This article is brought to you by LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center.
The LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center is making progress towards becoming the first NCI-designated cancer center in Louisiana and on the Gulf Coast.
The designation is part of the National Cancer Institute Cancer Centers Program, which was established in 1971 to recognize institutions that meet rigorous standards for state-of-the-art research focused on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. There are currently 73 NCI-designated centers across the United States. The closest ones to Louisiana are in Texas and Alabama.
Having an NCI-designated center in the state would yield numerous benefits for Louisiana residents. Those would include more access to clinical trials, attracting top-tier medical talent to the state, and LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center receiving substantial funding for valuable and potentially life-saving research that patients anxiously await.
“NCI designation is the single most transformative event that could occur in this state in improving healthcare for all Louisianians,” said Dr. Steve Nelson, Chancellor of LSU Health New Orleans. “There is a halo effect when you have an NCI-designated center. Not only does cancer care significantly improve, but all medical services advance because this achievement lifts everyone up.”
Dr. Lucio Miele, Director of the LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center, said many innovations in cancer treatment have come about as the result of work at NCI-designated centers. For example, immunotherapy is now considered the standard of care for many types of cancer, and came about as a direct result of NCI-funded research.
“Immunotherapy has changed the prognosis of cancers that were once considered incurable,” Dr. Miele said. “It has revolutionized treatment, and it would be more available than it already is to patients throughout Louisiana if we were to have an NCI-designated cancer center in the state.”
Dr. Lucio Miele, Director of the LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center
Dr. Nelson said the economic impact to Louisiana is substantial. Previous studies have shown that for every NCI dollar invested in a state, that amount is multiplied by three. When a cancer center in Kansas received an NCI designation, the region saw an economic impact of more than $4 billion. In Tampa, the NCI-designated Moffitt Cancer Center has resulted in a $2 billion economic impact per year. This is due to jobs created at NCI-designated centers and the downstream spending that results from new jobs, as well as major investments from companies in industries such as biotechnology that want to locate close to such centers. A designated cancer center will ignite the nascent biotech industry and will be the centerpiece of medical innovation in Louisiana.
“Most NCI-designated centers are on the East and West Coasts. It’s not a coincidence that those are also where the most successful biotech companies are,” said Dr. Miele. “Those companies want access to academic institutions where discoveries are happening every day. We believe we can make that happen in Louisiana.”
LSU Health New Orleans and LCMC Health have each committed $50 million toward the NCI designation goal. Thus far, that funding has allowed the LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center to invest in numerous resources. Those include hiring medical investigators in population health, cancer biology and genetics, and experimental pharmaceuticals.
“Right now, we have the right number of people, but barely so. To be truly competitive, we need to bring in about twice the minimum level of investigators that are needed,” Dr. Miele said. “We’ve been engaged in a very aggressive recruitment effort that has resulted in hiring two basic scientists and two clinicians in the last few months. We know we need to bring highly-respected and highly-funded research scientists to Louisiana if we are to make this happen”
Dr. Miele said the LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center does have the right facilities in place to vie for the NCI designation, including appropriate facilities for clinical trials, pathology and biostatistical work, as well as 200,000 square feet of renovated research space.
All in all, a decision on LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center’s NCI designation is about five years away.
“We have a strong foundation, but we need to grow that foundation. The $100 million that we have invested so far needs to double as we continue to build our staffing and resources,” Dr. Nelson said. “We are gratified that the support for this effort comes from the highest levels, including the Governor, both Louisiana U.S. Senators, our Legislature, as well as many private companies and philanthropic organizations including the Al Copeland Foundation. The leadership of LSU, including President Tate and the Board of Supervisors, and Greg Feirn who leads LCMC Health, have embraced this bold vision for Louisiana. There is a tremendous amount of excitement about our efforts to do this.”
Dr. Miele said community engagement is also a core piece of the quest for an NCI designation. LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center has created an email newsletter to share regular updates, and a team has begun hosting community town hall meetings, screening events for certain types of cancer and directing people to the nearest medical center to receive care upon diagnosis.
“Achieving NCI designation isn’t something we can accomplish behind closed doors,” Dr. Miele emphasized. “It demands that we step out, engage directly, and truly listen to the voices in our communities. Their concerns, questions, and lived experiences must shape the way forward because without them, this mission cannot succeed.”
Dr. Nelson concluded, “When we are successful, all of Louisiana and the region, north and south, east and west, urban and rural, will benefit from our efforts.” Visit www.lsulcmchealthcancercenter.org to learn more about the LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center.