{"id":24392,"date":"2024-05-28T09:38:57","date_gmt":"2024-05-28T13:38:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/?page_id=24392"},"modified":"2025-12-16T12:29:38","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T17:29:38","slug":"national-cancer-institute","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/cancer-centers\/national-cancer-institute\/","title":{"rendered":"National Cancer Institute"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>About the National Cancer Institute<\/h2>\n<p>The NIH National Cancer Institute was established by Congress in 1937 and is the federal government\u2019s primary agency for cancer research and training. Today, NCI is the <strong>largest funder of cancer research in the world<\/strong> and has a budget of $7.22 billion.<\/p>\n<p>The National Cancer Institute conducts clinical trials and supports cancer research across the country to gain scientific knowledge about this devastating disease and help patients live longer, fuller lives.<\/p>\n<p>These clinical trials are more important than ever as people continue to be diagnosed with <a href=\"\/mesothelioma\/\">mesothelioma<\/a> and other asbestos-related cancers every day.<\/p>\n<p>Use our <strong>Free Doctor Match <\/strong>to connect with top mesothelioma specialists at the NCI and other cancer centers around the country.<\/p>\n<div id=\"25223\" class=\"one-off-25223 widget widget_oscar-vque one-off\" data-vqueid=\"25223\"><style type=\"text\/css\" data-style=\"one-off\">.one-off-25223{margin:60px auto}.one-off-25223 a{box-shadow:0 4px 4px 0 rgba(0,0,0,.25);display:block;background:#e4f4f6;padding:20px 25px 200px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;position:relative;overflow:hidden;max-width:360px;margin:0 auto}.one-off-25223 a::before{background:#0FAEBF;border-radius:50% 50% 0 0;content:'';position:absolute;bottom:0;height:19%;width:135%;left:-60px;z-index:0}.one-off-25223 .vque-content,.one-off-25223 .image-wrap{z-index:1;position:relative}.one-off-25223 .image-wrap{width:100%;position:absolute;left:-10px;bottom:-15px}.one-off-25223 .image-wrap img{position:absolute;bottom:0;width:100%;max-width:unset;left:0}.one-off-25223 .heading{font-size:27px;line-height:33px;text-align:center;display:block;max-width:340px;margin:5px auto 25px}.one-off-25223 ul{list-style:none;margin:-10px auto 22px;text-align:left;font-size:16px;line-height:26px}.one-off-25223 ul li{margin:0 0 15px;position:relative;padding-left:35px}.one-off-25223 ul li::before{font-family:\"mesohope\"!important;speak:none;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-transform:none;line-height:1;content:\"\\e904\";background:#0FAEBF;width:21px;height:21px;display:block;position:absolute;left:0;top:4px;border-radius:50%;color:#fff;font-size:11px;text-align:center;line-height:21px}.one-off-25223 p{text-align:center}.one-off-25223 .button{padding:12px 16px;display:block}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.one-off-25223 a{max-width:620px;padding:30px 30px 35px;border-radius:0 0 4px 4px}.one-off-25223 a::before{border-radius:50%;height:155%;width:150%;right:-550px;left:unset;bottom:-295px}.one-off-25223 .heading{text-align:left;margin:2px 0 25px;max-width:unset;font-size:24px}.one-off-25223 ul{margin:-7px 0 30px;max-width:365px;line-height:23px}.one-off-25223 ul li::before{top:1px}.one-off-25223 .image-wrap{max-width:unset;position:absolute;right:-25px;bottom:-35px;margin:0 0 -2px;left:unset;width:380px}.one-off-25223 .image-wrap img{position:relative;bottom:0;left:0;width:380px}.one-off-25223 .button{display:inline-block;padding:14px 25px}.one-off-25223 p{text-align:left}}@media screen and (min-width:1150px){.one-off-25223 a{padding:30px}}<\/style><a href=\"\/get-matched\/\" title=\"Get Matched With a Mesothelioma Doctor\" class=\"cte\" data-ce-category=\"In-Content Ads\" data-ce-label=\"Get Matched With a Mesothelioma Doctor Ad\"><div>\r\n    <div class=\"vque-content\">\r\n        <strong class=\"heading\">Get Matched With a Mesothelioma Doctor<\/strong>\r\n        <ul>\r\n            <li>Find top specialists near you<\/li>\r\n            <li>Seek compensation for travel & care<\/li>\r\n            <li>Get medical guidance<\/li>\r\n        <\/ul>\r\n        <p><strong class=\"button arrow\" title=\"Get Matched Now\">Get Matched Now<\/strong><\/p>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\"  src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Doctors-ad.png\" alt=\"Get Matched With a Mesothelioma Doctor\" class=\"lazyload\" ><\/div>\r\n<\/div><\/a><\/div>\n<h3>National Cancer Institute Designated Cancer Centers<\/h3>\n<p>NCI also gives its stamp of approval to <a href=\"\/cancer-centers\/\">cancer centers<\/a> across the country. NCI-Designated Cancer Centers perform groundbreaking research aimed at developing new and more effective ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat mesothelioma and other cancers.<\/p>\n<p>There are<strong> 72 National Cancer Institute Designated Cancer Centers<\/strong> <strong>across 36 states<\/strong> and the District of Columbia that receive NCI funding to deliver advanced cancer care.<\/p>\n<p>These include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Basic laboratory cancer centers:<\/strong> These 7 centers focus on laboratory research while working with other institutions to apply their findings to discover new and better treatments.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cancer centers:<\/strong> There are 8 NCI cancer centers, which are known for their scientific leadership, resources, and extensive research in cancer control and prevention.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Comprehensive Cancer Centers:<\/strong> These facilities have shown an even greater depth and scope of research. There are 57 of these facilities in the U.S., and they are considered to be among the best in the world at treating cancer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>While most NCI-designated Cancer Centers are affiliated with university medical centers, a few are independent institutions that only conduct cancer research<\/p>\n<h2>Mesothelioma Doctors at the National Cancer Institute<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"\/treatment\/doctors\/\">Mesothelioma doctors<\/a> and researchers at the National Cancer Institute are specialists in various fields, including oncology, thoracic surgery, hematology, radiation therapy, and more.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Doctors on the mesothelioma care team at NCI include:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Dr. Andrew M. Blakely:<\/strong> Surgical oncologist, with specialties in peritoneal mesothelioma and gastrointestinal stromal tumors<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"\/treatment\/doctors\/dr-raffit-hassan\/\">Dr. Raffit Hassan<\/a>:<\/strong> Head of the Head, Thoracic and Solid Tumor Immunotherapy section, with specialties in mesothelioma, immunology, and immunotherapy<\/li>\n<li><strong>Dr. David S. Schrump:<\/strong> Surgical Chief of the Thoracic Surgery Branch, with specialties in <a href=\"\/cancer\/lung-cancer\/\">lung cancer<\/a> and immunotherapy<\/li>\n<li><strong>Dr. Anish Thomas:<\/strong> A doctor in the Developmental Therapeutics branch, with specialties in cancer genomics and <a href=\"\/mesothelioma\/metastasis\/\">metastasis<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These NCI mesothelioma doctors are at the forefront of the fight against mesothelioma and are committed to providing patients with the best care possible.<\/p>\n<h2>Mesothelioma Treatment at the National Cancer Institute<\/h2>\n<p>For many years, the National Cancer Institute has conducted research for the <a href=\"\/treatment\/\">treatment of mesothelioma<\/a>. Many involve testing new medications like immunotherapy drugs like PD-1 and PD-L1 <a href=\"\/treatment\/immunotherapy\/checkpoint-inhibitors\/\">checkpoint inhibitors<\/a> and <a href=\"\/treatment\/immunotherapy\/car-t-cell-therapy\/\">CAR T-cell therapy<\/a>. In both of these, the patient\u2019s own immune system is used to find and attack cancer cells.<\/p>\n<p>NCI also tests combinations of medications through clinical trials. For example, NCI researchers have analyzed how chemotherapy drugs and <a href=\"\/treatment\/immunotherapy\/\">immunotherapy drugs<\/a> interact with one another.<\/p>\n<p>Several NCI mesothelioma clinical trials are researching life-extending treatments. One phase trial is studying how well <strong>pembrolizumab (Keytruda\u00ae<\/strong>) with and without a medication called anetumab ravtansine for treating patients with pleural mesothelioma.<\/p>\n<p>Another phase I clinical trial is studying the use of the immunotherapy <strong>nivolumab (Opdivo\u00ae)<\/strong> with chemotherapy for <a href=\"\/mesothelioma\/pleural\/\">malignant pleural mesothelioma<\/a> patients who are getting surgery.<\/p>\n<div class=\"callout-shortcode\"><style type=\"text\/css\">.callout-shortcode{background:#EDF8F9;border-radius:0 10px 10px 0;padding:20px 20px 20px 24px;margin:40px 0;max-width:860px;position:relative}.callout-shortcode:before{content:\" \";position:absolute;top:0;bottom:0;width:4px;height:100%;left:0;background:linear-gradient(180deg, #0FAEBF 0%, #EDF8F9 100%)}.callout-shortcode .callout-shortcode-heading{color:#100134;font-size:22px;display:block;margin:0 0 15px}.callout-shortcode:first-child{margin-top:0}.callout-shortcode:last-child{margin-bottom:0}.callout-shortcode .img-wrap{margin-bottom:20px}.callout-shortcode.hope>strong{padding-top:17px;padding-bottom:15px;padding-left:74px}.callout-shortcode.hope .img-wrap{left:22px;position:absolute;top:20px;width:59px}.callout-shortcode.hope .img-wrap:before{background:#fff url(\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/mh-icon-65.png);background-position:center;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:70%;border-radius:30px;bottom:-10px;content:\"\";display:block;height:30px;position:absolute;right:-10px;width:30px}@media screen and (min-width: 768px){.callout-shortcode{padding:25px 25px 25px 34px}.callout-shortcode .callout-shortcode-heading{font-size:24px}.callout-shortcode .img-wrap{margin-bottom:0}.callout-shortcode.has-img{min-height:170px;padding-left:175px}.callout-shortcode.has-img .img-wrap{position:absolute;left:29px;top:25px;width:119px}.callout-shortcode.hope.has-img{padding-left:170px}.callout-shortcode.hope>strong{padding:0}.callout-shortcode.hope .img-wrap{width:109px}.callout-shortcode.hope .img-wrap:before{background-size:66%;bottom:-15px;height:42px;width:42px}}<\/style><div class=\"content\"><p><a href=\"\/about\/contact\/\">Contact our Patient Advocates<\/a> to get help accessing cancer treatments that can help you live longer.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<h2>Mesothelioma Clinical Research at the National Cancer Institute<\/h2>\n<p>Through its <a href=\"\/treatment\/clinical-trials\/\">clinical trials<\/a>, the National Cancer Institute tests new and innovative treatments on patients who meet certain criteria and have volunteered to take part.<\/p>\n<p><strong>NCI research is used to improve mesothelioma cancer:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Diagnosis:<\/strong> Since early detection is essential, new methods for <a href=\"\/mesothelioma\/diagnosis\/\">diagnosing mesothelioma<\/a> may provide faster and more accurate test results and lead to more successful treatments.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Treatment:<\/strong> Researchers are working on finding new treatments for mesothelioma and improving current therapies to minimize <a href=\"\/treatment\/side-effects\/\">side effects<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Quality of life:<\/strong> Patients who are more comfortable while battling mesothelioma have a better quality of life.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Prevention:<\/strong> Doctors are studying the potential for <a href=\"\/treatment\/immunotherapy\/mesothelioma-vaccine\/\">mesothelioma vaccines<\/a> to prevent the development of the disease in patients who are considered high risk and the recurrence of the cancer in those who have successfully undergone treatment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The overall goal of this research is to reduce the rate of new mesothelioma cancer cases and deaths from this devastating disease.<\/p>\n<p>Download our <strong>Free Questions to Ask Your Doctor Checklist<\/strong> to get the answers you need when meeting with a specialist.<\/p>\n<div data-vqueid=\"18575\" class=\"widget widget_oscar-vque outline image-left has-img\"><style type=\"text\/css\" data-style=\"outline\">.widget_oscar-vque.outline{margin:60px auto;max-width:315px}.widget_oscar-vque.outline:first-child{margin-top:0}.widget_oscar-vque.outline:last-child{margin-bottom:0}.widget_oscar-vque.outline>a{border:1px solid #E6E7EC;padding:20px;box-shadow:0 20px 20px rgba(34,34,34,0.03);border-radius:10px;color:#383441;display:block;text-decoration:none}.widget_oscar-vque.outline img{margin:0 auto 20px;max-width:180px}.widget_oscar-vque.outline .vque-content{color:#383441;font-size:16px;text-align:center}.widget_oscar-vque.outline strong.subheading{color:#100134;display:block;line-height:1;font-size:14px;margin-bottom:5px}.widget_oscar-vque.outline strong.heading{color:#100134;font-size:20px;display:block;margin:0 0 20px}.widget_oscar-vque.outline ul{font-size:16px;text-align:left;list-style:none;max-width:265px;margin:15px auto 25px}.widget_oscar-vque.outline ul li{padding-left:28px;margin-bottom:10px}.widget_oscar-vque.outline ul li:last-child{margin-bottom:0}.widget_oscar-vque.outline ul li:before{font-family:\"mesohope\" !important;font-display:swap;speak:none;color:#fff;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-transform:none;line-height:1;-webkit-font-smoothing:antialiased;-moz-osx-font-smoothing:grayscale;content:\"\\e904\";border:none;position:absolute;left:0;top:3px;background:#0FAEBF;width:20px;height:20px;border-radius:20px;line-height:20px;text-align:center;font-size:12px}.widget_oscar-vque.outline strong.button.arrow{width:100%}.widget_oscar-vque.outline.image-left>a{position:relative;border-radius:0 10px 10px 0}.widget_oscar-vque.outline.image-left>a:before{content:\" \";position:absolute;top:0;bottom:0;width:4px;height:100%;left:0;background:linear-gradient(180deg, #0FAEBF 0%, #fff 100%)}@media screen and (min-width: 768px){.widget_oscar-vque.outline{max-width:620px}.widget_oscar-vque.outline img{max-width:100%}.widget_oscar-vque.outline>a{padding:0}.widget_oscar-vque.outline>a>div{display:block;display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;align-items:flex-end;flex-direction:row-reverse}.widget_oscar-vque.outline>a>div>div{width:41%}.widget_oscar-vque.outline>a .vque-content{width:59%;padding:30px;text-align:left}.widget_oscar-vque.outline strong.subheading{font-size:16px}.widget_oscar-vque.outline strong.heading{font-size:24px;margin:0 0 13px}.widget_oscar-vque.outline ul{max-width:none}.widget_oscar-vque.outline strong.button.arrow{width:auto}.widget_oscar-vque.outline.image-left>a>div{display:block;position:relative;overflow:hidden}.widget_oscar-vque.outline.image-left>a>div>div{float:left}.widget_oscar-vque.outline.image-left>a>div>div:first-child{width:27%;padding:30px}.widget_oscar-vque.outline.image-left>a>div>div.vque-content{width:73%;padding-left:0;color:#383441}}<\/style><a href=\"\/doctor-questions\/\" title=\"Free Download: 14 Questions to Ask\u00a0Your Doctor\" class=\"cte\" data-ce-category=\"In-Content Ads\" data-ce-label=\"Free Download: 14 Questions to Ask\u00a0Your Doctor Ad\" data-desktop-image=\"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/questions-to-ask-doctor-ipad.png\"><div><div><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"95\" height=\"144\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/questions-to-ask-doctor-ipad.png\" class=\"attachment-Medium size-Medium wp-post-image\" alt=\"14 Questions to Ask Your Doctor packet\" \/><\/div><div class=\"vque-content\"><strong class=\"heading\">Free Download: 14 Questions to Ask\u00a0Your Doctor<\/strong><ul>\n<li>Preparing for treatment<\/li>\n<li>Finding clinical trials<\/li>\n<li>Getting a second opinion<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong class=\"button yellow arrow\" title=\"Get Your Free Download\">Get Your Free Download<\/strong><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div>\n<h2>Mesothelioma Patient Care at the National Cancer Institute<\/h2>\n<p>Patients who are enrolled in clinical trials receive care at the Center for Cancer Research (CCR) and the Developmental Therapeutics Clinic, which is NCI\u2019s in-house cancer center. This allows patients to be treated at a location close to where the research is taking place and creates a collaborative environment between cancer researchers and doctors.<\/p>\n<p>Medical care at NCI is free. Some clinical studies also cover travel, food, and lodging expenses for patients who are not local to the area.<\/p>\n<p><strong>In order to participate in an NCI mesothelioma clinical trial, a patient must:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Have a confirmed <a href=\"\/mesothelioma\/diagnosis\/\">mesothelioma diagnosis<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Meet the eligibility requirements for a current mesothelioma clinical trial that is open and accepting new patients (like having a specific <a href=\"\/mesothelioma\/cell-types\/\">cell type of mesothelioma<\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>Provide all necessary medical records and paperwork<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Clinical research participants are assigned to one of three groups: they receive the treatment being tested, a placebo (a treatment with no therapeutic benefit), or the standard treatment for comparison purposes.<\/p>\n<p>A mesothelioma specialist can help you find clinical trials that may be able to help you live longer and improve your quality of life.<\/p>\n<h2>Get Mesothelioma Treatment at the National Cancer Institute<\/h2>\n<p>Clinical trials at the National Cancer Institute can offer new hope to mesothelioma patients who have exhausted standard treatment options, leading to an improved quality of life or extended survival time.<\/p>\n<p>Mesothelioma Hope can connect you with a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center where you may be able to get treatment to help you live longer and enjoy more time with the people you love.<\/p>\n<p>Call <strong><a href=\"tel:+18666088933\" title=\"Click to call (866) 608-8933\" class=\"in-content-tel-link\" data-ce-category=\"Click to Call\" data-ce-label=\"(866) 608-8933\">(866) 608-8933<\/a><\/strong> now to learn more or get started with our <a href=\"\/get-matched\/\">Free Doctor Match service<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>About the National Cancer Institute The NIH National Cancer Institute was established by Congress in 1937 and is the federal government\u2019s primary agency for cancer research and training. Today, NCI is the largest funder of cancer research in the world and has a budget of $7.22 billion. The National Cancer Institute conducts clinical trials and&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":24398,"parent":153,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"templates\/template-medical-facility.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-24392","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24392","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/49"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24392"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24392\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/153"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24398"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24392"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}