Norris Cotton Cancer Center Fact Sheet

Norris Cotton Cancer Center combines advanced cancer research at Dartmouth Medical School with patient-centered cancer care at Dartmouth-Hitchcock. It is one of only 40 institutions nationwide designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) as a comprehensive cancer center.

Cancer Help Line: (800) 639-6918

Our toll-free Cancer Help Line provides information about cancer treatment, clinical trials, prevention, programs, support services, events, and other resources.

Clinical Cancer Care

• Full screening services and diagnostics
• Advanced treatments for all forms of cancer
• Eleven interdisciplinary oncology programs; each patient is considered by a team of oncologists, surgeons, radiologists, and nurses who collaborate to develop an individualized treatment program
• Care provided close to home through regional centers in Keene, Lebanon, and Manchester, NH and St. Johnsbury, VT, and in partnership with community hospitals throughout the region
• Broad program of clinical trials of new therapies
• Phase I Clinical Trials Program developing new protocols that link the latest Cancer Center research to clinical care
• Familial Cancer Program offering comprehensive cancer genetic services, including family history analysis, risk assessment, genetic testing and counseling, and prevention recommendations
• Patient- and family-centered cancer care across the continuum from diagnosis to death, including a range of support services, survivor care, and palliative care
• Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program offering autologous and allogenic transplants in inpatient and outpatient settings

Clinical Oncology Programs

Care is delivered through interdisciplinary programs focused on a specific kind of cancer:

• Breast
• Gastrointestinal and Pancreatic
• Endocrine
• Gynecologic
• Head and Neck, Oral
• Lymphoma / Leukemia
• Lung
• Melanoma
• Neuro / Brain
• Pediatrics
• Prostate / Genitourinary

Number of Patients

• More than 5,200 new patients each year
• More than 31,000 patients served annually
• Cancer patients make 75,000 visits to Norris Cotton Cancer Center outpatient clinics each year

Leadership

• Mark A. Israel, MD, Director
  Professor of Genetics and of Pediatrics
  Dartmouth Medical School
• Burton L. Eisenberg, MD, Deputy Director
  Associate Director for Clinical Research
  Professor of Surgery (Surgical Oncology)
  Dartmouth Medical School
  

Professional Staff

• More than 125 cancer research investigators pursue research studies in cancer biology, causes, prevention, and treatment
• Over 200 cancer specialists work in the areas of diagnostics, medical oncology, hematology oncology, bone marrow transplantation, radiation oncology, surgical oncology, psycho-oncology, palliative care, and genetics counseling
• More than 90 oncology nurses coordinate patient services and support, and masters-trained Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) conduct research and education to ensure center-wide excellence in oncology nursing

Research

• Core Funding from the National Cancer Institute: $3.1 million/year (30th consecutive year of funding)
• Research Funding to Cancer Center Members: $55 million in National Institutes of Health (NIH), NCI, and other grants and contracts

200+ Research Projects

• Cancer Epidemiology and Chemoprevention
• Prevention and Control of Cancer
• Molecular Therapeutics
• Translational Research
• Cell Mechanisms and Genetics
• Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy
• Cancer Imaging and Radiobiology
  

Clinical Trials

At any one time, the Cancer Center has 100-175 open clinical trials, including Cancer Center-initiated clinical trials, national multi-center trials, and pharmaceutical-funded trials.

Clinical Trials Affiliations

The Cancer Center is active in national networks of researchers and institutions participating in collaborative clinical trials:

• American College of Surgeons Oncology Group (ACOSOG)
• Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB)
• Children’s Oncology Group (COG)
• Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG)
• Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG)
• Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG)

Facilities

• The Barbara E. Rubin Building (1995) at DHMC houses clinical space for outpatient care (radiation therapy and chemotherapy), cancer prevention research activities, and administrative offices
• The Rubin Building expansion, completed in 2003, doubled the size of the Cancer Center and provided four floors of additional space for clinical care, basic and translational research, and cancer prevention and control
• Full-service inpatient oncology care unit (28 beds) at DHMC with nine beds dedicated to bone marrow transplant support
• Research Laboratories in the Borwell Research Building at DHMC
• Remsen and Vail Research Laboratories at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH
• Shared Resources serve research needs in bioinformatics, biostatistics, clinical pharmacology, clinical trials development, flow cytometry and cell imaging, genomics, immune monitoring, irradiation, molecular biology, proteomics, pathology, and transgenics and genetic constructs
• Additional Norris Cotton Cancer Center patient care and research facilities located at Kingsbury Pavilion in Keene, NH; Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, NH; Norris Cotton Cancer Center • North in St. Johnsbury, VT; and the Veterans Affairs Regional Medical Center in White River Junction, VT

Regional and National Role

• One of a select group of institutions nationwide designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute
• Broad programs of community outreach, education, information, and support
• Continuing education and consultation for physicians and cancer care professionals throughout the region
• Affiliations with national service agencies such as the American Cancer Society