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Roswell Park awarded $22.5 million to support research and education

Posted at 12:15 PM, Jun 10, 2019
and last updated 2019-06-10 12:15:13-04

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center has received a $22.5 million grant as part of its five-year renewal by the National Cancer Institute as a Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Roswell, which has held the designation continuously for more than four decades, is one of only 50 cancer hospitals in the nation to hold this status, and is the only center in the state outside New York City.

The grant is the largest such award in Roswell's history, and accompanied the highest application score the cancer center has received by the NCI review committee. The designation cements Roswell's reputation as a world-class center for cancer research, clinical care and education.

"You have to excel in so many areas to earn this - patient care, bench research, clinical research, education for the next generation of cancer scientists and how you're reaching out to your community," said Roswell Park President and CEO Candace Johnson, PhD. "We have incredible teams working in all those areas, all fired by the passion to defeat cancer. There is no double that our community receives superior cancer care because of the rigor that the NCI imposes on places like Roswell Park."

Research shows patients treated at NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers live longer compared to patients treated elsewhere. Three major studies found long-term survival rates for certain types of cancer improved by as much as 20 percent for patients treated from the start of their diagnosis at a comprehensive cancer center, according to the NCI.

Roswell Park is home to more than 3,500 workers, making it one of the largest employers on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.