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Delegate Sally Hudson and Senator Creigh Deeds visited the University of Virginia Cancer Center on Thursday, May 5, to present a Virginia General Assembly commendation for the cancer center being named a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute.

By earning designation this year as a Comprehensive Cancer Center, UVA has moved into an elite group of 52 of the most outstanding cancer programs in the nation and is the only Comprehensive Cancer Center in Virginia. 

To achieve this status, it was necessary to demonstrate the following:

• Enhanced depth and breadth of basic, clinical, and population research
• Enhanced outreach and education to our cancer center’s catchment area and community
• Transdisciplinary research that bridges multiple scientific areas, evidenced by the center’s ability to take maximum advantage of research and innovation across UVA
• Excellence in training in cancer research

The UVA Cancer Center serves 3.2 million residents from a large catchment area that includes 87 counties throughout northern, central, southside and southwestern Virginia as well as eastern West Virginia.

UVA Cancer Center has grown tremendously over the past several years. Since 2014, its patient-care volume has grown by more than 50%, with many patients traveling great distances to access its specialists. Over the last four years, funding for cancer research at UVA has increased 45%, totaling more than $30 million in 2020. During that same period, participation in UVA Cancer Center clinical research has increased by almost 500% with outreach throughout Virginia and neighboring states.