The National Cancer Institute has renewed the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center’s comprehensive designation, reaffirming its place among the country’s elite cancer institutes.
designation as a comprehensive cancer center is the very highest level of endorsement by the National Cancer Institute or N. C. I. U. T. Southwestern is the first and only institution in all of north texas to have been designated as a comprehensive cancer center. The basic scientist translational scientists, clinical investigators and cancer care providers in my institution are some of the best in the country. But what is really special about it means that they work together to elevate cancer science. Cancer discovery and blended to clinical investigation and clinical care. Receiving redesignation as a comprehensive cancer center means we're continuing to strive for that excellence. We've achieved it thus far and can continue to build off of that With having a comprehensive cancer center. We're really providing the full spectrum of care for cancer patients. My cancer journey really is my mother's cancer journey. She died of brain and breast cancer. I was diagnosed on October six of 2020, which was the 25th anniversary of her death. I was diagnosed at a different health care system and I immediately asked for a referral to UT Southwestern and my primary care nurse practitioner never batted an eye. She knew exactly why I wanted to come here. I wanted the academics and the research and the clinical practice that go along with what the cancer treatment is here. All of those people work together to make my care my care, Not anybody else's care. It's a one stop shop. If you're a scientist and you're also a clinician. The dream situation is where you can break down the barriers between the laboratory and the clinic. My lab studies cancer metabolism. So we study the way that tumors make energy and the way they use energy. Because those processes allow the tumors to grow and eventually spread. We do everything from basic research on cancer cells growing in the laboratory to studies that are performed in patients as they're undergoing surgery. So the only way we could do all of that research is in the context of something like a comprehensive cancer center, work in an institution like UT Southwestern and the symbols cancer center that has extreme commitment to provide cutting edge technologies and advanced tech needs allow us to not only follow the guidelines that others right, but we are the ones writing the guidelines and at the front line of developing new treatments for cancer care. The relationship that we develop with these patients goes well beyond physician patient relationship. It becomes part of the family of UT Southwestern and the Simmons Cancer Center. I look at these patients that are really fighting in every possible way to have the best outcomes for themselves and for their families and they inspire me to want to do better in my own life and really provide them with whatever I can do to help have a 23 and four year old grandchildren and I don't want to miss a single piece. So I am so grateful. UT Southwestern and not only individualized my care, but they have given me my dignity back Yeah.
