The Stanford Cancer Center (SCC) is located on the campus of Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. In its close affiliation with the Stanford University School of Medicine, the Cancer Center provides advanced cancer services in the areas of education, prevention, treatment, and research. Staffed by over 240 faculty members from the university, the SCC seeks to provide its patients with the many benefits that are typically associated with treatment at a teaching hospital that is also known as a national center for cancer research. Oncologists at the SCC treat all forms of cancer at the Stanford Hospital and Clinics and the adjacent Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital.
A National Standard for Cancer Education, Treatment, and Research
Cancer patients are well-served by the 63 Cancer Centers that exist in the United States. In the early 1960s, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) convinced Congress that a national network of cancer centers that offered advanced and comprehensive cancer services was needed in this country. As a direct response to the NCI effort, the National Cancer Act (NCA) was drafted and signed into law By President Nixon in 1971.
The NCA directed that a national standard for cancer care, education, prevention, and research be adopted. Charged with the responsibility of establishing these standards, the NCI drafted specific guidelines and offered detailed criteria by which a cancer treatment center would be judged before an NCI Cancer Center (CC) accreditation would be granted. All CC accredited facilities undergo ongoing scrutiny by the NCI, and each Cancer Center undergoes a NCI reevaluation every 3-5 years.
Research at the Stanford Cancer Center
The SCC is recognized as a national leader in cancer research, and the center employs over 290 research and clinic personnel from the Schools of Medicine, Engineering, and the Humanities and Sciences. The research programs at the SCC concentrate on the following types of research: stem cell; radiation biology; cancer biology; cancer imaging; molecular profiling; lymphoma and Hodgkin’s Disease; immunology and immunotherapy; hematopoietic cell transplantation; cancer epidemiology, and cancer prevention and control.
Clinical Trials
For a select group of cancer patients, participation in a SCC clinical trial is sometimes offered, and the research programs at the SCC sponsor both adult and pediatric clinical trials. Clinical trials or studies are conducted to judge the safety and effectiveness of all types of cancer treatments, and participation in a SCC clinical trial may offer cancer patients a viable and valuable treatment option. Not all cancer patients will qualify for a clinical trial, and oncologists and other clinical staff work closely with patients to determine if a clinical trial is an appropriate treatment option.
Patient Care at the Stanford Cancer Center
Adult outpatient and inpatient services at the SCC are provided at the Stanford Hospital and Clinics located on the Palo Alto campus, while pediatric inpatient and outpatient services are provided at the nearby Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital. Both facilities offer patients advanced and comprehensive cancer services and treatment for all types of cancer, and the SCC is known for its treatment of particularly rare forms of the disease.
The Stanford Cancer Center is currently ranked 16th by the U.S. News & World Report listing of all American hospitals, and the Cancer Center is directly affiliated with the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, the Veteran Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Stanford University, and the Stanford School of Medicine.
The Stanford Hospital and Clinics and the Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital provide cancer patients and their families with a number of support services that include information on: financial and insurance information and assistance; government agency support services; a wide variety of community resources; food, lodging, and other hospital stay logistical support services.
Stanford Cancer Center Community Outreach Programs
The SCC provides the surrounding community and regions with a number of community-based outreach programs that are designed to increase the delivery of critical cancer services that relate to education, increased cancer screening to promote early detection of the disease, and cancer treatment. Three primary SCC community outreach programs are:
- Office of Community Health: This program offers training to community members for future leadership roles in the distribution of cancer education information to other members of the community.
- Student-run Free Clinics: These clinics provide no-cost cancer and other medical services to adults and children who are economically disadvantaged members of the community.
- Pediatric Advocacy Program: The Stanford School of Medicine sponsors a variety of child advocacy programs and initiatives.
Contact the Stanford Cancer Center
The main operator phone number is (650) 723 -4000, and for a more complete phone listing directory or to learn more about the Stanford Cancer Center, please visit their website at cancer.stanford.edu/
Stanford Cancer Center
875 Blake Wilbur Drive
Stanford, CA 94305
Map to Stanford Cancer Center
