Background
Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia was one of the first comprehensive cancer centers designated by NCI in 1974. It was formed by the union of two older Philadelphia institutions: the American Oncologic Hospital (established in 1904) and the Institute for Cancer Research (founded in 1927). Presently, research is conducted in more than 80 laboratories by a staff of more than 325 physicians and scientists, and supported by 2,500 employees.

Fox Chase will break ground in March 2007 for its Cancer Research Pavilion (CRP); the first phase of a planned 25-year expansion. One novel aspect of the CRP is the Center for Women's Cancer, which brings together Fox Chase's clinical and laboratory research expertise in breast and gynecologic cancers. The CRP will also house additional research laboratories, increase outpatient care facilities, and expand the radiation therapy department, adding 1.5 million square feet of research and treatment space to Fox Chase's current 1 million-square-foot campus.

Patient Care
Fox Chase's 100-bed hospital is devoted entirely to cancer care. Annual hospital admissions exceed 4,000 and outpatient visits to physicians total more than 68,700 a year. About 170 clinical trials of new prevention, diagnostic, and treatment techniques are under way at any one time. Almost 800 patients each year participate in research studies.

The Research Institute for Cancer Prevention, the first comprehensive program of its kind in the nation, was dedicated in 2000 and offers prevention-related services for people with family histories of cancer or other specific risks of breast and ovarian cancer, gastrointestinal cancers, melanoma, and prostate cancer.

Research Activities
Fox Chase research encompasses three main areas: medical science, which provides patient care and conducts a broad-based program of clinical research; basic science, which focuses on understanding both normal and abnormal cell growth and development; and population science, which identifies people at high risk of cancer and develops strategies to reduce these risks through programs of prevention and early detection. Fox Chase is recognized as a world leader in ovarian cancer research and has a corresponding Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant from NCI. Fox Chase's work in breast cancer was recently recognized by the Department of Defense with the award of an $11 million grant establishing Fox Chase as a Breast Cancer Center of Excellence.

Other Notable Programs
In 1986, Fox Chase established its Cancer Center Partners program with community hospitals in the Philadelphia region. The partnership now includes 30 hospitals in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, increasing the quality of cancer care in the community and the number of patients enrolled in clinical trials. Fox Chase also is a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of 20 of the nation's leading academic cancer centers. In 2000, the hospital became the nation's first comprehensive cancer center and Pennsylvania's first hospital to receive magnet status for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, which renewed this honor in 2004.