ChristianaCare’s Graham Cancer Center joins AACI

Wilmington, Del.-based ChristianaCare’s Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute has been elected to the Association of American Cancer Institutes, according to a news release shared with Becker’s. The move places the center in a network of more than 100 leading academic cancer centers across North America.

AACI membership is awarded after an evaluation of a center’s scientific programs, clinical excellence and community impact. In the release, the selection was described as recognition of the Graham Cancer Center’s work in cancer care, research, genetics, clinical trials and community outreach.

“Our physicians, nurses, researchers and caregivers are united by a common purpose: giving every patient the best possible chance against cancer,” said Thomas Schwaab, MD, PhD, Bank of America endowed medical director of the Graham Cancer Center. He said AACI membership will strengthen the center’s ability to work with leading institutions, support innovation and bring new advances in cancer care to patients and families.

The release said the membership will also give the center greater access to multi-center research initiatives, national cancer policy discussions and collaborations in precision medicine, immunotherapy and gene editing.

Nicholas Petrelli, MD, director of the Cawley Center for Translational Cancer Research, said the membership recognizes the strength of the programs the center has built and their impact on patients. He added that it creates new opportunities to advance research, expand collaborations and help translate scientific discoveries into better treatments.

Further details about the timing of the election or any additional plans tied to the membership were not reported in the source.