USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center at Keck Medicine of USC – Los Angeles
Located in Los Angeles, California, the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center is a major regional and national resource for treatment of cancers like malignant mesothelioma and lung cancer, as well as for research, education, and community engagement. One of the first of the nation’s 51 NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers, the physicians and researchers at USC Norris work collaboratively to help patients in their cancer journeys.[1]
Facts about USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center
The USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center is part of the Keck School of Medicine. In addition to scientists and physicians, the center invites engagement from multiple disciplines associated with the University of Southern California to help improve the quality of life for patients with cancer.
USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center offers care at its 60-bed hospital and has been doing so for more than 40 years. It focuses on 13 key areas of cancer treatment, including lung cancer and thoracic cancers and was one of the first eight Comprehensive Cancer Centers to be designated as such by the National Cancer Institute.[1]
The facility is organized into five transdisciplinary research programs: Tumor Immunology & Microenvironment; Epigenetic Regulation in Cancer; Translational and Clinical Sciences; Cancer Epidemiology; and Cancer Control Research. These programs interface with clinical programs, including the Thoracic Surgery program, to improve patient care and outcomes.
Part of USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center’s central mission is reducing the cancer burden in the catchment area of Los Angeles County through research, education and outreach. The staff of the Office of Community Outreach and Engagement specifically work to enhance enrollment of diverse, underrepresented community members in clinical trials and other cancer research.
USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center was named one of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals for Cancer for 2023-2024.[1]
History
USC Comprehensive Cancer Center is part of the Keci School of Medicine of the University of Southern California which was first established in 1885 as the USC College of Medicine. Keck was the first medical school in the region, and the second professional school offered at USC. The first graduating class was made up of nine students, including one woman. In 1909 the school affiliated with the University of California, and in 1932 it established an affiliation with the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles.[2]
In 1949, USC was given a $485,000 grant by the National Heart Institute to build a facility dedicated to cardiovascular and cancer research, and this gift was followed by another $200,000 by the National Cancer Institute. In 1973, USC’s cancer center became one of the first facilities designated by the National Cancer Institute as a comprehensive cancer center, and in 1978 plans were announced for a large, state-of-the-art cancer center. Construction of the Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center began in 1979 with an initial budget of $24 million. The center was named after a private donor, Kenneth T. Norris, Jr. The building opened in 1983, and in 1990 received a $3 million grant to open an ambulatory cancer care center.[2]
Research
USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center is a national and international leader in mesothelioma research. It is home to the Mesothelioma Laboratory under the supervision of Dr. Parkash Singh Gill, which received FDA approval to run Phase I Clinical Trials on a mesothelioma drug called Veglin in 2004. Dr. Gill continues to seek and obtain National Cancer Institute approval for clinical trials in conjunction with active immunotherapy experimental treatments, as well as FDA approval for Phase 2 clinical trials.[3]
Other research being conducted at Keck Medicine of USC and the Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center include studies to identify safety and tolerability of various chemotherapy treatments and immunotherapy treatments.
Notable Staff and Mesothelioma Specialists
In addition to the research being conducted by Dr. Gill, USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center works collaboratively with Dr. Anthony W. Kim and Dr. Scott Atay of the Thoracic Surgery Program to design thoracic courses, treatments, and research projects that focus on minimally invasive thoracic surgery.
The UCS Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center is a national and international leader in the research and treatment of many cancers including lung cancer and malignant pleural mesothelioma.
