A bill to raise the tax on cigarettes by 50 cents per pack was sent to the Senate floor this morning (Thursday, May 7, 2009) but without any plan to spend the revenue.
The 16-5 vote by the Senate Finance Committee comes two days after the panel deadlocked on the issue over disagreement on how to spend the money.
The panel this morning specified only that $5 million be spent for lung cancer research at the Hollings Cancer Center in Charleston. The remainder of the projected $144 million to be collected beginning July 1 would go into a trust fund.
Lawmakers would decide later how the funds would be spent.
Read more.
Showing posts with label Hollings Cancer Center. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hollings Cancer Center. Show all posts
Friday, May 8, 2009
Thursday, May 7, 2009
The State reports: Committee OK's 50-cent hike to SC cigarette tax
South Carolina's cigarette tax would increase by 50-cents per pack under a plan advancing through the Legislature.
The Senate Finance Committee on Thursday voted 16-5 to raise the nation's lowest per pack tax from 7 cents to 57 cents.
The nod came after lawmakers scrapped plans to use the $145 million that would be raised by the tax to set up a new health insurance program for the state's low-income residents.
Instead, much of the money would go to a trust fund for future health care needs. Some $5 million would go to a cancer research center at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.
South Carolina's cigarette tax hasn't been increased since 1977.
The Senate Finance Committee on Thursday voted 16-5 to raise the nation's lowest per pack tax from 7 cents to 57 cents.
The nod came after lawmakers scrapped plans to use the $145 million that would be raised by the tax to set up a new health insurance program for the state's low-income residents.
Instead, much of the money would go to a trust fund for future health care needs. Some $5 million would go to a cancer research center at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.
South Carolina's cigarette tax hasn't been increased since 1977.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
The State reports: Backlog may snuff cigarette tax hike
Advocates of raising the state’s lowest-in-the-nation cigarette tax are worried a legislative backlog could prevent the bill from becoming law until the Legislature returns next year.
The Senate Finance Committee today is expected to vote on the plan, which would raise the tax by 50 cents a pack. The $139 million the tax is expected to raise would help employers purchase health insurance for low-income employees, or for those employees to purchase insurance directly.
The bill has widespread support, but lawmakers said the delays over payday lending, stimulus money and other legislation mean the cigarette tax might run out of time this session.
“It’s a very real possibility,” said Sen. Harvey Peeler, R-Cherokee. “It’s not an impossible jump, but there’s a lot of things ahead of it.”
Peeler said he has heard little opposition to the bill so far. Sen. Thomas Alexander, R-Oconee and chairman of the subcommittee studying the bill, expected minor changes to the House plan.
Lawmakers said one change would use tax revenue to fund the Hollings Cancer Center and another amendment might change the way smokeless tobacco products are taxed.
Contact your Senator now!
The Senate Finance Committee today is expected to vote on the plan, which would raise the tax by 50 cents a pack. The $139 million the tax is expected to raise would help employers purchase health insurance for low-income employees, or for those employees to purchase insurance directly.
The bill has widespread support, but lawmakers said the delays over payday lending, stimulus money and other legislation mean the cigarette tax might run out of time this session.
“It’s a very real possibility,” said Sen. Harvey Peeler, R-Cherokee. “It’s not an impossible jump, but there’s a lot of things ahead of it.”
Peeler said he has heard little opposition to the bill so far. Sen. Thomas Alexander, R-Oconee and chairman of the subcommittee studying the bill, expected minor changes to the House plan.
Lawmakers said one change would use tax revenue to fund the Hollings Cancer Center and another amendment might change the way smokeless tobacco products are taxed.
Contact your Senator now!
Monday, April 20, 2009
South Carolina Cancer Alliance meeting - Friday, April 24th in Columbia
Register TODAY for the next meeting of the SC Cancer Alliance to be held Friday, April 24, 2009 at the Columbia Conference Center located at 169 Laurelhurst Avenue, Columbia, SC. The meeting will begin at 9:30 AM with task force meetings.
We have a great agenda lined up for you for this meeting, including:
“NCI Designation & What it Means for South Carolina” Carolyn E. Reed, MD MUSC Hollings Cancer Center
“Clinical Trials Matching Service” Simbonika Spencer, MPH of the American Cancer Society
“SCCA Legislative Update” Ted Riley, Esq., SCCA Lobbyist, Riley, Pope & Laney, LLC
You won’t want to miss this great meeting. Register online at www.sccanceralliance.org. Please submit any questions to Laura Stuckey at laura.stuckey@sccanceralliance.org
The mission South Carolina Cancer Alliance is to reduce the impact of cancer on ALL people in South Carolina. The SCCA is a 501(c)3 organization. To donate, go to www.sccanceralliance.org.
We have a great agenda lined up for you for this meeting, including:
“NCI Designation & What it Means for South Carolina” Carolyn E. Reed, MD MUSC Hollings Cancer Center
“Clinical Trials Matching Service” Simbonika Spencer, MPH of the American Cancer Society
“SCCA Legislative Update” Ted Riley, Esq., SCCA Lobbyist, Riley, Pope & Laney, LLC
You won’t want to miss this great meeting. Register online at www.sccanceralliance.org. Please submit any questions to Laura Stuckey at laura.stuckey@sccanceralliance.org
The mission South Carolina Cancer Alliance is to reduce the impact of cancer on ALL people in South Carolina. The SCCA is a 501(c)3 organization. To donate, go to www.sccanceralliance.org.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
The State reports: Online Extra: A great step forward in cancer research
By JENNY SANFORD, South Carolina's First Lady
My mother has taught me some important things in her 3½ decades fighting cancer. Cancer is multi-causal, with more than one factor setting it on its course. Likewise, the key to survival often includes a number of things working together — strong faith, positive attitude, early detection and of course the best possible care and treatment. These things work together and collaborate to save lives.
The news that the Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina has received designation from the National Cancer Institute should be cheered across the state. This designation means that Hollings Cancer Center is conducting research capable of contributing to the war on cancer in South Carolina and beyond.
My mother has taught me some important things in her 3½ decades fighting cancer. Cancer is multi-causal, with more than one factor setting it on its course. Likewise, the key to survival often includes a number of things working together — strong faith, positive attitude, early detection and of course the best possible care and treatment. These things work together and collaborate to save lives.
The news that the Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina has received designation from the National Cancer Institute should be cheered across the state. This designation means that Hollings Cancer Center is conducting research capable of contributing to the war on cancer in South Carolina and beyond.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA HOLLINGS CANCER CENTER RECEIVES NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE DESIGNATION
Hollings Cancer Center One of Only 64 U.S. Cancer Centers with Special Status
Charleston, S.C. (March 2, 2009) – The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Hollings Cancer Center has attained National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation, a distinction held by only 63 other cancer centers in the U.S. The Hollings Cancer Center (HCC) is the only institution in South Carolina with this prestigious status.
Andrew S. Kraft, MD, Director of the Hollings Cancer Center (HCC), said being named one of the top cancer research centers in the country signals that MUSC/HCC researchers and physicians are leaders in discovering, developing, and delivering cutting-edge treatments based on laboratory research to patients in South Carolina and beyond. The immediate benefit to patients is increased access to early clinical trials offering promising new treatments.
“We are honored and proud to have earned this recognition. It is a distinction earned over many years through collaboration and innovation by dedicated researchers, clinicians, and staff throughout Hollings Cancer Center and MUSC,” Dr. Kraft said. “By sharing what we know with other cancer centers and practices throughout our state, we can step up our war on cancer in South Carolina and beyond. Our citizens don’t have to leave the state to find the most advanced research and protocols from an NCI center – we have one right here in our back yard.”
NCI designation is accompanied by more than $7 million in funding to sustain and grow research efforts at MUSC. The NCI awarded designation to HCC based on its outstanding facilities, commitment to research, leadership, and vision.
Former U.S. Senator Ernest “Fritz” Hollings, for whom the cancer center was named in 1993, hailed the federal designation as nothing less than South Carolinians deserve.
“This is a true milestone for the Medical University of South Carolina. One can see that the cancer building is a winner, but now all in the state can know that the doctors and staff of MUSC Cancer Center are winners. Dr. Greenberg, Dr. Kraft, and the staff are to be congratulated.”
NCI-designated cancer centers are characterized by scientific excellence and the capability to integrate diverse research approaches that focus on cancer. They play a vital role in advancing the goal of reducing morbidity and mortality from cancer through increased clinical trials that offer patients new drugs and treatment protocols that would be unavailable to them otherwise.
U.S. Senator Lindsey L. Graham called the designation a “game-changer” for the thousands of South Carolinians with cancer.
“Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the nation and practically every family in our state has been impacted by this horrible disease. The Hollings Cancer Center will now take its place among an elite group of institutions in the major leagues of cancer research,” Graham said.
“The NCI designation only comes to the best and brightest. It is a compliment to the men and women who put in countless hours at this facility and recognition that the Hollings Cancer Center is among the best of the best in cancer research.”
Designation also holds the potential to spur South Carolina’s economy by attracting public and private funding for new endeavors.
U.S. Rep. Henry Brown said NCI status offer hope for a bright future in the state’s cancer research endeavors.
“The NCI designation for the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center is recognition of excellence in cancer research. The discoveries made here will leave the laboratories and reach the patients, both in our state and throughout the world.”
Raymond S. Greenberg, MD, PhD, MUSC President, praised the efforts of many that made designation possible.
“Under the leadership of former MUSC President Jim Edwards, and with the support of Senator Hollings, MUSC set the goal of obtaining NCI designation more than a decade ago,” Dr. Greenberg said. “Now that this dream has come true, we gratefully acknowledge all who have made it possible, especially Dr. Kraft and his outstanding team. We also thank those like Jim Edwards and Fritz Hollings, whose vision and determination set this entire process in motion.”
According to the NCI, designated cancer centers are a major source of discovery of the nature of cancer and of the development of more effective approaches to cancer prevention, diagnosis, and therapy. They also deliver medical advances to patients and their families, educate healthcare professionals and the public, and reach out to underserved populations. They are characterized by strong organizational capabilities, institutional commitment, and trans-disciplinary, cancer-focused science; experienced scientific and administrative leadership, and state-of-the-art cancer research and patient care facilities. ###
About Hollings Cancer Center
Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina is the largest academic-based cancer program in South Carolina. The Hollings Cancer Center is currently a developing National Cancer Institute designated cancer center and has more than $35M in cancer research funding. More than 500 people are currently participating on a cancer clinical trial at HCC. To expand patient access to clinical trials, MUSC Hollings Cancer Center has established the Clinical Trials Network (CTN). Partnering with nine cancer programs in S.C., the CTN broadens the reach of new research that may one day be the new standards of care.
Hollings Cancer Center offers state-of-the-art diagnostic capabilities, therapies and surgical techniques and has multidisciplinary clinics that involve surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation therapists, radiologists, pathologists, psychologists and many other specialists seeing patients under one roof. Multidisciplinary care is provided in disease specific clinics such as thoracic, breast, head & neck, genitourinary, gastrointestinal, hematological, and pediatric cancers. For more information, please visit www.hcc.musc.edu.
About MUSC
Founded in 1824 in Charleston, The Medical University of South Carolina is the oldest medical school in the South. Today, MUSC continues the tradition of excellence in education, research, and patient care. MUSC educates and trains more than 3,000 students and residents, and has nearly 11,000 employees, including approximately 2,000 faculty members. As the largest non-federal employer in Charleston, the university and its affiliates have collective annual budgets in excess of $1.6 billion. MUSC operates a 750-bed medical center, which includes a nationally recognized Children's Hospital, the Ashley River Tower (cardiovascular, digestive disease, and surgical oncology), and a leading Institute of Psychiatry. For more information on academic or clinical services, visit http://www.musc.edu or www.muschealth.com.
Charleston, S.C. (March 2, 2009) – The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Hollings Cancer Center has attained National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation, a distinction held by only 63 other cancer centers in the U.S. The Hollings Cancer Center (HCC) is the only institution in South Carolina with this prestigious status.
Andrew S. Kraft, MD, Director of the Hollings Cancer Center (HCC), said being named one of the top cancer research centers in the country signals that MUSC/HCC researchers and physicians are leaders in discovering, developing, and delivering cutting-edge treatments based on laboratory research to patients in South Carolina and beyond. The immediate benefit to patients is increased access to early clinical trials offering promising new treatments.
“We are honored and proud to have earned this recognition. It is a distinction earned over many years through collaboration and innovation by dedicated researchers, clinicians, and staff throughout Hollings Cancer Center and MUSC,” Dr. Kraft said. “By sharing what we know with other cancer centers and practices throughout our state, we can step up our war on cancer in South Carolina and beyond. Our citizens don’t have to leave the state to find the most advanced research and protocols from an NCI center – we have one right here in our back yard.”
NCI designation is accompanied by more than $7 million in funding to sustain and grow research efforts at MUSC. The NCI awarded designation to HCC based on its outstanding facilities, commitment to research, leadership, and vision.
Former U.S. Senator Ernest “Fritz” Hollings, for whom the cancer center was named in 1993, hailed the federal designation as nothing less than South Carolinians deserve.
“This is a true milestone for the Medical University of South Carolina. One can see that the cancer building is a winner, but now all in the state can know that the doctors and staff of MUSC Cancer Center are winners. Dr. Greenberg, Dr. Kraft, and the staff are to be congratulated.”
NCI-designated cancer centers are characterized by scientific excellence and the capability to integrate diverse research approaches that focus on cancer. They play a vital role in advancing the goal of reducing morbidity and mortality from cancer through increased clinical trials that offer patients new drugs and treatment protocols that would be unavailable to them otherwise.
U.S. Senator Lindsey L. Graham called the designation a “game-changer” for the thousands of South Carolinians with cancer.
“Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the nation and practically every family in our state has been impacted by this horrible disease. The Hollings Cancer Center will now take its place among an elite group of institutions in the major leagues of cancer research,” Graham said.
“The NCI designation only comes to the best and brightest. It is a compliment to the men and women who put in countless hours at this facility and recognition that the Hollings Cancer Center is among the best of the best in cancer research.”
Designation also holds the potential to spur South Carolina’s economy by attracting public and private funding for new endeavors.
U.S. Rep. Henry Brown said NCI status offer hope for a bright future in the state’s cancer research endeavors.
“The NCI designation for the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center is recognition of excellence in cancer research. The discoveries made here will leave the laboratories and reach the patients, both in our state and throughout the world.”
Raymond S. Greenberg, MD, PhD, MUSC President, praised the efforts of many that made designation possible.
“Under the leadership of former MUSC President Jim Edwards, and with the support of Senator Hollings, MUSC set the goal of obtaining NCI designation more than a decade ago,” Dr. Greenberg said. “Now that this dream has come true, we gratefully acknowledge all who have made it possible, especially Dr. Kraft and his outstanding team. We also thank those like Jim Edwards and Fritz Hollings, whose vision and determination set this entire process in motion.”
According to the NCI, designated cancer centers are a major source of discovery of the nature of cancer and of the development of more effective approaches to cancer prevention, diagnosis, and therapy. They also deliver medical advances to patients and their families, educate healthcare professionals and the public, and reach out to underserved populations. They are characterized by strong organizational capabilities, institutional commitment, and trans-disciplinary, cancer-focused science; experienced scientific and administrative leadership, and state-of-the-art cancer research and patient care facilities. ###
About Hollings Cancer Center
Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina is the largest academic-based cancer program in South Carolina. The Hollings Cancer Center is currently a developing National Cancer Institute designated cancer center and has more than $35M in cancer research funding. More than 500 people are currently participating on a cancer clinical trial at HCC. To expand patient access to clinical trials, MUSC Hollings Cancer Center has established the Clinical Trials Network (CTN). Partnering with nine cancer programs in S.C., the CTN broadens the reach of new research that may one day be the new standards of care.
Hollings Cancer Center offers state-of-the-art diagnostic capabilities, therapies and surgical techniques and has multidisciplinary clinics that involve surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation therapists, radiologists, pathologists, psychologists and many other specialists seeing patients under one roof. Multidisciplinary care is provided in disease specific clinics such as thoracic, breast, head & neck, genitourinary, gastrointestinal, hematological, and pediatric cancers. For more information, please visit www.hcc.musc.edu.
About MUSC
Founded in 1824 in Charleston, The Medical University of South Carolina is the oldest medical school in the South. Today, MUSC continues the tradition of excellence in education, research, and patient care. MUSC educates and trains more than 3,000 students and residents, and has nearly 11,000 employees, including approximately 2,000 faculty members. As the largest non-federal employer in Charleston, the university and its affiliates have collective annual budgets in excess of $1.6 billion. MUSC operates a 750-bed medical center, which includes a nationally recognized Children's Hospital, the Ashley River Tower (cardiovascular, digestive disease, and surgical oncology), and a leading Institute of Psychiatry. For more information on academic or clinical services, visit http://www.musc.edu or www.muschealth.com.
The State reports: State cancer center wins top ranking
National Cancer Institute designation brings prestige, $8 million in funding for MUSC’s Hollings facility
By WAYNE WASHINGTON - wwashington@thestate.com
The Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina has been designated a National Cancer Institute, a nod that brings prestige and $8 million in funding for administrative and equipment costs.
There are only 64 National Cancer Institute centers in the United States. The Hollings Cancer Center is the only NCI-designated center in South Carolina. Previously, the closest NCI-designated facilities were in North Carolina in Winston-Salem, Chapel Hill and Durham.
“Our citizens don’t have to leave the state to find the most advanced research and protocols from an NCI center,” said Dr. Andrew Kraft, director of the Hollings Cancer Center. “We have one right here in our backyard.”
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., traveled to Charleston on day to announce the center’s NCI designation.
“The NCI designation only comes to the best and brightest,” Graham said. “The Hollings Cancer Center will now take its place among an elite group of institutions in the major leagues of cancer research.”
The National Cancer Institute is a division of the National Institutes of Health, which distributes millions of dollars each year to universities, hospitals and foundations for health-related research.
NCI-designated facilities are expected to be leaders in cancer research and treatment.
Kraft said the designation’s resulting $8 million in funding, which will be given to the center in chunks of $1.6 million per year for five years, will be used for facilities, equipment and salaries.
But the center won’t be the sole beneficiary of the NCI designation, MUSC officials said.
They pointed out the NCI designation will increase patient access to clinical trials, which can offer new treatment options in difficult cases.
The university said the designation also should help the Hollings Cancer Center attract top researchers and additional research funding.
Kraft said the NIH sets aside a separate pool of money NCI-designated facilities can compete to receive.
MUSC pulled in $101 million in research funding from the NIH last year. That total represented half the research money the university received.
MUSC has made some high-profile strides in cancer research, including:
• Discovering new procedures that could increase the accuracy of testing for bladder cancer
• A study showing the importance of attitudes and beliefs in the use of a vaccine to prevent a disease that can lead to cervical cancer
• Research showing the risk of cancer from exposure to radiation during a computed tomography (CT) for heart disease has been significantly overstated
• A study showing people with skin cancer could have a higher risk of developing another form of cancer
Kraft said the NCI designation is one people across the state, not just those at MUSC, can take pride in.
“It recognizes that the state has gotten together to support cutting-edge research,” he said.
By WAYNE WASHINGTON - wwashington@thestate.com
The Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina has been designated a National Cancer Institute, a nod that brings prestige and $8 million in funding for administrative and equipment costs.
There are only 64 National Cancer Institute centers in the United States. The Hollings Cancer Center is the only NCI-designated center in South Carolina. Previously, the closest NCI-designated facilities were in North Carolina in Winston-Salem, Chapel Hill and Durham.
“Our citizens don’t have to leave the state to find the most advanced research and protocols from an NCI center,” said Dr. Andrew Kraft, director of the Hollings Cancer Center. “We have one right here in our backyard.”
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., traveled to Charleston on day to announce the center’s NCI designation.
“The NCI designation only comes to the best and brightest,” Graham said. “The Hollings Cancer Center will now take its place among an elite group of institutions in the major leagues of cancer research.”
The National Cancer Institute is a division of the National Institutes of Health, which distributes millions of dollars each year to universities, hospitals and foundations for health-related research.
NCI-designated facilities are expected to be leaders in cancer research and treatment.
Kraft said the designation’s resulting $8 million in funding, which will be given to the center in chunks of $1.6 million per year for five years, will be used for facilities, equipment and salaries.
But the center won’t be the sole beneficiary of the NCI designation, MUSC officials said.
They pointed out the NCI designation will increase patient access to clinical trials, which can offer new treatment options in difficult cases.
The university said the designation also should help the Hollings Cancer Center attract top researchers and additional research funding.
Kraft said the NIH sets aside a separate pool of money NCI-designated facilities can compete to receive.
MUSC pulled in $101 million in research funding from the NIH last year. That total represented half the research money the university received.
MUSC has made some high-profile strides in cancer research, including:
• Discovering new procedures that could increase the accuracy of testing for bladder cancer
• A study showing the importance of attitudes and beliefs in the use of a vaccine to prevent a disease that can lead to cervical cancer
• Research showing the risk of cancer from exposure to radiation during a computed tomography (CT) for heart disease has been significantly overstated
• A study showing people with skin cancer could have a higher risk of developing another form of cancer
Kraft said the NCI designation is one people across the state, not just those at MUSC, can take pride in.
“It recognizes that the state has gotten together to support cutting-edge research,” he said.
The State reports: Cancer Center wins national status, federal funds
By: SUSANNE M. SCHAFER - Associated Press Writer
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- The Hollings Cancer Center in Charleston has been named one of the nation's top institutes for cancer research, opening the way to more federal dollars and increasing the number of South Carolinians with access to cutting-edge cancer treatments, officials said Monday.
The distinction, bestowed by the federally funded National Cancer Institute, was announced Monday at the Medical University of South Carolina, where the Hollings Center is located.
That makes it one of 64 in the country and the only one in the Palmetto State.
"We hope this designation will increase the number of patients involved in our cancer studies," said the director of the Hollings Center, Dr. Andrew S. Kraft. "There's a lot of excitement here over this."
Kraft said the recognition means the center will obtain a startup grant of $7 million, which can be renewed every five years.
The application was more than 1,000 pages long and involved 10 years of effort. It required lengthy, onsite inspections by National Cancer Institute officials of the Hollings Center's research studies, also known as clinical trials, that may pave the way to innovative treatments of disease, Kraft said in a telephone interview.
"When they give their imprimatur, the ultimate goal is for them to encourage us to take it to the next level, and that is to better understand and cure cancer," Kraft said.
The center records about 80,000 patient visits annually, and nearly 2,000 patients were diagnosed with cancer last year, said a spokeswoman for the Center, Vicki Agnew. The center has about 170 researchers, physicians and medical specialists dealing with cancer.
Of the 2,000 cancer patients, the center has been able to place 11 percent to 14 percent in its clinical trials. The influx of federal money means that number could double, the director said.
"A clear goal is to take that to 20 or 25 percent," Kraft said.
Kraft said patients with all types of cancer are seen at the center, but its staff specializes in cancers of the head, neck and blood, as well as gastric and pediatric cancers.
Among its many studies, researchers are looking into new drugs for cancer treatments; what role the immune system might play in cancer treatment and researching the role of genetics, the director said.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said in a statement that the step means "the Hollings Center will now take its place among an elite group of institutions in the major leagues of cancer research."
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- The Hollings Cancer Center in Charleston has been named one of the nation's top institutes for cancer research, opening the way to more federal dollars and increasing the number of South Carolinians with access to cutting-edge cancer treatments, officials said Monday.
The distinction, bestowed by the federally funded National Cancer Institute, was announced Monday at the Medical University of South Carolina, where the Hollings Center is located.
That makes it one of 64 in the country and the only one in the Palmetto State.
"We hope this designation will increase the number of patients involved in our cancer studies," said the director of the Hollings Center, Dr. Andrew S. Kraft. "There's a lot of excitement here over this."
Kraft said the recognition means the center will obtain a startup grant of $7 million, which can be renewed every five years.
The application was more than 1,000 pages long and involved 10 years of effort. It required lengthy, onsite inspections by National Cancer Institute officials of the Hollings Center's research studies, also known as clinical trials, that may pave the way to innovative treatments of disease, Kraft said in a telephone interview.
"When they give their imprimatur, the ultimate goal is for them to encourage us to take it to the next level, and that is to better understand and cure cancer," Kraft said.
The center records about 80,000 patient visits annually, and nearly 2,000 patients were diagnosed with cancer last year, said a spokeswoman for the Center, Vicki Agnew. The center has about 170 researchers, physicians and medical specialists dealing with cancer.
Of the 2,000 cancer patients, the center has been able to place 11 percent to 14 percent in its clinical trials. The influx of federal money means that number could double, the director said.
"A clear goal is to take that to 20 or 25 percent," Kraft said.
Kraft said patients with all types of cancer are seen at the center, but its staff specializes in cancers of the head, neck and blood, as well as gastric and pediatric cancers.
Among its many studies, researchers are looking into new drugs for cancer treatments; what role the immune system might play in cancer treatment and researching the role of genetics, the director said.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said in a statement that the step means "the Hollings Center will now take its place among an elite group of institutions in the major leagues of cancer research."
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