University of Kansas Cancer Center
The University of Kansas Cancer Center is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in the state. The center prioritizes patient care and individual well-being as well as innovative research geared towards achieving groundbreaking advances in the treatment of challenging cancers, including malignant mesothelioma.[1]
KU Cancer Center draws patients from across the nation and the globe. The center has made it its mission to eliminate the devastation of cancer.
Facts About the University of Kansas Cancer Center
- The University of Kansas Medical Center’s School of Medicine is the only medical school in Kansas.
- The KU Medical Center is one of 60 institutions in the National Clinical and Translational Science Award consortium, where researchers work to speed up basic science discoveries into cures and treatments.
- In fiscal year 2022, the KU Medical Center received over $80 million in National Institutes of Health funding.
- In 2023, the KU Cancer Center received a $100 million gift from the Sunderland Foundation to support new cancer research and care. The funds will be used to build a new, state-of-the-art destination cancer center.
- The KU Cancer Center employs 350 cancer researchers and clinicians and 150 disease-specific oncologists. It has 13 locations throughout the Kansas City metro area.
History
The University of Kansas was originally founded in 1864, and in 1880, it introduced a one-year premedical course. In 1899, an additional pre-med year was added. In 1894, local physician and entrepreneur Dr. Simeon Bishop Bell offered a gift of 500 acres and $100,000 for the school to develop a hospital and medical school in memory of his late wife. Three proprietary medical schools combined to form the new school in 1905.[3]
In 1926, the hospital became a pioneer in medical technology with the creation of a centralized clinical laboratory. In 1927, the hospital introduced the concept of continuing education for physicians.
In 1948, the Department of Oncology and Pathology established a premier cancer research program at KU Medical Center. In 1942, the chair of the Department of Radiology participated in an evaluation board that tested multi-curie radiation sources for use in cancer treatment.
In 1969, the hospital became the home of the Cancer Data Service, a registry for cancer patients in the state of Kansas. In 1976, the chief of the section of surgical oncology developed a new type of immunotherapy that doubled the survival rate of patients with melanoma.
In 1979, the hospital installed a Sagittaire 40 MEV linear accelerator, making its cancer center one of the top ten treatment centers in the United States. In 2012, the University of Kansas Cancer Center was designated a cancer center by the National Cancer Institute after a ten-year effort, and in 2022 it received Comprehensive Cancer Center status.[1]
Mesothelioma and Lung Cancer Care at the University of Kansas Cancer Center
Patients diagnosed with lung cancer, pleural mesothelioma, and peritoneal mesothelioma can all find state-of-the-art treatment and highly skilled clinicians at the University of Kansas Cancer Center. Multimodal treatment plans are common.
The facility is one of the few in the country where patients diagnosed with abdominal cancers can benefit from the complex cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) procedure.
As for patients with thoracic cancers, the physicians of the Lung Cancer Program at the University of Kansas Cancer Center work to quickly diagnose and stage patients’ tumors, evaluate all of the medical, surgical, and radiation therapy treatment options, and create an individual treatment protocol specific to the patient’s needs.
Treatment options frequently include participation in clinical trials, though the facility also offers more established treatment options, including immunotherapy, video-assisted thoracic surgery, and Proton therapy.[2]
Patients also benefit from comprehensive care and support. This includes palliative care to complement treatments that directly target tumors.
Research
The University of Kansas’ Cancer Center is currently pursuing several clinical trial projects, with an emphasis on moving what they learn in the lab to their patients’ bedsides.
The UK Cancer Center’s research is divided into three distinct focuses:
- Cancer biology
- Prevention and control
- Discovery and delivery of new drugs and therapeutics.
The drug discovery program works both to discover novel treatments against specific cancer targets and to find new uses for existing drugs.
Notable Staff and Mesothelioma Specialists
The University of Kansas Cancer Center boasts several dedicated medical professionals who have the skills and knowledge needed to help patients battle lung cancer, pleural mesothelioma, and peritoneal mesothelioma.
Among the talented staff are the Director of the Lung Program, medical oncologist Dr. Chao Huang, and surgical oncologist Dr. Mazin F. Al-Kasspooles, who performs cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy for patients diagnosed with malignant peritoneal mesothelioma.[2]
The University of Kansas Cancer Center’s lung and thoracic cancer program and abdominal cancer program offer hope and state-of-the-art treatment for patients diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma, and asbestos-related lung cancer
