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Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis is an international leader in moving scientific discovery into clinical practice with new methods and interventions to better diagnose, treat and prevent cancer.
More than 350 Washington University physicians and scientists treat nearly 9,000 newly diagnosed cancer patients each year at Siteman, making it one of the largest cancer centers in the United States. Our faculty receive more than $145 million annually for basic and clinical oncology research grants.
Siteman offers patients a diverse spectrum of 340 therapeutic clinical trials, and more than one-third of newly diagnosed patients are enrolled in therapeutic trials.
Siteman researchers are experts and pioneers in cancer care. Recent clinical milestones include installation of two new technologies: a proton therapy facility that is the first to use a compact, single-room system to deliver treatment and the world’s first MRI-guided radiation therapy system.
Siteman is the premier center for innovative leukemia research, with a bench-to-bedside approach that has the potential to improve survival and reduce treatment-related side effects. The National Cancer Institute has awarded Siteman leukemia researchers their third Program Project Grant (PPG), the latest totaling $14.3 million, and an $11.3 million Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant.
As a leader in sequencing the genomes of cancer patients and their tumor cells, Siteman scientists have a unique perspective on the genetic alterations that drive the development of cancer. Siteman researchers and clinicians also are engaged in studies to determine what drugs will work best for patients based on the genetic signatures of their tumors, including breast, lung, endometrial and other forms of the disease.
Public health and prevention scholars are integrating evidence-based cancer control initiatives into clinical and public health practice and are exploring individual and social ways to improve tobacco control.
Siteman bioengineers are developing novel imaging techniques using light that promise significant improvements in biomedical imaging. The new systems are in development for detecting sentinel lymph nodes, imaging tumor boundaries and providing image guidance in real time.
Engineers in optical imaging are developing goggles that use near-infrared light to assist surgeons in visualizing tumors. The investigational technology relies on a biomarker that binds to cancer cells, causing the tumor to “light up” and become visible to surgeons wearing the goggles.
Siteman scientists continue to be leaders in PET radiopharmaceutical imaging for targeted radiotherapy of cancer. An investigational new drug application for 64Cu-ATSM was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, paving the way for a multicenter trial to validate the utility of this agent. If successful, Siteman will submit it for FDA approval for routine clinical use.
Timothy Eberlein, MD, has served as Siteman’s director since 1998. In 2011, Trish Lollo, MPH, joined Siteman’s leadership team as vice president of cancer services and Karen Kharasch joined as executive director of business and research administration. They and the rest of the Siteman team are committed to providing the best cancer care to patients today and conducting groundbreaking research to improve cancer care for patients tomorrow.