosteroids commonly prescribed for cancer pain may blunt the effectiveness of lung cancer immunotherapy. USC Norris Cancer Hospital also received the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader”  designation in 2026.

Loyola Medicine (Maywood, Ill.). Loyola Medicine’s oncology service line, anchored by the Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, fields more than 100 specialists treating cancers from breast and lung to hematologic, gynecologic and pediatric malignancies. The “Jim and Jane Miller Patient Navigation Program” guides patients from diagnosis through survivorship, and Loyola’s oncology pharmacists work alongside clinical teams to optimize chemotherapy regimens and reduce drug-related complications. Loyola Medicine also operates the Coleman Foundation Image Renewal Center, the first program in Chicago to pair oncology treatment with whole-person services such as massage, acupuncture and art therapy. Loyola will also become the first in the world to acquire the INTRABEAM 700, a robotic-assisted intraoperative radiotherapy platform that lets surgeons deliver targeted radiation directly to the tumor bed during surgery, combining two treatments into one procedure. The Loyola Medicine system was among the first in the Chicago area to adopt the Varian Ethos system for real-time adaptive radiotherapy, and its adult bone marrow and stem cell program, the first in Illinois to deliver CAR T-cell therapy, holds Blue Distinction Center+ status and accreditation from the Foundation for Accreditation of Cellular Therapy, including a 2025 accreditation for immune effector cell therapy. Loyola’s clinical trial of salvage high-dose-rate brachytherapy for recurrent prostate cancer was accepted for publication in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, underscoring a research portfolio recognized across eight “high-performing” U.S. News & World Report categories for 2026-27. In addition, 24 Loyola physicians were named to Chicago magazine’s “Top Cancer Doctors” list this year. 

M Health Fairview (Minneapolis). M Health Fairview partners with the University of Minnesota’s Masonic Cancer Center, which is celebrating its 30th year as the only institution in the Twin Cities designated by the National Cancer Institute as a comprehensive cancer center. That partnership gives M Health Fairview access to more than 225 clinical trials to treat over 100 types of cancer, and 78,000-plus people have participated in clinical trials since the center earned NCI designation in 1998. M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Medical Center was ranked No. 33 in the nation for cancer care in U.S. News & World Report’s 2026-27 rankings. Its radiation oncology team develops individualized treatment plans for more than 2,500 new patients each year, and M Health Fairview is among a small number of centers nationwide to offer CAR T-cell therapy for patients whose cancer has returned or not responded to other treatments. Surgical oncologists at M Health Fairview started one of the first hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy programs in the region, and the system recently opened five new multi specialty breast cancer clinics across the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area. In June 2026, the University of Minnesota and Fairview Health Services finalized a 10-year agreement under which Fairview is investing $1 billion in the medical center and providing $50 million annually to the medical school.

MSK Kids (New York City). MSK Kids is the pediatric oncology and cancer program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and one of the largest pediatric cancer programs in the country, treating children, teenagers and young adults with cancer and blood disorders. MSK Kids ranked 11th in the nation for pediatric cancer on U.S. News & World Report‘s 2025-26 “Best Children’s Hospitals” list. Through its pediatric translational medicine program, specialists match patients with treatments based on a tumor’s genetic blueprint, while the clinical genetics service and pediatric cancer predisposition screening program assess how genetics factors into a child’s diagnosis and whether other family members may be affected. The Lisa and Scott Stuart Center for Adolescent and Young Adult Cancers is a dedicated clinical and research center focused on improving outcomes for adolescents and young adults with cancer. The Tow Center for Developmental Oncology develops new treatments for cancers in children and young adults, while the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Global Pediatric Cancer Program partners with institutions worldwide to reduce disparities and expand access to high-quality pediatric cancer care globally. Through the New York City Department of Education’s hospital schools program, MSK Kids provides full-time teachers for patients from pre-kindergarten through high school, so children can continue coursework during treatment.

MUSC Health (Charleston, S.C.). Hollings Cancer Center is the only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in South Carolina, anchoring the state’s largest academic cancer research program with more than 240 researchers and care sites extending throughout the state. The center offers more than 200 clinical trials, including a dedicated phase 1 clinic, and its new center for cellular therapy runs a trial of purified CAR-T cells developed by Hollings scientists at significantly reduced cost. Through its community outreach and education program, Hollings reaches all 46 counties in the state, including the “SC AMEN” cancer-education initiative for African American men and a mobile health unit offering mammograms and cervical cancer screenings. MUSC recently broke ground on a new comprehensive cancer hospital that will consolidate inpatient and outpatient services under one roof, adding 100 inpatient rooms, 14 operating rooms and South Carolina’s first proton therapy unit. Research funding reached $51 million, and Hollings’ participation in the Blue Cross Blue Shield “Enhancing Oncology Model” recorded a 0% rate of chemotherapy in patients’ final 14 days of life, compared with a 14.06 peer-network average. A multidisciplinary effort to improve inpatient chemotherapy throughput increased the share of patients starting treatment on their day of admission from 17% to 62%. Value-based care screening also topped 98.8% for social determinants of health and 95.4% for depression follow-up compliance across oncology patients.

Mass General Brigham (Somerville, Mass.). Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute is anchored by two of its founding academic medical centers, Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s, both located in Boston and both ranked among the top five U.S. hospitals for cancer care by U.S. News & World Report for 2026-27. More than 2,000 cancer subspecialists across the system handle over 600,000 ambulatory patient visits annually, and its surgical oncologists perform more than 25,000 cancer surgeries and procedures each year, the most in New England. The institute is backed by $442 million in annual cancer research funding and runs more than 1,000 clinical trials a year across 26 sites systemwide, extending research-driven care close to patients’ homes. Infrastructure investment continues on both flagship campuses, with Brigham and Women’s renovating its Hale Building to add more than 80 exam rooms, multidisciplinary clinics, expanded infusion space, and pharmacy and research facilities, and construction underway at Massachusetts General on the nearly 1 million-square-foot Herb Chambers Tower, which will house 228 acute care inpatient beds, 32 ICU beds, a rooftop healing garden and a new 24/7 urgent cancer care center. That tower is slated to open in 2027.

Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minn.). Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center treats more than 138,000 people with cancer each year across more than 200 cancer types, and is the nation’s only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center with three locations, situated in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota. Built on more than 150 years of medical innovation at Mayo Clinic, the center’s cancer-specific contributions date back more than a century, including the development of frozen section pathology, which lets surgeons identify cancerous tissue during an operation, and the Broders’ Index, a numerical tumor-grading system that became foundational to cancer staging and grading standards adopted by medical centers worldwide. More than 400 physicians and scientists work across the center’s research programs and disease groups, and faculty members are required to maintain cancer-relevant, peer-reviewed grants and publish in peer-reviewed journals to hold their appointments. The center trains the next generation of cancer professionals through programs such as “Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination,” and shares patient-facing cancer information through the Stephen and Barbara Slaggie Family Cancer Education Center and its blog. Its community outreach and engagement office works directly with community members and researchers to ensure Mayo Clinic’s cancer care, research and clinical trials address the needs of the communities it serves. U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks Mayo Clinic among the nation’s top hospitals for cancer care, and the center continues to shape its work in emerging areas such as AI and 3D printing.

MedStar Health (Columbia, Md.). MedStar Georgetown Cancer Institute holds accreditation with commendation, the highest level of approval, from the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer. The institute’s research engine, Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, is the Washington, D.C. region’s only comprehensive cancer center designated by the National Cancer Institute, a distinction it first earned in 1974 and has held ever since. MedStar Georgetown University Hospital was ranked No. 1 in the D.C. region for cancer care in U.S. News & World Report‘s 2026-27 hospital rankings. The institute treats adult and pediatric patients for nearly all types of cancer, including rare cancers, through multiple locations across Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia. Care teams include surgical, medical and radiation oncologists alongside pathologists, radiologists, genetic counselors and rehabilitation specialists, who meet in tumor boards for each cancer type to plan treatment together from the outset. Through its partnership with Georgetown Lombardi, patients have access to clinical trials and emerging therapies not always available elsewhere, along with screening, genetic counseling and high-risk prevention programs designed to catch cancer earlier. The institute also offers virtual appointments and second-opinion consultations for patients traveling from outside the region.

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (New York City). Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, founded in 1884, unites specialized care teams across more than 400 cancer subtypes with a research enterprise anchored by more than 120 laboratories and 38 core facilities. In the 2026-27 U.S. News & World Report “Best Hospitals” rankings, MSK placed No. 2 nationally for cancer care, while also ranking No. 1 in the Northeast and New York metropolitan area for cancer and No. 1 nationally for urology. In 2025, MSK’s 514 inpatient beds and 72,000-square-foot surgical center supported 1,435 attending physicians and 4,691 nurses across 25,690 admissions and 1,079,254 outpatient visits. MSK’s surgeons perform more cancer operations than physicians at any other U.S. hospital, its radiation oncologists pioneered intensity-modulated radiation therapy and now also offer proton therapy, and its research has produced 11 FDA-approved drugs to date, a success rate unmatched by any other cancer center. The Sloan Kettering Institute, the cancer center’s basic research arm, works across eight major research programs alongside a faculty that includes 27 members of the National Academy of Medicine, 14 members of the National Academy of Sciences and eight Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigators. The cancer center trained 2,191 residents and clinical fellows, 551 postdoctoral fellows and research scholars, 379 PhD and MD/PhD candidates, 426 nursing students and 532 medical students in 2025, through partnerships that include an MD/PhD program with Weill Cornell Medical College and The Rockefeller University. The center holds accreditation from the Commission on Cancer, the Joint Commission and the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet recognition program.

MemorialCare (Fountain Valley, Calif.). MemorialCare Cancer Institute is a nationally regarded cancer program spanning MemorialCare’s Long Beach (Calif.) Medical Center, Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills (Calif.), and scores of community-based centers. Among its numerous accolades are recognition from U.S. News & World Report, Healthgrades and others. MemorialCare Breast Center is among the nation’s first community breast centers with annual screenings of more than 71,000 across 16 locations, with dedicated clinical experts solely focused on breast cancer and treatment. MemorialCare’s history of pioneering innovations in radiation oncology resulted in novel procedures and advanced, sophisticated technologies that are often first in the region, including the gamma tile study for brain cancer. The MemorialCare lung cancer program is one of a handful in California equipped with the recent FDA-cleared robotic navigated bronchoscopy system, which uses integrated tomosynthesis to locate hard-to-reach lesions in the outer third of the lung. MemorialCare Cancer Institute is one of the first two California study sites to offer VAPOR 2 study, a new way to treat prostate cancer that employs water vapor to target and destroy walls of cancer cells while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy prostate tissue. MemorialCare also offers patients access to a leading-edge clinical trial for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive and hard-to-treat forms of the disease. As the first site on the West Coast that’s active on the trial, it features next-generation targeted therapy that acts like a “guided missile,” homing in on a marker found on cancer cells to deliver treatment directly while sparing healthy tissue.

MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital (Long Beach, Calif.). Jonathan Jaques Children’s Cancer Institute at MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital is one of only 10 children’s hospitals in the U.S. to hold full accreditation from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer. A member of the Children’s Oncology Group, its robust psychosocial programs, including school reintegration, help patients and families navigate the cancer journey. It is one of just four sites nationally participating in the National Institutes of Health study called “Bridging Information Divides and Gaps for Equity in Survivorship.” The survivors’ treatment assessment and resource program helps 700 childhood cancer survivors yearly understand and manage late effects of treatment. The bone and soft tissue tumor program focuses on the diagnosis, removal and treatment of benign and malignant bone tumors and soft tissue sarcomas. The highly regarded hematology program sees about 500 patients each year. It is one of only a select group of children’s hospitals designated a hemophilia treatment center and qualifies to participate in the national hemophilia registry. It is also one of the region’s few children’s hospitals with an in-house surgeon specializing in pediatric orthopedics and oncology. Located on the West’s second largest hospital campus and the same campus as a highly regarded adult cancer center, the institute is among a select number of children’s hospitals nationwide where patients have access to comprehensive, lifelong care in one convenient location.

Michigan Medicine (Ann Arbor). University of Michigan Health Rogel Cancer Center holds National Cancer Institute designation as a comprehensive cancer center and is consistently rated No. 1 in Michigan and among the best in the nation for patient care by U.S. News & World Report. The center pursues a three-part mission of patient care, research and education, and includes more than two dozen specialized clinics offering multidisciplinary, personalized treatment plans. As a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, the center helps set national guidelines for cancer care, and most patients have access to clinical trials and novel treatments through the center’s research programs. University of Michigan researchers recently developed a new oral drug using nanomedicine to boost T-cell effectiveness against tumors, enhancing cancer immunotherapies. The University of Michigan spends the second-highest amount on research of any U.S. university, and Rogel draws on collaborations across the university’s schools and colleges, including engineering and mathematics, alongside traditional partnerships in medicine, public health, nursing and social work. Training programs run from high school students exploring cancer careers through undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral researchers, building on the U-M Medical School’s history since it graduated its first class of six students in 1851. The center also operates a community outreach and education program that works with schools, churches and other community organizations to share cancer prevention guidelines and research updates, along with donor-supported patient and family support services for non-clinical needs. 

Moffitt Cancer Center (Tampa, Fla.). Moffitt Cancer Center brings together more than 10,000 professionals as the only NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center based in Florida and the state’s first to earn that distinction. The center is one of less than 100 NCI-designated cancer centers in the country and one of only 30 U.S. cancer centers participating in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Patients have access to more than 350 clinical trials, supported by about 800 research faculty scientists, career staff scientists, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students and support staff dedicated to cancer research. U.S. News & World Report‘s 2026-27 “Best Hospitals” list ranks Moffitt the No. 1 cancer hospital in Tampa Bay and No. 2 in Florida. Beyond treatment, the center provides diagnostic imaging and interventional radiology, genetic risk assessment and testing, and cancer screenings for breast, colorectal, lung and skin cancer. In September 2026, Moffitt researchers published a new mathematical method for scheduling cancer treatments designed to help slow drug resistance in cancer cells.

Montefiore Einstein (Bronx, N.Y.). Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center, one of roughly 1% of U.S. hospitals holding a National Cancer Institute comprehensive cancer center designation, has spent more than 50 years addressing cancer care in the Bronx, where 85% of the population relies on Medicaid or Medicare and disease has historically been caught at later stages. A low-dose lung cancer screening program and its “Follow-Up ASsessmenT of Lung Nodules” clinic, which has fielded more than 2,000 referrals since 2022, have helped shift more Bronx patients to stage 1 diagnoses, where 5-year survival runs 65% compared with 8% for stage IV. The cancer center’s clinical trial program enrolled more than 1,900 patients across over 500 active studies, with 80% of participants drawn from groups traditionally under- or unrepresented in research, and the center logged $60 million in research funding, 29 new patent filings and 16 issued U.S. patents since January 2025. Its ICE3 Trial helped drive the FDA’s 2025 expansion of cryoablation eligibility for breast cancer, reporting a 5-year local recurrence rate of just 4.3%, while a new metronomic dosing protocol for myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukemia, published in the journal Blood, offers a less-toxic alternative to standard treatment. A newly launched breast cancer screening outreach strategy combining digital tools, patient navigation and AI brought in more than 5,000 women overdue for screening in just nine months. The cancer center also ranks in the top 1% of U.S. hospitals for complex cancer care according to U.S. News & World Report, and its lung cancer team received the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer’s 2025 “Cancer Care Team Award,” the only North American program so honored that year.

Mount Sinai (New York City). Mount Sinai Tisch Cancer Center is a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center that uses a multidisciplinary approach to research and treatment aimed at advancing clinical breakthroughs in cancer care. Established in 2008 as The Tisch Cancer Institute, the center’s faculty includes more than 150 scientists and physicians who build on Mount Sinai Health System’s legacy of biomedical discovery and medical and scientific training. Mount Sinai Tisch Cancer Center’s centers of excellence pair novel research and clinical trials with coordinated care teams spanning cancer types including breast, gynecologic, genitourinary, head and neck, lung and thoracic, and skin cancers. Investigators collaborate across disciplines to advance treatments such as immunotherapy, translating research into patient care from diagnosis through survivorship. Through its Cancer Network, the center also extends prevention, screening, education and treatment services, including clinical trial access, to surrounding communities. Patients treated at the center have access to the full range of services at The Mount Sinai Hospital, the No. 1 academic medical center in the New York metropolitan area and the No. 10-ranked hospital nationally for cancer by U.S. News & World Report for 2026-27.

NYU Langone Health (New York City). NYU Langone’s Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center is a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and part of NYU Langone Health, ranking among the top 15 hospitals nationally for cancer care in U.S. News & World Report‘s 2026-27 “Best Hospitals” rankings. It is one of 12 NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the Northeast, a distinction reflecting its research, clinical trials, education and community outreach. Its center for molecular oncology creates detailed molecular profiles of each tumor to guide individualized treatment plans, while its oncologists use MRI-linear accelerator radiation therapy, targeted therapies, immunotherapies and personalized cell therapies to treat cancer with greater precision. Researchers have received a melanoma specialized programs of research excellence grant from the NCI, along with two NCI research program project grants studying chromosomal changes in tumor progression and the development of bladder cancer, and faculty have developed a 580-gene diagnostic panel for cancer-associated mutations. NYU Langone Health holds three-year accreditation with commendation from the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer and Magnet recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. The center’s blood and marrow transplantation and cellular therapy center is certified by the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy to perform autologous and allogeneic transplants for adults, as well as autologous transplants for pediatric patients.

Nationwide Children’s Hospital (Columbus, Ohio). Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s division of hematology, oncology, and blood and marrow transplant, staffed by 38 specialists across 42 beds, ranks among the top five pediatric cancer programs in the country per U.S. News & World Report for 2025-26. The division manages more than 2,000 discharges, 11,000 patient days and 17,500 outpatient visits annually, including 65 bone marrow transplants and 878 apheresis and photopheresis procedures in the past year alone. The division helps lead the National Cancer Institute’s “Molecular Characterization Initiative,” the nation’s largest program delivering precision cancer diagnostics to pediatric patients, which has enrolled more than 8,000 participants since 2022 with as many as 90% receiving at least one cancer-relevant result affecting treatment. Faculty published landmark studies in The New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet Haematology, Clinical Cancer Research and The American Journal of Hematology over the past year, spanning international trials on hemophilia A and blood clot prevention in pediatric leukemia, as well as research on osteosarcoma metastasis and cellular therapy for refractory acute myeloid leukemia. The division also launched the Brain Tumor Biorepository and BioKIDS, a universal oncology biology study generating patient-derived tumor models to accelerate translational research. It helped the CONNECT Consortium open four new pediatric brain and spinal cord tumor trials, add six sites and enroll 52 patients in the past year. Nationwide Children’s brought in $154.8 million in external research funding enterprisewide in 2024, including $70.4 million in direct National Institutes of Health prime funding that ranks it among the top 10 NIH-funded pediatric research institutes in the country. Meanwhile, the division itself holds six active NIH grants, including four R01 awards. Its recognitions include the hospital ranking in all 11 subspecialties by U.S. News & World Report for 2026-27.

Nebraska Medicine (Omaha). Nebraska Medicine | Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center provides cancer care through a network of four clinical sites across Nebraska. It includes the state’s only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center. The flagship location brings together more than 200 leading specialists and researchers in the same eight-story building that includes 108-bed inpatient beds, a laboratory research tower, imaging, procedural spaces and a multidisciplinary outpatient center. In 2026, the cancer center began installation of a proton therapy system which is scheduled to open in 2027. Nebraska Medicine recently marked 10 years of CAR-T cell therapy. Among the nation’s first to offer the treatment, its experts advanced CAR-T applications to conditions including lupus and multiple sclerosis. U.S. News & World Report placed Nebraska Medicine’s cancer program 34th in the nation in its 2026-27 “Best Hospitals” rankings. The cancer center has been continuously funded by its cancer center support grant from National Cancer Institute since 1984, and currently has $90 million in total grant dollars awarded and includes more than 400 clinical trials for cancer.

NewYork-Presbyterian (New York City). NewYork-Presbyterian is home to the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center of NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the Weill Cornell Medicine Meyer Cancer Center in partnership with NewYork-Presbyterian, both National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers. Thanks to this, it places among a small number of New York state health systems to hold that dual designation. Precision medicine is central to its approach: the Columbia Precision Medicine Initiative and the Caryl and Israel Englander Institute for Precision Medicine at Weill Cornell analyze individual tumor biology to guide treatment selection across cancer types. The system’s investigators helped pioneer immunotherapies now used to treat melanoma, lymphoma, kidney, breast, bladder and prostate cancers, head and neck cancers, some colorectal cancers, and liver cancer, backed by an active clinical trials program spanning nearly every disease site. Surgeons across specialties including urologic, gynecologic, thoracic and colorectal oncology perform minimally invasive and robotic procedures, and the breast cancer program holds accreditation from the American College of Surgeons’ national accreditation program for breast centers. The blood cancers program performs hundreds of stem cell transplants annually and has particular expertise in transplants from mismatched donors, while its center for liver disease and transplantation treats benign and malignant liver tumors with options including transplantation and minimally invasive resection. Pediatric cancer patients are treated at the Children’s Hospital of New York and NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, where genetic tumor analysis and access to phase 1 clinical trials draw families from around the world.

Northside Hospital Cancer Institute (Atlanta). Northside Hospital Cancer Institute has offered cancer care since 1978 and has grown into one of the largest and most respected cancer care providers in the Southeast, ranking No. 46 nationally and No. 2 in Georgia for cancer care by U.S. News & World Report for 2026-27. The institute diagnoses and treats more cancer cases than any other hospital system in Georgia, handles more breast and gynecologic cancer cases than any other hospital in the Southeast, and delivers more prostate cancer treatments than any other facility in Atlanta. The institute features the most board-certified oncologists in Georgia and operates in close affiliation with Atlanta Cancer Care, which maintains multiple metro Atlanta office locations. The institute holds an “Outstanding Achievement Award” from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer, along with accreditations including the national accreditation program for breast centers, the national accreditation program for rectal cancer, quality oncology practice initiative certification, and Joint Commission disease-specific certification for lung cancer. Its research program is one of the nation’s largest community-based oncology and hematology programs, and Northside is a leading partner in the Georgia NCI community oncology research program, giving patients access to cancer prevention, screening and treatment clinical trials within their communities. In May 2026, its blood and marrow transplant program treated its first mantle cell lymphoma patient in a novel therapy trial, and in September 2026, Northside expanded its robotic surgery capabilities with new da Vinci 5 systems designed to improve precision and recovery.

Northwell Health (New Hyde Park, N.Y.). Northwell Cancer Institute’s interdisciplinary treatment teams of board-certified, fellowship-trained medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, surgeons, pathologists and radiologists draw on state-of-the-art therapies and minimally invasive surgical techniques, including robotic surgery, backed by Northwell Health’s network of hospitals, imaging centers and laboratories. The institute has been a leader in cancer clinical trials for more than 30 years and offers more than 200 active clinical trials at any given time, including studies initiated by its own physicians and those affiliated with the National Cancer Institute. The system’s hospitals and cancer programs hold accreditation from the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer, the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers, the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer, the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy and “Quality Oncology Practice Initiative” certification from the American Society of Clinical Oncology, among other designations. Patients also have access to more than 30 cancer support groups alongside specialized fertility, rehabilitation and cardio-oncology programs. In June 2026, Northwell opened the $5.8 million Queens Radiation Center in Forest Hills, N.Y. to expand localized oncology access. That followed the January 2026 opening of a $1 million high-dose rate brachytherapy suite for advanced prostate cancer treatment on Long Island, N.Y., and late-2025 launches that included an early-phase clinical trial partnership with the START Center for Cancer Research in Lake Success, N.Y. and Long Island’s first dedicated center for women’s cancer, a $14 million facility in New Hyde Park.

Northwestern Medicine (Chicago). Northwestern Medicine treats more than 10,000 new cancer cases each year through the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, a program nationally recognized by U.S. News & World Report. The Lurie Cancer Center is a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and one of only a few programs in Illinois to receive the NCI’s highest rating of “exceptional.” It is also a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the world’s leading cancer centers focused on the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of cancer care. Nearly 300 Lurie Cancer Center members conduct laboratory, clinical, prevention, behavioral and population-based research that fuels clinical trials and treatment options often unavailable elsewhere. Northwestern Medicine delivers cancer care through centers spanning downtown Chicago, greater DeKalb County, and the western, northern, northwestern and southern suburbs, bringing board-certified surgical, radiation and medical oncologists together for multidisciplinary treatment. Supportive services include support groups, patient and caregiver education, financial and emotional counseling, and an oncology triage clinic that functions as urgent care specifically for cancer patients.

OSF HealthCare (Peoria, Ill.). OSF HealthCare Cancer Institute, the flagship of the OSF HealthCare oncology program, serves as the destination for complex cancer care across an 18-hospital integrated health system in Illinois and Michigan. Opened in February 2024, the institute brings together cancer prevention, rapid access, risk assessment, genetic counseling, diagnosis, treatment, clinical research and survivorship services in one location. The institute provides medical oncology, surgical oncology, radiation oncology, chemotherapy, theranostics, brachytherapy, in-house diagnostics and early-phase clinical trials. Support services include navigation, behavioral health, rehabilitation, nutrition, social services and survivorship. It is also home to one of only two comprehensive proton beam therapy programs in Illinois, where 380 patients have completed proton therapy since April 2024. In 2025, the institute became the first organization in the nation to offer a lung cancer early detection blood test. In a five-year review of its centralized, navigator-led and AI-assisted lung cancer screening program, low-dose CT screening rates increased from 18.2% in 2020 to 42.8% in 2025, while also nearly doubling annual screening volume across the health system. Sites serving rural communities reported increases of more than 20% in stage 1 lung cancer diagnoses. U.S. News & World Report recognized OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria as “high-performing” in lung and colon cancer surgery. The system also operates dedicated cancer centers and clinics at nine other hospitals.

OU Health (Oklahoma City, Okla.). OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center is Oklahoma’s only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center, a status earned in 2018 and renewed in 2023, serving a state where cancer mortality rates run 1.5 times the national average. Ranked Oklahoma’s top cancer care facility by U.S. News & World Report, Stephenson Cancer Center is the state’s largest oncology practice, treating about 4,000 newly diagnosed patients annually across Oklahoma City and Norman, with more than 100 specialists offering services from radiation oncology and bone marrow transplant to proton therapy and CAR-T cell therapy. The center supports more than 140 research members who conducted over 400 cancer research projects in 2023, backed by $65 million in annual extramural funding, including $37 million from the National Institutes of Health. Nearly 20% of Stephenson’s patients participate in clinical trials, and the center ranks No. 1 nationally for enrollment in National Cancer Institute-sponsored National Clinical Trials Network studies. Expansion into Norman, Tulsa and McAlester, Okla. has improved the center’s provider-to-patient capacity ratio from 1:6 to 1:5, anchored by a new Tulsa facility with 70 exam rooms, 45 infusion spaces and three linear accelerators. Mobile breast and lung screening programs extend early detection to rural and underserved communities across the state.

The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center (Columbus). The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center–James has held a National Cancer Institute “exceptional” rating for four consecutive review cycles, and has maintained high U.S. News & World Report rankings for nearly three decades. It is the nation’s third-largest cancer hospital and the first freestanding cancer hospital in the Midwest. Its most recent NCI re-designation followed a competitive peer-review process and will bring a multi-million-dollar grant to support infrastructure and operations over the next five years, funding that supports 10 dedicated research centers and more than 1,500 cancer researchers, including the Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology and the Clara D. Bloomfield Center for Leukemia Outcomes Research. Total cancer-relevant external funding reached more than $146 million in 2025, the largest in the institution’s history, including $57.6 million in philanthropy and more than $73.2 million in NCI grants across 39 new awards. The 2025 “Pelotonia” fundraising event drew more than 12,000 participants and raised a record $29.2 million, pushing its 17-year total past $339 million, with 100% of proceeds supporting cancer research. The OSUCCC – James also launched the “BRIDGE Program” to address the rising incidence of early-onset cancers in adults under 50 and deployed Ohio’s first mobile lung cancer screening unit in 2025 to expand early detection in underserved communities. The center earned a perfect score of 10 on its renewal application to remain a National Clinical Trials Network lead academic participating site, a distinction it has held for more than a decade. The center was also recertified as a Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer center of excellence, one of only three institutions in the U.S. to hold that designation.

Oregon Health & Science University Hospital (Portland). OHSU Knight Cancer Institute ranks among the top 25 cancer centers in the nation and holds the National Cancer Institute’s highest designation as a comprehensive cancer center, meeting 36 standards to earn accreditation from the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer. The institute, founded in 1991 as the Oregon Cancer Center, now treats about 6,000 patients and conducts about 1,400 research projects, including more than 400 clinical trials, each year. Its Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research Center, known as “CEDAR,” is running studies to determine whether a simple blood test can catch cancers earlier, and in 2023 an OHSU team earned Guinness World Records recognition for detecting the smallest melanoma ever recorded. In 2024, the Knight became one of the first cancer centers to offer tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte therapy for people with metastatic melanoma, building on 2023 research that uncovered a new generation of PARP-1 inhibitors with unique anticancer properties. The institute’s roots in targeted therapy trace back to work on the drug Gleevec that helped usher in that era, and its research today is centered in the 320,000-square-foot Knight Cancer Research Building. In 2025, OHSU received a $2 billion gift, the largest ever to a U.S. university, to fund its vision of giving every patient access to clinical trials and a full range of psychological, genetic, financial and survivorship support. A newly formed Knight Cancer Group will lead the institute as a self-governed part of OHSU. The institute also runs community programs across all 36 Oregon counties, including grants for community-level cancer projects and collaborations that extend care throughout the Northwest.

Orlando (Fla.) Health. Orlando Health Cancer Institute, one of Florida’s largest comprehensive cancer providers with 23 locations across Central Florida, has treated more than 207,000 adult patients annually for nearly three decades. Meanwhile, its Haley Center for Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders runs the region’s largest pediatric oncology and hematology program, offering more than 110 clinical trials for children, more than any other program in Florida. In 2025, the Haley Center infused two patients with gene therapy for sickle cell disease, a first for Central Florida, and its brain tumor program remains the only one in the state to combine pediatric neuro-oncology, neurosurgery and a freestanding children’s hospital on a single campus. The institute’s bone marrow transplant and cellular therapy program has completed more than 268 transplants and, in 2025, was named one of 12 out of 172 U.S. transplant centers tracked by the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research that performed better than expected in one-year survival outcomes, the only Florida program to do so. Orlando Health operates the Marjorie and Leonard Williams Center for Proton Therapy, the only proton therapy center in Central Florida, alongside MRI- and CT-guided adaptive radiation platforms. Its thoracic surgery team has the nation’s highest patient volume on the ION robotic bronchoscopy navigation platform. The Orlando Health Cancer Institute receives about $5 million in research funding. A 2024-2025 quality review found the institute refers 93% of ovarian cancer patients to genetic counseling, far above the 39% national average, and its clinical trial accrual rate tops 6% annually, exceeding Commission on Cancer requirements. The institute has built a centralized clinical trials office to accelerate trial activation, and a $22,000 American Cancer Society lodging grant awarded in April 2025 has since supported 22 patients for 204 nights.

Penn Medicine (Philadelphia). Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center has held continuous status as a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center since 1973, one of only seven such centers in the country, and treats more than 300,000 patients annually across Penn Medicine’s broader cancer system. That system is anchored by cancer center locations across four system hospitals, with additional programs extending beyond greater Philadelphia to the Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute at Lancaster (Pa.) General Health, Doylestown (Pa.) Health and Princeton Medical Center in Plainsboro Township, N.J. Penn Medicine researchers discovered CAR T-cell therapy, which harnesses a patient’s own immune system to target cancer cells, and TumorGlow, an imaging technology that helps surgeons identify and remove cancerous tissue. The system is also home to the Basser Center for BRCA, the first comprehensive center dedicated to research, treatment and prevention of BRCA-related cancers, and offers the region’s only academic medical center dedicated to proton therapy. In September 2026, the cancer center began enrolling patients in a phase 1 clinical trial of FLASH proton therapy, a form of radiation that delivers treatment in less than a second through fewer sessions, which is the first U.S. human test of the technique’s precise, “conformal” 3D-targeting version. At the Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute in Lancaster, an American College of Surgeons-accredited program brings Abramson Cancer Center’s advanced treatments and technology to the region, including its only proton therapy treatment center, through specialty-organized care teams under one roof. The Abramson Cancer Center is also a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, a group of centers working to promote equitable access to high-quality, advanced cancer care.

Providence (Renton, Wash.). Providence Cancer Institute, part of the Providence health system, is one of the nation’s leading community-based academic oncology programs, providing comprehensive cancer services spanning prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship and research to more than 55,000 newly diagnosed patients annually through a team of 787 specialists. For more than three decades, the cancer institute’s investigators have driven cancer innovation, including helping lead the pivotal global clinical trial for ipilimumab, an immune checkpoint therapy that contributed to Nobel Prize-winning immunotherapy science. The institute offers specialized therapies typically found only at major academic centers, such as CAR T-cell therapy, tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte therapy, gene-engineered cellular therapies and comprehensive genomic sequencing, and is home to the Pacific Northwest’s only MRI-guided linear accelerator. In a landmark study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Providence Cancer Institute investigators at the Earle A. Chiles Research Institute reported the first T-cell receptor-engineered cell therapy to achieve objective, durable tumor regression in a patient with metastatic pancreatic cancer, using engineered T cells targeting the KRAS G12D mutation. The cancer institute is also advancing AI in oncology through partnerships with Microsoft Research and the University of Washington, resulting in the development of Prov-GigaPath, a whole-slide foundation model for digital pathology built on more than 1.3 billion image tiles from over 170,000 pathology slides and published in Nature, followed by the Cell-published GigaTIME model and TRIALSCOPE, an AI platform reported in New England Journal of Medicine that draws on real-world data from more than 1 million cancer patients to simulate clinical trials. The institute’s ClinicalPath decision-support program, integrated with Epic, delivers an annual positive financial impact in the tens of millions of dollars while reducing treatment variation, and pharmacy-led biosimilar and chemotherapy utilization management efforts save multiple millions of dollars a year.

RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Cancer Institute (West Orange, N.J.). RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Cancer Institute have transformed cancer care access across New Jersey, anchored by the Jack & Sheryl Morris Cancer Center, the cornerstone of a more than $1.5 billion investment in oncology services statewide. Rutgers Cancer Institute holds one of New Jersey’s only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center distinctions, and its faculty draw more than $125 million annually in federal, state and philanthropic grant support across five research programs. The organizations opened the $225 million Melchiorre Cancer Center at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, N.J. in July 2026, a five-story, 137,000-square-foot outpatient facility, with a second specialty and cancer care center planned for the Vogel Medical Campus in Tinton Falls, N.J. in 2027. At the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting, physician-scientists presented 39 peer-reviewed abstracts, including late-breaking results from the I-SPY 2.2 trial evaluating rilvegostomig and trastuzumab deruxtecan in high-risk HER2-negative breast cancer. One physician received a four-year, $800,000 grant from the V Foundation for Cancer Research to advance T-cell immunotherapies for cancers caused by human papillomavirus, building on phase 2 results in which six of 10 patients saw significant tumor shrinkage, including two complete responses. The system also recruited a chief of breast surgery and co-director of its multidisciplinary breast program. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital was ranked No. 4 in New Jersey and No. 17 in the Mid-Atlantic region by U.S. News & World Report, earning a “high-performing” designation in cancer care delivered jointly with Rutgers Cancer Institute.

Rady Children’s Hospital (San Diego). Rady Children’s Hospital’s Peckham Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders provides nationally recognized pediatric cancer care to children in San Diego, Imperial and southern Riverside counties, plus select services to patients in northern Mexico, the Pacific Islands and southern Orange County. The center is ranked among the “Best Children’s Hospitals” for pediatric cancer treatment and care by U.S. News & World Report for 2025-26. It cares for more than 300 newly diagnosed cancer patients and logs more than 16,000 outpatient cancer visits each year. The Peckham Center is the largest pediatric cancer care program serving San Diego, Riverside and Imperial counties, and operates the only pediatric blood and bone marrow transplant program serving San Diego and Imperial counties. It is certified to provide the first FDA-approved CAR T-cell therapy and partners with California Protons to offer proton therapy, a highly precise form of radiation treatment, to pediatric and young adult patients. The center’s acute care pavilion houses 38 private rooms with high-efficiency particulate air filtration to help reduce infection risk. Through a research alliance with Memphis, Tenn.-based St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and UC San Diego, the Peckham Center is part of a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center. 

Rochester (N.Y.) Regional Health. Rochester Regional Health’s Lipson Cancer Institute delivers cancer care to about 25,000 patients annually across 13 counties in Western New York and the Finger Lakes, anchored by 40 consecutive years of Commission on Cancer accreditation, the longest continuously accredited cancer program in the Rochester region. The institute’s GenoWell initiative, run with Helix, offers no-cost genetic screening for hereditary cancer and cardiovascular risk to adults 18 and older, and more than 28,000 people have consented to participate, with 66% converting to completed testing. Rochester Regional Health aims to expand GenoWell to more than 100,000 participants over the next five years and, through the Helix Research Network, is integrating genomic data into clinical care and clinical trial access. In February 2026, the cancer institute introduced the Varian Ethos adaptive radiation therapy system at Rochester General Hospital, using AI and daily imaging to adjust each patient’s radiation plan before every session. A $9 million expansion at Unity Hospital in Greece, N.Y. will double infusion capacity from 10 to 20 chairs and add a dedicated oncology pharmacy alongside a new outpatient imaging center. Lipson also operates New York’s first breast center designated a certified quality breast center of excellence. 

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center (Buffalo, N.Y.). Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center was founded in 1898 as the first institution in the world dedicated exclusively to cancer research. The cancer teams have driven major advances in oncology, from early studies demonstrating that chemotherapy could kill cancer to foundational work to develop the PSA prostate cancer test. It also established the link between smoking and cancer, and the use of laser light to treat cancer through photodynamic therapy. Roswell Park remains the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Upstate New York, with a record of innovation in cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, education and outreach. Recent accomplishments include the discovery and development of SurVaxM, a late-stage investigational therapy for glioblastoma. It is also breaking through barriers to bring “Early Detection Driven to You” mobile cancer screening program right into neighborhoods across Western New York, continues with significant contributions to the research behind four newly approved FDA cancer drugs, and has launched new CAR T-cell therapy studies for patients with hard-to-treat cancers, as well as some autoimmune diseases. It is home to New York State’s first and largest cell therapy hub, more than 400 active clinical trials and an award-winning community outreach program. Roswell Park also holds Magnet recognition for nursing excellence, Optum centers of excellence designations for adult and pediatric cancer care and stem cell transplantation, and accreditation through multiple American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer quality programs.

Rush Health (Chicago). Rush University Cancer Center is ranked among the top 50 hospitals in the country for cancer care by U.S. News & World Report for 2026-27, and many of its providers are regularly named to Chicago magazine’s “Top Doctors” list. The center holds accreditation from the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons and delivers care through Coleman Foundation Comprehensive Cancer Clinics, where patients meet their full care team in a single visit and cases are reviewed at weekly tumor board meetings dedicated to specific cancers. Clinical trials are available through Rush’s own academic research program, as well as the National Cancer Institute and the Children’s Oncology Group. Rush’s supportive oncology program provides social and emotional support, complementary therapies such as acupuncture and massage, and nutritional and financial counseling alongside treatment. Its breast imaging centers at Rush University Medical Center and Rush South Loop are both designated breast imaging centers of excellence by the American College of Radiology, and the newer South Loop location also offers follow-up care for breast surgery, urologic cancers, plastic and reconstructive surgery, skin cancer and colon cancer surgery. Through a partnership with Houston, Texas-based MD Anderson Cancer Center, RUSH MD Anderson gives Chicago-area patients access to immunotherapies, targeted therapies, minimally invasive surgical options and clinical trials years earlier than they might otherwise become available.

Scripps Health (San Diego). Scripps Cancer Center, a clinically integrated program spanning Scripps Health’s hospitals, specialty centers and clinics across San Diego County, diagnoses and treats more than 7,000 patients annually with a team of more than 200 oncology physician specialists organized into multidisciplinary clinics by cancer subtype. The program is led by a physician whose research has appeared in more than 350 peer-reviewed journals and who received the American Radium Society’s “Gold Medal Award” in 2026. Scripps has expanded its theranostics program with targeted therapies such as Pluvicto and Lutathera, driving a 63% increase in monthly patient visits between October 2023 and September 2025, while its oral oncology program grew 205% over the past year as more patients opted for at-home treatment. An outpatient MRI access initiative that combines mobile equipment, extended hours and workflow changes cut patient wait times by 50%, and Scripps’ lung cancer screening program has achieved a second-screening retention rate above 65%, more than triple the roughly 20% national average. The center currently runs 32 active clinical trials, with 16 more expected to open by year’s end, backed by $5.1 million in research funding from fiscal year 2022 through 2024 with an additional $4 million expected in fiscal 2025 and 2026. This funding has helped drive a 92% increase in clinical trial enrollment year over year. Scripps also opened San Diego County’s first dedicated clinic for inflammatory breast cancer.

Seattle Children’s. Seattle Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center is consistently ranked among the top 10 pediatric cancer centers in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. In 2024, youth who received stem cell transplants at Seattle Children’s had a 97% survival rate, as measured at 100 days or more post-transplant. The center’s physicians lead national research groups including the Children’s Oncology Group, the largest pediatric oncology consortium in the world, and its immunotherapy program works to harness the immune system to fight cancer while reducing side effects. The Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders Research studies the biology of childhood cancer and blood diseases, and partners with Seattle Children’s therapeutics division to develop and test next-generation cell and gene therapies. Seattle Children’s pediatric blood and marrow transplant program and non-malignant transplant program work with Seattle-based partner Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, whose doctors pioneered stem cell transplantation, to expand transplant access and improve cure rates. Its cancer and blood disorders center inpatient unit spans two floors with 48 private rooms and around-the-clock coverage from board-certified acute care hematology-oncology specialists. The center’s cancer survivor program provides personalized education, clinical care and research opportunities to help patients stay healthy long after treatment ends.

Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine (St. Louis). Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Missouri and central and southern Illinois, and has held the NCI’s highest “exceptional” rating for more than a decade. More than 700 physicians and scientists from WashU Medicine and BJC HealthCare treat more than 75,000 patients annually, placing Siteman among the top five cancer centers nationally for patient volume. The center enrolled more than 9,000 patients in clinical trials this year across more than 1,600 active research studies, including more than 600 therapeutic clinical trials, figures that rank among the highest of any U.S. cancer center. Siteman receives more than $185 million annually in research funding, including $66 million from the NCI, supporting more than 1,400 research projects and three specialized programs of research excellence grants in endometrial, leukemia and pancreatic cancer research. WashU Medicine faculty at Siteman filed 198 patents in 2024 and launched 17 startup companies over the past five years, while the center’s cellular therapy program has performed more than 10,000 stem cell transplants. In 2023, Siteman earned a “Merit Extension Award” from the NCI extending its cancer center support grant through 2027 and providing $12 million for research, training and community outreach. The center’s Gary C. Werths Building, a nine-story, 657,000-square-foot outpatient cancer facility that opened in fall 2024, consolidates specialist visits, infusion and diagnostics into a single appointment.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (Memphis, Tenn.). St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is the nation’s first and only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center devoted solely to pediatric cancer, and it has ranked among the top 10 children’s cancer hospitals in every U.S. News & World Report survey since the ranking launched in 2008. More than 9,000 patients are treated at St. Jude annually, most on an outpatient basis, as part of more than 130 active childhood cancer clinical trials. The hospital’s comprehensive cancer center is organized into five cross-disciplinary research programs spanning developmental biology and solid tumors, neurobiology and brain tumors, hematological malignancies, cancer control and survivorship, and cancer biology. It maintains two of the field’s foundational survivorship studies, the “St. Jude Lifetime Cohort Study” and the National Cancer Institute-supported “Childhood Cancer Survivors Study.” St. Jude also operates St. Jude Cloud, a data-sharing platform that gives the global research community access to genomic data to accelerate precision treatments for pediatric cancer. In 2026, St. Jude investigators published high-impact research using AI, including a study identifying IRS4 as a promising drug target across multiple solid tumors, a genomic analysis with the National Cancer Institute mapping the structural variants that drive pediatric cancer, and the M-PACT tool for classifying pediatric brain tumors through AI-powered liquid biopsy. St. Jude researchers also studied how different AI prompting strategies affect the technology’s ability to analyze interviews and identify childhood cancer survivors who need additional support services.

St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Siteman Kids at St. Louis Children’s Hospital is the No. 1 pediatric cancer program in the St. Louis region, according to U.S. News & World Report for 2025-26. It draws on the Siteman Cancer Center, the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Missouri, and is the only NCI-funded pediatric cancer center to provide experimental therapy in the state. Siteman Kids is one of only 21 member institutions in the Children’s Oncology Group’s Pediatric Early Phase Clinical Trial Network, giving patients access to some of the newest pediatric cancer therapies before they are widely available. Its stem cell transplant and cellular therapy program uses lower doses of chemotherapy when possible to treat lymphomas, leukemias, sickle cell disease, immunodeficiencies and solid tumors, while targeted options such as proton beam therapy, Gamma Knife radiosurgery and intensity modulated radiation therapy help minimize damage to healthy tissue. The program also offers CAR T-cell and other cellular immunotherapies, MIBG therapy for high-risk neuroblastoma, and genomic medicine to design treatment plans targeting the specific genes driving each child’s cancer. Its chemotherapy-ordering program has been recognized as a best practice by The Joint Commission, and its physicians partner daily with researchers from Washington University School of Medicine to develop and test new treatments. After treatment, patients are followed through the childhood cancer survivorship program and, in adulthood, the lifelong outcomes clinic that monitors for long-term side effects of cancer therapy.

Stanford Medicine (Palo Alto, Calif.). Stanford Cancer Institute is the cancer research and clinical care enterprise of Stanford Medicine, drawing on interdisciplinary partnerships across Stanford University’s schools to move laboratory discoveries into patient treatment. The institute’s cancer center support grant from National Cancer Institute organizes its work into six formal research programs spanning basic, translational and clinical science. More than 250 clinical trials are actively recruiting patients, giving them access to therapies not yet available elsewhere. Its early drug development program advances novel compounds from early-phase testing toward broader clinical use, while Weill Cancer Hub West supports collaborative, cross-institutional research initiatives. The Stanford Brain Metastases Consortium coordinates multi-site research focused on improving outcomes for patients with metastatic brain disease, and the “Wipe Out Melanoma – California” initiative partners with Los Angeles-based Cedars-Sinai’s Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute to expand melanoma prevention and treatment efforts statewide. The institute also runs a dedicated nasopharyngeal cancer program and “After Cancer,” a survivorship program supporting patients beyond active treatment. 

Stanford Medicine Children’s Health (Palo Alto, Calif.). Stanford Medicine Children’s Health provides comprehensive pediatric cancer care through its Bass Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, which is nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report for pediatric cancer. The center is part of the National Cancer Institute-designated Stanford Cancer Institute and participates in the Children’s Oncology Group, making all patients eligible for the national cooperative group’s treatment protocols. The majority of patients choose to enroll in one of the center’s dozens of open clinical trials, including several offered only at Stanford and others made available through a partnership with Memphis, Tenn.-based St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Many of these trials aren’t offered anywhere else in Northern California. The Bass Center runs dedicated programs for adolescent and young adult cancer, brain tumors, bone tumors and soft-tissue sarcoma, leukemia and lymphoma, rare tumors such as neuroblastoma, retinoblastoma, Wilms tumor and germ cell tumors, and cancer predisposition syndromes. The program also includes a dedicated clinic for the long-term follow-up of pediatric cancer patients, addressing late effects that can arise after treatment. In 2026, Stanford Medicine launched a series of advanced pediatric cancer treatments and facilities, highlighted by the opening of the world’s first ultracompact proton therapy center.

Sutter Health (Sacramento, Calif.). Sutter Health provides cancer care through an integrated network of 22 cancer centers across Northern California, each accredited by the Commission on Cancer, the American Society for Radiation Oncology and other national bodies. The system treats more than 129,000 cancer patients annually, cared for by more than 250 specialists delivering team-based treatment. The program diagnosed 22,000 new cancer cases in 2025. More than 80% of Sutter’s cancer patients are guided by National Comprehensive Cancer Network clinical pathways, and patients have access to more than 150 phase 1-4, industry and National Cancer Institute-sponsored clinical trials. Multidisciplinary tumor boards integrate research with care planning, and Sutter investigators publish findings in journals including JAMA Oncology, The Lancet and The New England Journal of Medicine. Clinical capabilities include CAR T-cell therapy, GammaTile neurosurgery, robotic-assisted procedures and targeted radiation therapies, supported by AI-enabled screening and detection tools that help catch cancer earlier. Sutter is also expanding its cancer footprint with a major expansion in Modesto, Calif., new ambulatory cancer services in Folsom and Santa Clara, Calif., and additional radiation oncology centers across the region.

Temple Health (Philadelphia). Fox Chase Cancer Center, part of Philadelphia-based Temple Health, has held National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center status for more than 50 years, one of the original centers so designated. Its scientists’ 1959 discovery of the “Philadelphia Chromosome” laid the groundwork for the drug Gleevec and the field of cancer genetics. In 2025, Fox Chase earned its strongest cancer center support grant score in more than two decades, published 692 scientific articles, enrolled patients in 207 clinical trials and drew more than $78 million across 435 active funded projects. The center also became the first hospital in Pennsylvania to achieve six Magnet recognition program renewals for nursing excellence, most recently in 2023, and its Blood Cancer and Cellular Therapy Institute recently surpassed 3,000 bone marrow transplants. Fox Chase, per Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council data, is now the state’s highest-volume center for bladder and kidney cancer surgery. In 2025, Fox Chase was named Philadelphia’s first comprehensive radiopharmaceutical therapy center of excellence, and the center opened a nearly $4 million oncology satellite pharmacy, funded partly by a $1.5 million grant, that triples its capacity to mix chemotherapy infusions and can prepare more than 500 treatments daily. Backed by more than $175 million in recent clinical and research infrastructure investment, Fox Chase continues to expand programs including outpatient CAR T-cell therapy, a third robotic surgery platform and a new advanced treatment center.

Texas Children’s (Houston). Texas Children’s cancer and hematology center, transitioning to Kinder Children’s Cancer Center, is one of the nation’s largest pediatric cancer and hematology programs, recording more than 90,000 outpatient visits and 5,500 new cancer and hematology patients in 2025, including more than 500 children newly diagnosed with cancer. Ranked No. 9 nationally in pediatric cancer by U.S. News & World Report for 2025-26, the program has remained among the nation’s top 10 for nine consecutive years. It offers more than 250 active therapeutic clinical trials and is internationally recognized for leadership in stem cell transplantation, cellular immunotherapy and gene therapy. In 2026, Texas Children’s and Houston-based The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center launched Kinder Children’s Cancer Center, a first-of-its-kind joint venture with a mission to end childhood cancer. Supported by a $150 million gift from the Kinder Foundation, plans include a purpose-built comprehensive cancer center in the Texas Medical Center designed to expand access to specialized care and clinical trials and accelerate pediatric cancer research and drug development.

Tufts Medicine (Burlington, Mass.). Tufts Medical Center Cancer Center has treated patients with cancer since the 1940s. Its bone marrow and hematopoietic cell transplant program was the first in Boston to be nationally certified as a transplant and donor collection center, and its Reid R. Sacco Adolescent and Young Adult Program was the first in Boston to deliver personalized, multidisciplinary, survivorship-based care tailored to a patient’s age and disease. The center holds Commission on Cancer accreditation as a comprehensive community cancer program, along with an “Outstanding Achievement Award,” National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers recognition, designation as an American College of Radiology Lung Cancer screening center, and American College of Radiology high practice standards accreditation in radiation oncology. Physicians at the center’s Neely Center for Clinical Cancer Research serve as principal investigators on national clinical trials through the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology and the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, with funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense and cancer research foundations. The center collaborates with research institutes across Tufts University, including the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and the Tufts Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute. Its training programs include a hematology and oncology fellowship and a radiation oncology residency program, whose graduates lead academic hematology and oncology programs, manage hospital transfusion medicine programs and hold editorial positions at medical journals nationwide.

UAB Hospital (Birmingham, Ala.). UAB Hospital’s O’Neal Cancer Center is Alabama’s only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and the only one in a four-state region. The cancer center boasts more than 500 physicians, scientists and staff, treating approximately 20,000 patients annually across every major cancer specialty. Unique patient volume climbed from 9,000 in fiscal year 2018 to more than 11,579 in fiscal year 2025, while infusion services at its Kirklin Clinic grew 53% over five years, adding weekend hours and, starting in fiscal year 2026, Sunday infusion service. The center’s clinical trials office enrolled 523 patients in calendar year 2025, part of a broader research push that has nearly doubled clinical trials faculty and increased trial enrollment 50% since 2020, backed by $60.1 million in research funding and more than 200 active oncology studies. That research has translated into clinical advances, including breakthroughs in treating leptomeningeal metastasis in HER2-positive breast cancer and a leading role in the MajesTEC-3 trial that led to FDA approval of a new multiple myeloma therapy. The center has also performed more than 500 CAR-T treatments as a designated center of excellence for cellular therapy, and has expanded access to newer options such as tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte therapy and percutaneous hepatic perfusion. It was the first program in Alabama to earn both National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers and National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer designations.

UC San Diego Health. Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health is San Diego’s only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, one of 58 such centers in the nation, and is ranked No. 44 in the country for cancer care by U.S. News & World Report for 2026-27. Its oncologists set treatment standards nationwide for more than 200 types of cancer, and the center’s researchers rank ninth in the world for most highly cited cancer research. More than 390 clinical trials are currently enrolling patients at Moores, giving them access to new treatments before they become available to the public. The center holds accreditation from the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons, which sets quality-of-care measures for breast and colorectal cancer, along with accreditation from the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy and designation as an American College of Radiology comprehensive breast imaging center. The cancer center is also a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and holds the Commission on Cancer’s National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer designation. In June 2026, the cancer center received a five-year, $25 million cancer center support grant from the National Cancer Institute, which covers about 25% of the center’s operating costs and will fund clinical discoveries, expanded regional access to cancer care, and training for the next generation of cancer researchers.

UCI Health—Orange (Calif.). UCI Health’s Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Orange County, drawing scientists and clinicians from more than 32 departments across seven schools at UC Irvine. In 2024, UCI Health tripled its cancer treatment space with the opening of a new five-story, 225,000-square-foot Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and Ambulatory Care building, designed as a “one-stop shop” giving patients same-visit access to a multidisciplinary care team along with diagnostic and support services. The center received $60.5 million in research and grant support in 2025, including $17 million from the National Cancer Institute. It was named among Newsweek‘s “Best Cancer Hospitals” in 2024, and its division of hematology and oncology is the oldest cancer care program in California certified under the “Quality Oncology Practice Initiative,” a distinction it has held since 2016. The program’s philanthropic reach was also evident at the ninth annual “Anti-Cancer Challenge” in October 2025, which drew a record 4,200 participants and raised more than $1 million. Since 2017, research awardees funded through the event have leveraged $7.8 million in seed grants into more than $60 million in external funding, a return of $15 to $18 for every dollar raised by participants.

UCLA Health (Los Angeles). UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center attained National Cancer Institute designation as a comprehensive cancer center in 1976 and remains one of only 57 such centers nationally, a distinction reflecting its rigorous standards for transdisciplinary cancer research, education and community outreach. The center is consistently ranked among the top cancer centers in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. With more than 500 physicians and scientists, UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center is one of the largest comprehensive cancer centers in the country, and it offers more than 500 active clinical trials at any given time to patients in Los Angeles County, at partner institutions and at affiliate sites nationwide. Center laboratories developed targeted cancer therapies including trastuzumab, imatinib and enzalutamide, moving them from basic research into clinical trials for UCLA Health cancer patients. UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center is also one of 33 leading cancer centers participating in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, joining other centers in setting national standards for diagnosing and treating uncommon, complex and aggressive cancers. In August 2026, UCLA investigators were awarded a $2.3 million National Institutes of Health grant to train the next generation of urologic and gynecologic cancer researchers.

UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals (San Francisco). UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals’ pediatric oncology program ranks among the top 10 in the nation and best in Northern California for cancer care, as well as among the nation’s best in 11 specialties, according to U.S. News & World Report‘s 2025-26 rankings. The hospitals’ children’s cancer and blood disease program is an international leader in treating childhood cancer and blood diseases, with protocols designed specifically for children rather than adapted from adult care. High-risk tumors are analyzed using the “UCSF500 Cancer Gene Panel,” which identifies mutations in tumor DNA to help determine the best treatment course and, in some cases, clarify the exact type of cancer. Patients often gain access to large-scale clinical trials of experimental drugs and other promising therapies, and specialists are frequently among the first to offer new treatment techniques once they’re proven safe and effective. Dedicated patient navigators help families manage referrals, insurance concerns and appointment planning, while a comprehensive telehealth system extends the program’s reach to patients and referring physicians well beyond the San Francisco Bay Area. The program’s pediatric survivorship program addresses medical, psychological and social issues that arise after treatment, and helps ensure smooth transitions to adult care providers as patients leave childhood behind.

UCSF Health (San Francisco). UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center is a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, recognized for scientific excellence and multidisciplinary research. The center ranks in the top 10 nationally for cancer care for 2026-27 by U.S. News & World Report and has held accreditation from the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer since 1933. Patients are treated by specialists organized by cancer type, including breast, gynecologic, genitourinary, head and neck, and thoracic cancers, supported by less invasive surgical techniques and targeted therapies designed to preserve quality of life. The center draws on advanced genetic and molecular testing to guide precise, individualized treatment strategies, and its wide range of clinical trials gives patients access to emerging therapies, including options unavailable outside a study. As a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s top cancer centers, UCSF Health collaborates on research spanning immunotherapy, BRCA mutations and molecular diagnostics. Care extends beyond treatment to symptom management, counseling and other whole-person support services, available across four Bay Area locations.

UF Health (Gainesville, Fla.). UF Health Cancer Institute became the nation’s 72nd National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in June 2023, the only one based at a public university in Florida. The institute counts more than 350 researchers, clinicians and educators from the University of Florida and UF Health, with members holding academic appointments across all 16 UF colleges and more than a dozen based at the Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology. UF Health Shands Hospital ranks among the nation’s top 50 hospitals for cancer treatment in U.S. News & World Report‘s 2026-27 “Best Hospitals” report, while UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital is the highest-ranked hospital in Florida for pediatric cancer care, ranked No. 35 nationally in that specialty. The institute serves a 26-county area in North Central Florida, addressing a disease that is the second-leading cause of death for Floridians in a state with the nation’s second-highest cancer burden. Its comprehensive care model includes minimally invasive and robotic surgery, proton and intensity-modulated radiotherapy, a 1.5-Tesla MRI-guided linear accelerator, stem cell transplantation, and targeted therapy and immunotherapy paired with precision medicine. For fiscal year 2026-27, five UF Health Cancer Institute research teams received Florida Cancer Innovation Fund grants for projects spanning prostate cancer monitoring, hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell cancer treatments, natural-product-based cancer therapies, kava’s effect on tobacco-associated lung cancer risk, and a mobile health intervention to reduce fatigue in cancer survivors.

UNC Health (Chapel Hill, N.C.). UNC Health’s N.C. Basnight Cancer Hospital, home to the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, is North Carolina’s only public National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, with more than 500 Lineberger members and 50 inpatient beds dedicated to oncology and bone marrow transplant care. The program serves patients across all 100 counties in the state through a fully multidisciplinary model that pairs physicians, researchers and care teams on personalized treatment plans. A recent expansion of decentralized clinical trials allows patients to complete routine visits, monitoring and follow-up care at local UNC Health sites or partner clinics while reserving complex procedures and specialized treatment for the Basnight Cancer Hospital, thus reducing the travel burden that has historically kept rural and underserved patients from enrolling in research. The hybrid model also relies on telemedicine-enabled tumor boards to extend academic-level expertise beyond the flagship campus. UNC Lineberger has been named to Newsweek‘s “America’s Best Cancer Hospitals” list and Money magazine’s “Best Hospitals for Cancer Care” ranking, and its research portfolio includes dozens of active grants totaling millions of dollars in funding.

UPMC (Pittsburgh). UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, founded in 1985 as the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, has held National Cancer Institute designation since 1990 and operates more than 70 locations across Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York and western Maryland, plus international sites in Croatia, Ireland and Italy. The center treated more than 185,000 patients in 2024 and offers more than 400 clinical trials, and UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside in Pittsburgh is ranked No. 24 nationally for cancer care by U.S. News & World Report for 2026-27. Hillman was the first center in western Pennsylvania to offer FDA-approved CAR T-cell therapies for blood cancer, in 2018, and has since delivered 250 such treatments. Surgeons there have performed more than 1,000 robotic Whipple surgeries for pancreatic cancer, more than 1,450 laparoscopic liver surgeries, and more than 2,230 cytoreductive surgeries with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemoperfusion for complex abdominal cancers. More than 300 research members support six National Cancer Institute cancer center support grant research programs and 17 multidisciplinary specialty clinics, including specialized programs of research excellence grants in head and neck cancer and melanoma and skin cancer; the center ranks 14th nationally in National Cancer Institute funding. Hillman researchers have also notched several firsts, including discovering two of the seven known cancer-causing viruses, pioneering the use of naturally occurring killer cells for immunotherapy, and creating and testing the first synthetic vaccine, MUC-1, against cancer. In May 2026, UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh expanded a clinical trial testing a three-dose vaccine designed to prevent early-stage ductal carcinoma in situ from progressing to invasive breast cancer.

UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh’s division of pediatric hematology and oncology is the largest, most comprehensive childhood cancer and blood disease center in western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio and northern West Virginia. UPMC Children’s Hospital is nationally ranked in cancer by U.S. News & World Report. As a full member of the Children’s Oncology Group, the division offers patients access to nearly 100 active clinical trials featuring some of the newest treatments available. The division treats the full range of childhood cancers and blood diseases, with dedicated programs in adolescent and young adult oncology, Ewing sarcoma, leukemia, neuro-oncology, sickle cell disease and surgical oncology, among others. Its surgical oncology program specializes in the surgical treatment and management of tumors and other cancers in patients from infancy through young adulthood. The division has recently expanded its basic and clinical research, improved bone marrow transplant outcomes and developed new clinical trials for childhood cancers.

UR Medicine (Rochester, N.Y.). Wilmot Cancer Institute, part of University of Rochester Medicine, is an National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center that has served Western and Central New York since 1974, reaching a population of more than three million people across 27 counties. The institute treats about 38,000 patients a year across 13 outpatient locations, and its flagship James P. Wilmot Cancer Center, an inpatient hospital on the university’s health sciences campus that houses one of the state’s largest blood and marrow transplant programs. Wilmot offers roughly 200 clinical trials spanning symptom management to drug treatments, supported by about $30 million in cancer research funding, and its research faculty of more than 125 scientists spans 26 academic departments at the University of Rochester. According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Wilmot scientists contributed to two of the top five cancer discoveries of the past 50 years: the HPV cervical cancer vaccine and pioneering anti-nausea therapies that help patients tolerate chemotherapy. The institute is one of two U.S. hubs for the National Cancer Institute’s community oncology research program, and operates the region’s first cancer survivorship clinic and one of the nation’s first geriatric oncology clinics. Wilmot also holds a leading position in lymphoma research, often leading the nation in clinical trial accruals and serving on the SWOG lymphoma committee, and it was among the first institutions to offer CAR T-cell therapy backed by ongoing research. The institute recently recruited prominent national physician-scientists to expand its advanced bladder cancer grants and clinical trials.

UT Southwestern Medical Center (Dallas). Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at UT Southwestern Medical Center was named the No. 1 hospital in Dallas-Fort Worth for cancer care for the 10th consecutive year by U.S. News & World Report in August 2026, and ranks among the top 25 nationally. It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in North Texas and one of just six in the Southwest, and it earned an exemplary merit score and renewal rating from the National Cancer Institute in January 2026. Simmons is also one of only 32 U.S. cancer research centers designated an National Cancer Institute National Clinical Trials Network lead academic participating site, and in July 2026 was ranked No. 1 in the world for healthcare research by the Nature Index. As of July 2026, the center counted 312 members across 37 departments who produced 995 member publications in 2025. Simmons researchers drew $34.92 million in National Cancer Institute direct cost funding, $87.70 million in peer-reviewed direct cost funding and $129.67 million in overall direct cost extramural funding as of Aug. 1, 2026. The center recorded 1,237 interventional clinical trial accruals and 879 therapeutic trial accruals in 2025, with 535 active clinical trials underway. Fourteen multidisciplinary teams of clinicians and researchers deliver care at Simmons and at regional locations across Texas, as well as at affiliated Dallas-based Parkland Health and Children’s Medical Center Dallas.

UVA Health (Charlottesville, Va.). UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of UVA Health, was Virginia’s first National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and remains one of just 58 in the country, drawing on more than 250 faculty across 25 departments and six University of Virginia schools to serve 3.2 million residents across 87 Virginian and eastern West Virginian counties. Since 2014, patient care volume has grown more than 50% and clinical research participation has climbed almost 500%, supported by annual external research funding exceeding $100 million. The center was among the first 25 health systems nationwide to offer MRI-guided radiation therapy through the MR-Linac system, and it now provides outpatient CAR T-cell therapy and autologous transplants, keeping appropriate patients out of the hospital during treatment. UVA was the first provider in Virginia to offer tarlatamab for small cell lung cancer, starting treatment just 26 days after the FDA’s May 2024 approval; by June 19, 2026, 86 patients had received the therapy. Researchers at UVA Health won a $3.3 million National Cancer Institute grant to develop a treatment targeting the ERG transcription factor implicated in roughly half of prostate cancers, while a two-year, $250,000 Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute award is funding a new Virginia Federally Qualified Health Centers Cancer Screening Collaborative with seven federally qualified health centers. U.S. News & World Report ranked UVA’s cancer program in the top 10% nationally for 2025-26, and Newsweek named it Virginia’s No. 1 cancer hospital in both its “America’s Best Cancer Hospitals” and “World’s Best Specialized Hospitals” rankings for 2025.

UW Health (Madison, Wis.). UW Health’s Carbone Cancer Center, one of the first six National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the U.S. when it earned that status in 1973, remains the only NCI-designated center in Wisconsin. It now runs more than 250 active clinical trials while treating more than 30,000 patients a year across its roughly 430-member team. The center’s research legacy includes the 1930 development of Mohs surgery, a 1975 Nobel Prize for discovering the enzyme explaining how retroviruses cause cancer, and the 1993 publication of helical tomotherapy research that led to a widely used precision radiation technique. The cancer center received $129 million in research funding, and this year marks 10 years for its precision medicine molecular tumor board, which reviews cases based on patients’ specific genetic mutations to build individualized treatment plans. U.S. News & World Report has ranked University of Wisconsin Hospitals No. 1 in the state for 15 consecutive years, and Money magazine ranked the system 33rd nationally and 1st in Wisconsin on its 2025 “Best Hospitals for Cancer Care” list. The center’s expanded supportive care programs have driven an 84% jump in behavioral health visits over the past year, and its Health-Link-based tumor board platform now handles more than 250 cases a month across 11 tumor boards.

University of Arizona Cancer Center (Tucson). The only NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center headquartered in Arizona, the University of Arizona Cancer Center is part of Banner–University Medical Center Tucson. With 50 years of excellence, it is the No. 1 cancer center in Tucson, ranked by U.S. News & World Report for four consecutive years, and remains Tucson’s only accredited breast cancer center and one of just three in Arizona. With three outpatient sites, the center sees over 220,000 patient visits annually, including more than 60,000 medical oncology and 17,000 radiation oncology treatments, with over 3,800 surgeries performed at hospital locations each year. About 3,000 newly diagnosed patients are registered annually, drawing from the five southernmost counties of Arizona and from across the U.S. as a destination for cancer care. Its multidisciplinary care model unites specialists across teams and departments to deliver individualized, evidence-based treatment. The center’s research enterprise spans the full translational continuum across 16 disease categories, with 11 clinical research teams averaging approximately 786 accruals per year. The center’s lung cancer screening and incidental findings programs reflect a deep commitment to early detection and improved patient outcomes. Deeply committed to its community, the center’s catchment area covers 1.8 million people, representing 25.6% of Arizona’s population, with significant diversity including 39% Hispanic and 4.1% American Indian populations. From 2023 to 2025, the center engaged 68 community partners across 8 counties, hosted 205 outreach events, and reached over 12,000 people through education and engagement initiatives.

University of Chicago Medicine (Chicago). University of Chicago Medicine’s cancer program is the top-ranked in Illinois and No. 12 nationally among cancer hospitals, per U.S. News & World Report. It also holds National Cancer Institute designation, with particular strength in immunotherapy, TIL therapy, CAR-T, theranostics and oligometastases treatment. The program has expanded its cancer network to roughly 20 locations across Illinois and Northwest Indiana, bringing academic-level care closer to patients, and it drew $76 million in research funding and grants in 2025 to support an extensive clinical trial portfolio. The system broke ground on a new cancer pavilion, the first freestanding cancer facility in Illinois, slated to open in 2027. It is also launching the UChicago Medicine Cancer Network’s first national initiative, with AdventHealth Cancer Institute Shawnee Mission in Kansas serving as its first affiliate. The program has also earned its 29th consecutive “A” grade from the Leapfrog Group. Nearly 200 faculty, including more than 40 cancer physicians, were named to Chicago magazine’s 2024 “Top Doctors” list, with additional faculty recognized on its “40 Under 40 in Cancer” list. On the quality front, the program launched an oncology rapid assessment clinic with extended weekly hours to keep patients out of the emergency department, and has partnered with value-based care organizations to deliver bundled, cost-saving care.

University of Colorado Health (Aurora, Colo.). University of Colorado Cancer Center at UCHealth’s Anschutz Cancer Pavilion is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Colorado. It is also the state’s only National Comprehensive Cancer Network member, one of 33 such centers in the country. UCHealth delivers that academic expertise to patients across Colorado, the eastern plains and southern Wyoming. Additionally, its remote second opinion program gives patients access to University of Colorado Cancer Center specialists without traveling to Aurora. The center provides the widest access to clinical trials in Colorado, with more than 14,000 participants annually, and is the only cancer program in the state to offer trials supported by the National Cancer Institute. Its research partner, the Gates Institute, is a translational research institute on the Anschutz Medical Campus that has driven advances in cell-based therapies, particularly CAR T-cell immunotherapy, and is working to develop next-generation CAR T therapies for solid tumors and other hard-to-treat cancers. UCHealth’s oncology rehabilitation program, led by physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists with oncology-specific training, helps patients manage cancer-related side effects. In mid-2026, Newsweek named UCHealth hospitals among the nation’s best for specialized care.

University Hospitals (Cleveland). University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, part of the National Cancer Institute-designated Case Comprehensive Cancer Center and one of just 58 such centers nationally, is the only freestanding cancer hospital in Northeast Ohio and one of only 13 in the country that houses all cancer services under one roof across its main campus and 17 community-based centers. In 2024, UH Seidman became one of the first sites in North America to offer Varian Ethos 2.0, an AI-assisted adaptive radiotherapy platform that retargets tumors daily while sparing healthy tissue. The center’s Wesley Center for Immunotherapy is among the few academic medical centers nationally that manufacture CAR T-cell, natural killer cell and other cell-based therapies on-site, producing cells in as little as 24 hours compared with the industry standard of 12 to 30 days. UH Seidman’s stem cell transplant program, founded more than 50 years ago and among the first accredited by the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy, has performed more than 4,000 transplants. Researchers validated the PAM50 prostate test in the multinational NRG GU006 “BALANCE” randomized trial, the first predictive biomarker shown to identify which men with recurrent prostate cancer benefit from hormone therapy. In 2025, University Hospitals received $12.5 million to fund chronic lymphocytic leukemia and rare blood cancer research, and UH Seidman supported more than 400 active clinical trials that year, with nearly $38 million in research funding and more than 750 patients enrolled in or completing trials, marking an all-time high. UH Cleveland Medical Center, Seidman’s home campus, was also named No. 3 in the state for cancer care in 2026-2027 by U.S. News & World Report.

University of Iowa Health Care (Iowa City). University of Iowa Health Care’s Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, the state’s only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center since 2000, is ranked Iowa’s No. 1 cancer program by U.S. News & World Report for 2026-27. In fall 2025, Holden received its second five-year, $10.7 million specialized program of research excellence grant from the National Cancer Institute to study neuroendocrine tumors; its first such award, a $10.67 million grant that ran from 2015 to 2022, was the nation’s only grant supporting neuroendocrine tumor research at the time and helped lead to FDA approval of a novel theranostic drug in 2019. Total research funding and grants topped $34.7 million this past year, and Holden’s clinical research services now manages a portfolio of more than 400 therapeutic cancer clinical trials, expanded through a partnership with Mission Cancer + Blood, a community-based oncology and hematology practice in Central Iowa. In 2025, Holden became the only site in Iowa offering the minimally invasive NanoKnife procedure for inoperable pancreatic tumors, and in January 2026 it treated its first patient with T-cell receptor therapy for synovial sarcoma. Researchers there are also advancing early-stage science, including zebrafish-model research on uveal melanoma and radiation-sensitizing treatments for diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma. Holden holds accreditation from the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers and National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer, and its stem cell transplant and cellular therapies program is one of a select few nationally accredited by the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy. Amid financial pressures facing the field, Holden has also pursued cost-saving measures such as tighter labor-productivity management and full integration of Mission Cancer + Blood operations to maximize utilization across its clinics.

University of Maryland Medical System (Baltimore). The University of Maryland Medical System’s cancer care network spans six cancer centers across Maryland, anchored by the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center ranked as No.35 in the nation for cancer care by U.S. News & World Report in 2026-27. Roughly 120 specialists, all faculty of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, support the network’s $107.5 million in research funding and its 452 active clinical trials. The cancer center has made addressing cancer disparities a priority, with minority patients representing 54% of its clinical trial participants compared with 16% nationally. The center was among the first in the U.S. certified in CAR T-cell therapy and was the first nationally to deliver cancer-fighting drugs directly to the brain by breaching the blood-brain barrier, as well as the first to develop aromatase inhibitors and the GammaPod device for breast cancer treatment. Each of the system’s community cancer centers connects directly to the cancer center, giving patients across the state access to the same clinical trials and advanced treatments without leaving their region. Its accreditations include the Commission on Cancer’s academic comprehensive cancer program designation and the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers, and the system has received WebMD “Patient Choice” and “Medscape Provider Choice” awards for oncology.

University of Miami Health System. Part of the University of Miami Health System, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center is South Florida’s only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center. U.S. News & World Report ranks Sylvester the No. 1 cancer program in Florida and among the nation’s top 25, with recognized expertise in leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma care and multiple cancer surgeries. It brings together nearly 4,000 physicians, researchers and staff, and conducts over 500 active clinical trials. Its phase 1 clinical trials program, only one of its kind in South Florida, offers promising investigational therapies. Its renowned institutes include Sylvester’s Brain Tumor Institute, Pancreatic Cancer Research Institute, Myeloma Institute, and Survivorship and Supportive Care Institute. The nationally known “Firefighter Cancer Initiative” advances research into cancer risks, prevention and early detection among firefighters, and helps shape occupational health and safety policies. Sylvester expanded its research enterprise in 2025 by opening the 244,000-square-foot Kenneth C. Griffin Cancer Research Building, doubling its research footprint. Six floors of laboratories feature collaborative scientific neighborhoods organized around research themes to accelerate discovery and translation into patient care. Sylvester’s “Game Changer Vehicles” bring free cancer screenings, education and prevention services to South Florida communities, while its high-risk cancer prevention and wellness program offers specialized assessment, screening and management for individuals at elevated cancer risk. Lifestyle medicine, survivorship initiatives and in-house “Food Pharmacy” further support patients across the cancer continuum.

University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital (Ann Arbor). University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital provides Michigan’s top-rated childhood cancer care, including for rare and resistant forms, drawing patients from around the world for advanced therapies and treatments. C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital has been recognized as one of the nation’s best for pediatric cancer care by U.S. News & World Report for 2025-26. Its pediatric oncology program runs the largest pediatric cancer research program in Michigan, giving patients access to the newest experimental drugs and treatments and the largest range of phase 1 clinical trials in the state. Research scientists work directly alongside the physicians treating patients, and faster, lower-cost genetic sequencing gives the team real-time information to personalize treatment plans. Pediatric oncologists work with specialized nurses and providers who have the full support of every medical specialty and the full resources of University of Michigan Health. In August 2026, Mott launched its annual “Block Out Cancer” campaign to raise funds for advanced pediatric therapies, clinical trials and family support infrastructure.

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston). The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, a 751-bed institution staffed by more than 2,075 specialists, provided care for more than 197,000 patients and posted $7.8 billion in revenue in the past fiscal year. It runs what it calls the world’s largest cancer clinical trials program, with research tied to 30 of the 43 cancer drugs the FDA approved last year. MD Anderson launched a $2.5 billion philanthropic campaign, “Only Possible Here, The Campaign to End Cancer,” the largest fundraising effort in its history, which has already raised more than $2 billion toward its strategic priorities. The institution also opened a new colorectal center designed to deliver patient-centered subspecialty care. MD Anderson has ranked No. 1 for cancer care in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hospitals” survey for 12 consecutive years and has placed among the top two hospitals nationally since the survey began in 1990. The cancer center has maintained a 5-star Vizient quality and safety rating for five consecutive years and ranked No. 2 in patient centeredness in 2025, and recently earned its sixth consecutive Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, marking its first-ever Magnet with distinction. MD Anderson also received the Academy of Oncology Nurse and Patient Navigators’ 2025 “Organizational Award,” Press Ganey’s 2025 “Serious Safety Event Rate” and “Guardian of Excellence” awards, and recognition among Press Ganey’s 2026 “Human Experience” award winners.

University of Utah Health (Salt Lake City). Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah is the National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center serving Utah, Idaho, Montana, Nevada and Wyoming. As the steward of Utah Population Database, the world’s largest resource combining health records with demographic and genealogic information, more genes for inherited cancers are discovered in Utah than any other cancer center. The institute is internationally recognized for advances in precision oncology, specialized clinics for families with a history of cancer, and expanded access to care, prevention and research for communities far from a major medical center. It offers over 400 therapeutic clinical trials, including the region’s largest phase 1 cancer clinical trials program. Patients can access an array of sophisticated cancer treatment options, fully integrated with research. These include multidisciplinary cancer care, robotic surgery, cellular therapies, radiation treatments, theranostics and more. Through three community clinics, seven affiliate hospitals in neighboring states, mobile cancer screenings, “Huntsman at Home” in rural Utah, and partners throughout the region, the institute is elevating the standard of cancer care across the region and beyond. Major projects underway to enhance access include doubling the size of Senator Orrin G. Hatch Proton Therapy Center, an ambulatory cancer care center at University of Utah Eccles Health Campus and Hospital in West Valley City, and construction of a new cancer campus in Vineyard, Utah. Huntsman Cancer Institute is part of University of Utah Health, an academic health system dedicated to advancing discovery, improving care and educating the next generation of health professionals.

Vanderbilt Health (Nashville, Tenn.). Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center holds the National Cancer Institute’s comprehensive cancer center designation, the agency’s highest ranking, and is the only such designated center in Tennessee that treats both adults and children. The center is a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of 32 of the world’s leading cancer centers, and serves as a lead academic participating site within the NCI’s National Clinical Trials Network, the world’s largest oncology clinical trials network. Vanderbilt-Ingram started “My Cancer Genome,” an international resource that helps physicians match specific genetic tumor mutations to available treatments. Its patient and family-centered care programs, based within the Vanderbilt Clinic’s Henry-Joyce Clinic, include a patient and family resource center, a patient advocacy program, the “Young Adults With Cancer Initiative,” an e-advisory council, and research advocacy and volunteering opportunities. In March 2026, Vanderbilt Health established a partnership with Bertis to integrate molecular AI capabilities with deep proteomics and computational spatial analysis, initially focusing on HER2-low tumors. Vanderbilt Health has also announced plans to pilot an innovation clinic that uses AI tools and a virtual patient guide, “Vivien,” to streamline outpatient care and expand community service capacity.

Yale New Haven (Conn.) Health. As the largest provider of cancer care in Connecticut, Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale Cancer Center work to minimize mortality across all cancer types while reducing disruption to patients’ lives and eliminating barriers to care. The National Cancer Institute-designated center is marking 50 years of transdisciplinary cancer research, draws $99 million in direct cancer research funding, and counts 119 Yale cancer physicians named “Top Doctors.” Recent expansions include a new early onset cancer program for patients diagnosed between ages 18 and 49 and the opening of the Connecticut Proton Therapy Center. The organization launched a systemwide oncology hospitalist service and enterprisewide multidisciplinary tumor boards, alongside a hybrid decentralization program designed to expand patient access to phase 1 clinical trial therapies across its distributed network spanning two states. Yale School of Medicine also ranked among the best medical schools for research in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report rankings, and Yale cancer faculty were recently named to the National Academy of Sciences and recognized as fellows of the American Society for Radiation Oncology and the American Society of Clinical Oncology, as well as Giants of Cancer Care.

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