The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (colloquially MD Anderson Cancer Center) is a comprehensive cancer center in Houston, Texas. It is the largest cancer center in the U.S. and one of the original three NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the country.[1][2][3][4] It is both a degree-granting academic institution and a cancer treatment and research center located within Texas Medical Center (TMC), Houston, the largest medical center and life sciences destination in the world.[5][6][7][8] MD Anderson Cancer Center has consistently ranked #1 among the best hospitals for cancer care and research in the U.S. and worldwide,[9][10][11][12][13] and it has held the #1 position 19 times in the last 22 years on U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals rankings for cancer care.[14][11] As of 2023, MD Anderson Cancer Center is home to the highest number of cancer clinical trials in the world and has received more NCI-funded projects than any other U.S. institute.[15][16] In 2024, Newsweek placed MD Anderson at #1 in their annual list of the World's Best Specialized Hospitalsinoncology.[17]
| MD Anderson Cancer Center | |
|---|---|
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Main Building
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 Show map of Texas  Show map of the United States | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Houston, Texas, United States of America |
| Coordinates | 29°42′28″N 95°23′51″W / 29.7078°N 95.3975°W / 29.7078; -95.3975 |
| Organisation | |
| Care system | Public |
| Type | Specialist |
| Affiliated university | University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston |
| Services | |
| Emergency department | Oncologic emergency center |
| Beds | 681 (as of 2018) |
| Speciality | Cancer |
| History | |
| Opened | 1941 |
| Links | |
| Website | www |
The cancer center is named after Monroe Dunaway Anderson, who feared that in the event of one of the partners' deaths, his company would lose a large amount of money to estate tax and be forced to dissolve. To avoid this, Anderson created the MD Anderson Foundation with an initial sum of $300,000. In 1939, after Anderson's death, the foundation received $19 million.
In 1941, the Texas Legislature had appropriated $500,000 to build a cancer hospital and research center. The Anderson Foundation agreed to match funds with the state if the hospital were located in Houston in the Texas Medical Center (another project of the Anderson Foundation) and named after Anderson.[18]
Using surplus World War II Army barracks, the hospital operated for 10 years from a converted residence and 46 beds leased in a Houston hospital before moving to its current location in 1954.[18]
The institution became the subject of controversy in 2005 when it leased the use of its name to private investors who intended to promote a particular therapeutic approach, proton therapy. An article in the Houston Chronicle suggested that the arrangement between the center and the investors might skew incentives, providing MD Anderson with non-medical reasons to "send as many patients as possible into the program."[19]
Being part of The University of Texas System, MD Anderson Cancer Center is managed under a nonprofit structure; however, for-profit agreements[20][21] have caused some to question the motives of the center.[22][23][24][25]
MD Anderson enjoys independent university status within University of Texas System by providing postdoctoral fellowships, medical internship, and residency. These programs are designed for Ph.D., M.D., or M.D./Ph.D holders and medical professionals in basic & translational sciences and clinical practice, aiming to train the next generation of scientists and medical professionals in cancer care and research. MD Anderson offers a vast number of medical residency and fellowship programs across a comprehensive range of specialties in cancer treatment, diagnostics, and complex surgery.[26] The institution offers master's degrees,[27] Ph.D.s[28] and dual M.D./Ph.D. degrees[29] to students enrolled in The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences,[30] which it operates with UT Health Science Center at Houston. Areas of study include biochemistry and cell biology, cancer biology, genetics and epigenetics, immunology, medical physics, microbiology and infectious diseases, neuroscience, quantitative sciences, and therapeutics and pharmacology. Additionally, the institution offers bachelor's and master's degrees to students enrolled in The UT MD Anderson Cancer Center School of Health Professions. Areas of study include clinical laboratory science, cytogenetic technology, cytotechnology, diagnostic imaging, diagnostic medical sonography, healthcare disparities, diversity and advocacy, histotechnology, medical dosimetry, molecular genetic technology, diagnostic genetics, radiological sciences and radiation therapy.
In addition to its No. 1 ranking in cancer care by U.S. News & World Report, the cancer center ranks first in the number of National Cancer Institute grants and invested $1.2 billion in research in FY 2023.[31] The cancer center also has received Magnet Nursing recognition[32] from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has consistently ranked as the world's #1 hospital in oncology care and research.[33][34][35]
In May 1996, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) established the Collaborating Center for Supportive Cancer Care at the Pain Research Group, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.[36] The terms of reference engage the MD Anderson Center in the development of palliative care programs throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.[37]
MD Anderson has had five full-time presidents in its history:
MD Anderson Cancer Center is located at the Texas Medical Center, a "Medical Mini-City"inHouston, Texas.[39] The Texas Medical Center is the largest medical center and life sciences hub in the world with one of the highest densities of clinical facilities for patient care, basic science, and translational research.[40]
The MD Anderson campus is divided into the North Campus, Mid Campus and South Campus.[41] The North Campus includes: The Main Building, which comprises Alkek Hospital,[42] Bates-Freeman Building, Clark Clinic, Gimbel Building, Jones Research Building, LeMaistre Clinic, Love Clinic and Lutheran Hospital Pavilion. Other facilities on this campus are the Dan L. Duncan Building, Clinical Research Building, Faculty Center, Mays Clinic, Mitchell Basic Sciences Research Building, Pickens Academic Tower, Radiology Outpatient Center and Rotary House International. The T. Boone Pickens Academic Tower, a 21-story, 730,000-square-foot (68,000 m2) building, which opened in 2008, is named after T. Boone Pickens, who donated to the cancer center. It houses classrooms, conference facilities, and executive and faculty offices.[43]
The South Campus is home to the McCombs Institute for the Early Detection and Treatment of Cancer,[44] which includes seven translational research centers focused on genomics, proteomics, screening, diagnostic imaging and drug development. The Mid Campus building, a 25-story building to support current office space and future growth needs, opened in 2011.
The MD Anderson Cancer Center's Houston campus houses multiple specialized institutes that enhance its comprehensive approach to cancer care.[45] These include the James P. Allison Institute, dedicated to advancing immunotherapy;[46] the Duncan Family Institute for Cancer Prevention and Risk Assessment, focusing on cancer prevention and risk analysis;[47] the Institute for Applied Cancer Science, which drives the translation of scientific discoveries into new therapies;[48] the Institute for Cancer Care Innovation, aimed at improving cancer care delivery and outcomes;[49] the Institute for Data Science in Oncology, leveraging big data for cancer research;[50] and the Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Institute for Personalized Cancer Therapy, which tailors treatments to individual patients based on genetic and molecular profiling.[51]
In 2023, MD Anderson Cancer Center broke ground on a new 600,000-square-foot facility in the Helix Park of the Texas Medical Center (TMC) to serve as the centerpiece of the institution’s large south campus research park. This building will house several of MD Anderson's strategic research programs, including the newly established James P. Allison Institute.[52] The TMC3 Collaborative Building in the Helix Park will also host commercial life sciences companies, industry leaders, and TMC Venture Fund.[53]
MD Anderson Cancer Center is one of the four founding institutions of the Helix Park campus of Texas Medical Center (TMC).[54] At the TMC Helix Park campus, healthcare professionals, academics, and business leaders collaborate to develop new medicines, medical devices, diagnostics, digital health platforms, and treatment solutions. This accelerates the discovery and delivery of life-changing advancements. The TMC3 Helix Park hotel provides accommodations for life science researchers, industry executives, and venture capitalists, contributing to Houston's ambition to become a global leader in life sciences and human health.[55]
MD Anderson Children's Cancer Hospital is the pediatric unit of the MD Anderson Cancer Center system. The hospital treats infants, children, teens, and young adults even up to age 29 through their AYA cancer program.[56] MD Anderson Children's Cancer Hospital is located on the 9th floor of the main building at the Texas Medical Center, Houston campus.
In 2011, the President of the United Arab Emirates donated $150 million to MD Anderson Cancer Center.[57] The donation was to start The MD Anderson Cancer Center Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Institute for Personalized Cancer Therapy. This gift was in honor of the UAE president's father, Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who led the UAE for over thirty years until his death in 2004. The institute focuses on research and clinical trials where doctors use a patient’s tumor biopsy to find abnormal genes. They then choose treatments that target those specific genes to fight cancer. The MD Anderson Zayed Building for Personalized Cancer Care is located on the MD Anderson Cancer Center campus in Houston, Texas.[58][59] The Zayed Building received 2016 R&D Magazine Lab of the Year Award.[60]
The James P. Allison Institute was established after its namesake, Nobel laureate James P. Allison, Professor and Chair of Immunology at MD Anderson Cancer Center.[61] Allison was awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly with Tasuku Honjo "for their discovery of cancer therapy by inhibition of negative immune regulation".[62] The institute was established to unlock the full potential of cancer immunotherapy.[63] It is located within the south campus of MD Anderson Cancer Center in the Helix Park area of the Texas Medical CenterinHouston, Texas.[64]
MD Anderson operates several other locations within the Greater Houston, Texas area. They include:
On August 14, 2023, the University of Texas System announced its plan to build a new MD Anderson Cancer Center in Austin, Texas, on the current site of the Frank Erwin Center adjacent to the University of Texas at Austin campus. The new center will collaborate with a new UT Austin teaching hospital that will also be built nearby. The demolition of the Erwin Center is scheduled to be completed in 2024, and the groundbreakings for the new hospitals are projected to commence in 2026.[72]
Several hospitals and institutions outside of Texas are part of the MD Anderson Cancer Network. These independently operated facilities follow MD Anderson treatment plans and standards of care. The network includes:
In 2000, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Madrid, Spain started operating as the first global branch of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston. MD Anderson Madrid is currently a Center of Excellence for the treatment of cancer in Spain and Europe and one of the most productive institutions in Spain for cancer research.[80][81] The MD Anderson Cancer Center Spain Foundation Excellence Training Program develops talented non-healthcare researchers in Spain through collaborations with top institutions, aiming to enhance their academic and research careers. It targets postdoctoral researchers in biomedical sciences, offering opportunities for research and teaching.[82]
The MD Anderson Radiation Treatment Center in Istanbul at American Hospital is located in the Vehbi Koc Foundation (VKF) American Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey.[83]
MD Anderson has formed sister institution relationships with more than 25 organizations in Asia, Europe, Central America and South America through its Global Academic Programs department. Collaborations focus on research, prevention, education and patient care.[84]
The MD Anderson Cancer Center's Africa Initiative, part of its Global Oncology Program launched in September 2022, aims to reduce the cancer burden in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) through comprehensive education, training, and collaborative research. One of the flagship projects under this initiative is Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes), which employs case-based learning and videoconferencing to enhance the skills of healthcare providers in LMICs, particularly in cancer prevention, control, and treatment. Additionally, the Palliative Care in Africa (PACA) initiative connects regional experts and providers across several African nations like Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia to improve palliative care for advanced cancer patients through regular teleconferences and training sessions. This initiative underscores MD Anderson's commitment to global health by fostering international collaborations and supporting capacity building in regions with limited resources.[90][91]
MD Anderson Services Corporation[92] (formerly MD Anderson Cancer Center Outreach Corporation[93]) was established in 1989 as a not-for-profit corporation to enhance revenues of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center by establishing joint ventures in selected markets, providing additional referrals to the institution, contracting for delivery of inpatient and out-patient management, using existing UT MD Anderson Cancer Center reference laboratory services, and fostering additional philanthropy in distant areas.[citation needed]
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