Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center
The Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center is affiliated with both the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the Montefiore Medical Center. Founded in 1971, it was named an NCI Cancer Center in 1972 and has been at the forefront of innovative cancer prevention and treatment ever since. The facility, which treats over 4,000 patients each year, recently achieved NCI comprehensive cancer center status in recognition of its cancer-focused science. It is consistently ranked among the top 5% of National Cancer Institute NCI-designated cancer centers in the United States by U.S. News & World Report.[2]
Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center is nationally recognized as a leader in the delivery of multidisciplinary, team-based cancer care offering patients innovative, individualized treatment plans. It was among the first cancer centers in the country to combine clinical care with academic research, pioneering what is now known as translational research.
Facts about the Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center
The Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center achieved NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center status in September of 2023. At the same time, it was awarded a five-year $20 million Cancer Center Support Grant to advance the translation of novel cancer research into new treatments, new diagnostic tools, and equitable access to care.[2]
Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center is the fourth oldest NCI-designated cancer center in the United States.
The center provides comprehensive care for more than 200 types of cancer.
The Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center is home to five members of the National Academy of Sciences.
More than 1,000 patients enroll in the cancer center’s active clinical trials each year.
Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center serves one of the nation’s most ethnically diverse areas.
History
Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center has its historic roots in a philanthropic home called the Montefiore Home for Chronic Invalids that opened in the Bronx in 1884. Eventually expanding into a full-service hospital in 1912, it continued its mission of serving those in need, and during the 1930s became one of the first facilities in the nation to hire women in medical positions and one of the first to accept African-American medical residents.[1]
In the 1940s the hospital was the first to establish a home health care department. Its medical group practice was established to service one of the nation’s first health management organizations. By the 1950s, physicians at Montefiore were achieving notable medical breakthroughs including the development of a heart-lung machine and cardiac pacemaker.
The facility eventually became the teaching hospital for Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
Since the cancer center was founded in 1971 and designated by the National Cancer Institute as an NCI-designated cancer center in 1972, it has been making groundbreaking progress in cancer treatments by integrating academic research and clinical care. It achieved NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center status in 2023.
Mesothelioma and Lung Cancer Care at the Einstein Montefiore Comprehensive Cancer Center
Montefiore Einstein’s lung and chest cancer program offers comprehensive, multidisciplinary treatment to patients diagnosed with lung and thoracic cancers of all types, including thymoma, lung cancer, and malignant mesothelioma. The medical team of surgeons and researchers collaborate closely to design personalized care plans for each patient, holding weekly tumor board meetings to consider options and provide updates on patients’ statuses.[3]
Treatments offered to patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma include the latest minimally invasive surgical techniques and therapeutic approaches such as immunotherapy and targeted therapy. The center boasts the latest in radiation therapy equipment, including proton therapy and stereotactic radiotherapy, while those diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma benefit from Einstein Montefiore Comprehensive Cancer Center being the first facility in the Northeast to provide three types of regional chemotherapy treatments that go beyond standard surgical resection but remain limited to a specific region of the body. The use of cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy has significantly improved overall survival and patient outcomes for those with the rare form of cancer.
Research
Mesothelioma patients seeking care at Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center benefit from the facility’s robust clinical trial program. One of the four district research program areas being pursued by the center’s scientists analyzes tumor and organ microenvironments, a field of study that has proven instrumental in understanding how the aggressive cancer progresses and responds to various treatments.[2]
Notable Staff and Mesothelioma Specialists
The lung and thoracic cancer treatment team at Montefiore Einstein is led by specialists with extensive experience in the treatment of these challenging conditions. Dr. Brendon M. Stiles is the Associate Director of Surgical Oncology and chief of the divisions of Thoracic Surgery & Surgical Oncology. Dr. Balazs Halmos specializes in lung cancer, mesothelioma, thymoma, and other cancers and is the Associate Director of Clinical Science and Director of Thoracic Oncology. Dr. Nitin Ohri is an Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology specializing in lung and gastrointestinal cancers.
Together, the specialists at Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center work to make sure that patients diagnosed with mesothelioma have the best possible outcomes and receive the most compassionate care that improves their quality of life.
