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Description

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About Roswell Park Cancer Institute
Welcome to Roswell Park Cancer Institute RPCI Americas first cancer center founded in 1898 by Dr Roswell Park RPCI is the only upstate New York facility to hold the National Cancer Center designation of quotcomprehensive cancer centerquot and to serve as a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network

Over its long history Roswell Park Cancer Institute has made fundamental contributions to reducing the cancer burden and has successfully maintained an exemplary leadership role in setting the national standards for cancer care research and education

The campus spans 25 acres in downtown Buffalo and consists of 15 buildings with about 16 million square feet of space A new hospital building completed in 1998 houses a comprehensive diagnostic and treatment center In addition the Institute built a new medical research complex and renovated existing education and research space to support its future growth and expansion

Mission
To understand prevent and cure cancer

Vision
To position Roswell Park among the top 10 of the Nations leading cancer centers

Values
Core values reflect what is most true and important to us as an organization These are values that have shaped us and will continue to they do not change given circumstances or time but rather are consistent throughout our mission areas Roswell Park is a special place to work and the staff and faculty who live these values have made it so These values will guide and power our personal and collective actions and enable future successes on behalf of individuals and the world

Innovation We are driven to provide care that cures and comforts research that informs the world and education that enlightens and enables future generations We proudly stand on our rich history and use it as a platform from which to embrace discovery and change

Integrity We are committed to making each decision whether related to patient care research education or administration based on standards that are thoughtful informed honest transparent when appropriate and always respectful of privacy

Teamwork We value and encourage the viewpoints and constructive opinions of all people and disciplines and recognize that all contributions strengthen the results we achieve the value we provide the actions we take and the team we strive to be

Commitment We are devoted to achieving extraordinary progress on behalf of those we serve patients and families who come to us during times of great need scientists and clinicians who wish to collaborate students seeking education the science of cancer that awaits our contributions and the community that deserves strong stewardship and economic leadership

Compassion and Respect We are enriched by the diverse cultures needs and expectations of our coworkers and of the communities we serve It is our privilege and responsibility to appreciate these differences as we establish research goals develop care plans and interact with one another

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History

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Roswell Park Cancer Institute is among the oldest National Cancer Institutedesignated comprehensive cancer centers in the United States Below is a timeline of some of RPCIs major contributions

18971950

In 1897 Dr Roswell Park and Mr Edward H Butler publisher of the Buffalo Evening News ask the New York State Legislature to introduce a bill that would provide a 7500 grant to establish a cancer research laboratory in the University of Buffalo School of Medicine That bill was passed in 1898 and the New York State Pathological Laboratory of the University of Buffalo the first facility in the world dedicated specifically to cancer research was founded The facility which gave birth to what would later be known as Roswell Park Cancer Institute has been cited as the earliest historical example of direct government interest in cancer research

In 1904 the first scientific observations implicating immunological reactions with malignancy are reported by Drs Harvey R Gaylord George HA Clowes and FW Baeslack

In 1904 Dr GHA Clowes driven by the fact that his son had leukemia initiates the first cancer chemotherapy program in the United States

From 1922 to 1931 Drs Carl and Gerty Cori serve on the staff of Roswell Park Cancer Institute In 1947 they are awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine and physiology for work which was initiated during their tenure at RPCI

In 1946 Dr Joseph G Hoffman who had worked on the Manhattan Project becomes one of the first in the world to study the effects of atomic radiation on humans