Penn, Jefferson, Fox Chase cancer centers join national alliance to advance research
The new Cancer Centers Alliance was created by Philadelphia-based American Association for Cancer Research to help cancer centers across the country collaborate more.
Three Philadelphia cancer centers are among the first to join a national alliance that aims to help researchers to share ideas, resources, and technology — all with the goal of speeding up discoveries that can lead to better treatment.
The new Cancer Centers Alliance was formed by the Philadelphia-based American Association for Cancer Research, a professional organization for cancer research groups, to break down silos between individual institutions.
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The Abramson Cancer Center at Penn Medicine, Fox Chase Cancer Center, and Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Health all joined the alliance. AACR invited more than 90 cancer centers in the United States to join.
“The ultimate goal of doing this is to improve the care of patients,” said Robert H. Vonderheide, director of the Abramson Cancer Center and a member of the AACR alliance steering committee. “This type of collaborative will catalyze that and make it happen much faster.”
For instance, Penn’s clinical trials could become more diverse and include more patients if the Philadelphia cancer center was able to connect with a smaller, community cancer center in another part of the country, he said.
Just 5% of people diagnosed with cancer enroll in a clinical trial. For many, having to drive to a faraway research hospital is a major barrier, he said.
“We need to reach patients in the community who might not come to one of our hospitals,” Vonderheide said. “What if there was a connection to make that happen?”
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Philadelphia’s role in cancer research
Abramson Cancer Center and Fox Chase Cancer Center are among 56 U.S. comprehensive cancer centers, the highest rating given by the National Cancer Institute.
Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center is an NCI-designated cancer center, one step down from a comprehensive cancer center.
NCI-designated cancer centers are responsible for a majority of advanced cancer research in the U.S. and in recent years have contributed to significant advancements in understanding the biology of cancer, which opens doors to new ways of thinking about treatment.
But too often, “these institutions operate independently of one another, limiting their impact,” AACR wrote in a news release announcing the AACR Cancer Centers Alliance.
What’s more, Vonderheide said, NCI-designated centers may be disconnected from smaller community cancer centers that are not recognized by the National Cancer Institute.
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The alliance will bring together both NCI-designated cancer centers and community-based centers to share ideas on improving basic research, expanding technology in clinical trials, creating new educational opportunities, and increasing diversity in the cancer research workforce.
At Penn, cancer researchers are eager “to both share what we’ve accomplished, but also learn from others,” Vonderheide said.