Cancer Center at Illinois earns prestigious NCI designation

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) — The Cancer Center at Illinois (CCIL) earned a prestigious national designation Thursday.

CCIL was designated as a Basic Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The national recognition places CCIL among the nation's most elite cancer research institutions, according to the center.

"This designation recognizes the unique approach of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to transforming healthcare and is a moment of celebration for our entire community," said Rohit Bhargava, the Phillip and Ann Sharp Director of the Cancer Center at Illinois. "It affirms the quality of our research and the unwavering commitment of our members to transform how we understand, detect, and treat cancer."

CCIL said that rather than treating patients, Basic Cancer Centers focus on the discovery and development of innovative approaches to cancer detection, treatment and prevention.

The milestone marks the first new Basic Cancer Center designation in almost 40 years. Of 74 NCI-designated cancer centers across the country, CCIL will be only the eighth center recognized as a Basic Cancer Center, and the only one in Illinois.

According to CCIL, the designation provides the center with multi-year support to expand research capacity, increase collaboration with other centers, and accelerate the translation of laboratory findings into medical use.

"This announcement is a tremendous milestone for the university and for the entire region," said Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski. "Receiving a National Cancer Institute designation is a testament to the incredible work of the researchers, clinicians, and staff who have dedicated themselves to fighting cancer and saving lives."