Overview
Research
Translational Research
Cancer Cause and Prevention
Patient Care
Overview
The USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, located in Los Angeles, is a major regional and national resource for cancer research, treatment, prevention and education.
Nearly 200 basic scientists, physicians from the faculty of Keck School of Medicine of USC and several USC professional schools/departments and the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences who are members of the USC/Norris Cancer Center investigate the complex origins and progression of cancer, develop prevention strategies and search for cures.
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has designated the USC/Norris Cancer Center as one of the nation's 41 comprehensive cancer centers, a select group of institutions providing leadership in cancer treatment, research, prevention and education. USC/Norris has held this designation since 1973, when it was named as one of the first eight comprehensive cancer centers.
Research
USC/Norris scientists work toward a complete understanding of the most fundamental aspects of cancer. They study the abnormal cell growth characteristic of cancer to determine what goes wrong and how the process can be altered. They then work to quickly translate those findings into treatment and prevention strategies.
Research at USC/Norris is organized into five thematic programs (molecular genetics, epigenetics and regulation, tumor microenvironment, cancer epidemiology and cancer control research), five translational research programs (genitourinary cancers, gastrointestinal cancers, women’s cancers, and hematologic and viral-associated malignancies) and a "bridge" program in developmental therapeutics.
USC/Norris members currently hold research grants totaling $91 million in direct costs, with $40 million of that coming from the NCI (exclusive of the Cancer Center Core Support Grant).
Among the strengths of USC/Norris are its programs in translational and population-based research.
Translational Research
Translational research can be thought of as the two-way bridge between scientific inquiry and medical practice. Its aim is to shorten the time it takes a lab discovery to reach a patient's bedside as a new therapy or tool.
Examples of promising treatments still under investigation by basic and clinical scientists at USC/Norris include immunotherapy and anti-angiogenesis drugs. Of particular importance has been the study of vaccines for patients with malignant melanoma or with cervical cancer, as well as the utility of bio-specific antibodies to target prostate cancer cells.
Cancer Cause and Prevention
The Cancer Cause and Prevention unit is home to the nation's premier group of cancer epidemiologists. In collaboration with geneticists and molecular biologists, these scientists investigate the genetic and environmental origins of cancers and develop new prevention strategies.
USC/Norris researchers also are leaders in putting cancer prevention to work. Whether it is a new drug to decrease breast cancer risk or patient education to decrease risk of skin cancer, USC/Norris offers the latest tools for fighting cancer.
Patient Care
USC/Norris provides comprehensive care for patients in its affiliated hospitals and outpatient clinics and conducts hundreds of clinical trials, offering the latest in innovative cancer treatments. USC/Norris affiliated hospitals include the Kenneth Norris Jr. Cancer Hospital, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, USC University Hospital and Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center, one of the largest teaching hospitals in the nation.
At each location, USC/Norris physicians and scientists are dedicated to fighting the battle against cancer with patients, their families and friends.
