More cancer experts, cash headed here

Emory’s Winship Cancer Institute was named Monday as Georgia’s first National Cancer Institute center, a coveted designation expected to draw millions of dollars in funding and top doctors and provide local access to cutting-edge care.

“This is going to bring great experts to Georgia,” said Dr. Otis Brawley, an Emory professor and chief medical officer for the Atlanta-based American Cancer Society.

The NCI designation opens doors to an exclusive tier of government and private research funds. It also could mean tens of millions of dollars for Georgia’s economy as top biomedical firms, research companies and physicians come to work with the center.

The national institute will give $4.3 million to Winship over the next three years to expand its scientific research on the causes and treatments for cancer.

Georgians also will benefit because the new designation allows increasing access to new experiments and technologies, many available only at NCI-designated centers.

“For Georgians, it means they will have local access to NCI clinical trials, which represents cutting-edge research,” said Bill Todd, president of the Georgia Cancer Coalition.

Only 65 of the thousands of cancer facilities in the U.S. have the NCI designation. It is bestowed by the nation’s chief cancer agency, which is part of the National Institutes of Health. The honor is granted to cancer centers that have demonstrated outstanding research, care, education and community outreach.

Gov. Sonny Perdue noted that cancer strikes 35,000 Georgians each year, and said, “We are working hard to place Georgia at the forefront of cancer research with the goal of eliminating this devastating disease.”

Emory has worked for 20 years to receive NCI status. An application in the mid-’90s failed. Federal officials said Emory and the metro community had to demonstrate a stronger commitment to outstanding cancer care and research. Community leaders —- including Emory, the Woodruff Foundation and the Georgia Cancer Coalition —- banded together to raise money for a new cancer facility. The Winship’s $70 million center opened in 2003.

Despite Georgia being home to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the cancer society, it had lagged behind several other Southern states in not having an NCI cancer center, Todd said. He noted that many Georgians had traveled out of state to receive care.

“That defect is now repaired,” Todd said. “We are in the mainstream of the national strategy.”

The NCI designation, plus the planned National Health Museum near Centennial Olympic Park and high-level research at various local universities, furthers metro Atlanta’s effort to establish itself as a major medical hub, Todd said.