Norris Cotton Cancer Center

Norris Cotton Cancer Center at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center is one of the nation's premier facilities for cancer treatment and research. It is one of only 39 National Cancer Institute designated comprehensive cancer centers in the United States, and is rated by US News & World Report as one of the top 50 hospitals for cancer care nationally.

The Cancer Center provides a positive environment for treatment, cure, and recovery for patients with all forms of cancer. Patients receive technologically advanced cancer treatments and access to clinical trials of new treatments. Each patient is seen as an individual, and a specific treatment plan is developed by specialists who work directly with the patient, family, and referring physician. The Cancer Center is also a leader in improving the comfort and quality of life of patients.

Investigation and Discovery

More than 250 active research projects are part of the Cancer Center's quest to cure cancer, understand its causes, and promote ways to prevent cancer before it starts. These projects are led by 135 cancer research scientists supported by more than $68 million in grants each year from federal and other sources.

Norris Cotton Cancer Center is a world leader in cancer prevention and control research, seeking to identify nutritional, environmental, and lifestyle factors that may cause cancer. We help patients understand their cancer risk and work to prevent cancer-causing behaviors, such as tobacco use by children.

In concert with this research, our scientists are developing new drugs to stop cancers in the very earliest stages of growth. Our search for more effective ways to diagnose breast cancer includes devising new screening technologies. A growing area of research is directed at improving the quality of life for cancer patients.

Cancer Treatment

Norris Cotton Cancer Center coordinates all cancer care at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, providing patients with a full range of treatment options. We strive to bring care as close to home as possible, working with patients' personal physicians and local specialists to make appropriate therapy available throughout our region. Norris Cotton Cancer Center works closely with doctors and nurses at regional centers in St. Johnsbury, Vermont; Manchester, New Hampshire; and at affiliated hospitals in northern New England to coordinate patient referral, treatment, and education.

Care at the Cancer Center is coordinated through multidisciplinary clinical oncology teams. Each team brings together physicians, specialty nurses, and other professionals who evaluate individual cases and set standards for treatment. The teams pay particular attention to preventing disfigurement, controlling symptoms, eliminating pain, and coping with the emotional distress caused by cancer.