HOUSTON ― The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and its 20,000 faculty and staff devoted exclusively to patient care, research, education and prevention are proud to support World Cancer Day, Feb. 4, and its mission of uniting the world’s population toward the goal of eliminating cancer. Established in 2000, the Union for International Cancer Control leads the global campaign that aims to save lives by increasing awareness and education about the disease and encouraging action. The tagline ‘We can. I can,’ emphasizes the cooperative approach needed to eliminate the disease.

“Cancer is our constant focus at MD Anderson, and we are proud to stand with our global community to raise awareness about the disease with the hope of saving lives in the future,” said Peter WT Pisters, M.D., president of MD Anderson. “We know we can make a difference in the fight to end cancer through excellent patient care, innovative research, quality training and education, and evidence-based cancer prevention.”

Our work revolves around our patients

MD Anderson’s commitment to patients and its mission to end cancer has driven the institution for more than 75 years and continues to fuel its efforts to raise the level of cancer care all over the world. Last year alone, MD Anderson served more than 137,000 patients in the Texas Medical Center and throughout the Houston region.

MD Anderson Cancer Network™ collaborates with community hospitals and health systems around the globe to provide the highest-quality and most advanced cancer care to patients in the communities in which they live. Additionally, MD Anderson’s Global Academic Programs manages its Sister Institution Network. The network includes 34 premier academic cancer institutions in 23 countries and supports work across each mission area.

Research fuels our mission to end cancer

At MD Anderson, crucial scientific knowledge gained in the laboratory is rapidly translated into clinical care. MD Anderson provides a unique, multidisciplinary environment that offers researchers the opportunity to collaborate with other cancer experts in different research areas and with the world's leading cancer doctors. Our research focuses on four key areas: basic science, translational research, clinical research, and prevention and personalized risk assessment.

In 2012, MD Anderson launched its Moon Shots Program™, a collaborative effort to accelerate the development of scientific discoveries into clinical advances that save patients’ lives. In five years, the program already has yielded notable discoveries. The program includes 13 disease-focused initiatives and 10 platforms, which provide unique expertise, technical support and novel infrastructure to support the program’s team science approach.

Committed to education and training

Led by experts from across the cancer research spectrum, MD Anderson provides leadership, guidance, training, development and support for students and trainees in order to develop the next generation of individuals committed to ending cancer. MD Anderson also provides education programs for patients, survivors, caregivers, healthy people and those at an elevated risk of cancer

The institution’s School of Health Professions awards degrees in 10 bachelor’s programs and two master’s programs in allied health disciplines. In collaboration with the UT Health Science Center at Houston, MD Anderson awards M.S. and Ph.D. degrees at the MD Anderson UT Health Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. In addition, thousands of health professionals participate in continuing education and distance-learning opportunities.

Stopping cancer before it starts

Whereas up to half of all cancers may be prevented, research and programs to promote cancer prevention are prevention is vital to MD Anderson’s mission to end cancer. Making healthy lifestyle choices, including avoiding tobacco, maintaining a healthy weight, eating a healthy diet, getting recommended vaccinations and avoiding excessive ultraviolet radiation, can significantly reduce an individual’s risk of getting many types of cancer.

MD Anderson continues to set the standard in cancer prevention research and the translation of new knowledge into innovative, multidisciplinary care. The institution’s Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences division is dedicated to pioneering research in biological and environmental factors that influence cancer development, creating and implementing interventions to prevent or reduce cancer risk, and improving care delivery, safety, availability and affordability.

“We know we are stronger together, which is why we have committed ourselves to the mission areas of patient care, research, education and prevention,” said Pisters. “By focusing our efforts, and working closely with others who share our passion for ending cancer, we are one step closer to Making Cancer History.”