Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center — Research
Building the cancer center of the future today
At Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, a culture of innovation and collaboration is driving research breakthroughs that are unraveling the mysteries of cancer as we work toward a cure for everyone with cancer, everywhere.
By mining vast data resources and deepening discovery science about the genetic and cellular evolution of cancer, we're uncovering the cause and course of cancer for each person and translating our findings into better prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment and survivorship.
A global authority on cancer, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center is investigating the causes behind the growing incidence and mortality of the most devastating cancers in our catchment areas.
Our work focuses on:
- Deepening discovery science.
- Innovating new methods to detect and intercept cancer.
- Developing novel therapeutics and therapeutic modalities.
- Integrating data science, predictive modeling and artificial intelligence (AI) into cancer care and research.
- Transforming cancer care and clinical trials to platform models that can be implemented across geographic boundaries to reduce cancer health disparities.
One cancer center, three unique locations
Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center has a broad geographic reach with campuses in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona; Jacksonville, Florida; and Rochester, Minnesota.
We serve a diverse patient population from these communities and around the world. Our campuses are home to outstanding physicians and scientists who collaborate across the full spectrum of cancer research.
Meeting rigorous National Cancer Institute standards
Designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center is recognized for its scientific leadership, the depth and breadth of its laboratory and clinical research, and for serving its communities and the public by training and educating cancer researchers and care professionals.
Our research aligns with the goals of the National Cancer Plan, which focuses on achieving a society where most cancers are prevented and every person with cancer lives a full and active life.
NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers dedicate significant resources to developing research programs, faculty members and facilities that help improve approaches to preventing, diagnosing and treating cancer. These centers also disseminate evidence-based findings through programs and services tailored to the unique needs and populations of their local communities.
A National Comprehensive Cancer Network member
Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center is a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN).
This network is a not-for-profit alliance of leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research and education and to improving and facilitating quality, effective, equitable and accessible cancer care so all people with cancer can live better lives.
Highly talented cancer researchers
Every day, more than 400 outstanding physicians and scientists at Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center dedicate themselves to finding answers for the unmet medical needs of people with cancer.
These physicians and scientists are driven to ensure that the research we conduct and the care we deliver meets the needs of everyone in our catchment areas and prioritizes their most important cancer challenges.
Advancing science through formal research programs
The Cancer Center has six formal research programs that bring together groups of investigators who share common scientific interests and goals and participate in competitively funded research to provide medical solutions for people with cancer.
These research programs benefit from crucial infrastructure and scientific support provided by 11 shared resources.
Rapidly translating findings into care through SPORE grants
Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center has four NCI SPORE grants designed to rapidly move research discoveries into clinical settings for cancer care and treatment.
The SPOREs support collaboration between our basic researchers and clinical researchers on research projects that result in new and diverse approaches to the prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
Expanding access through cooperative groups and collaborations
Our reach and impact are broadened because of extensive collaborative efforts.
Researchers at Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center work with scientists and clinicians in other organizations around the world through cancer cooperative groups and collaborations.
These far-reaching networks help advance cancer breakthroughs and expand access for people with cancer.
Laboratories boost our cancer research
Many of our Cancer Center physicians and scientists lead their own laboratories and groups that conduct research related to cancer.
These lab-based research efforts encompass numerous types of cancer and related conditions and span the spectrum of cancer research, including investigating the most basic biology of cancer development, improving diagnosis and treatment, and finding new ways to deliver targeted cancer treatment.
Extensive clinical trial options with a commitment to diversity
People who come to us for care have access to hundreds of clinical trials in all phases led by Mayo Clinic scientists.
Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center conducts clinical trials that serve the needs of everyone in our catchment areas and ensures participation by underrepresented groups.
Our success stories
Our research is changing lives, reducing cancer disparities, improving survivorship and forging new ground for the future.
Among our exciting research success stories:
Developing a new type of CAR-T cell therapy aimed at killing B-cell blood cancers that have returned and are no longer responding to treatment.
Advancing research that may help healthcare professionals detect endometrial cancer earlier by testing vaginal fluid for cancer-specific methylated DNA markers.
Filling critical gaps in the understanding of how inherited breast cancer genes, beyond BRCA1 and BRCA2, predispose people to disease, which directly influences cancer care.
Discovering evidence supporting a shorter treatment time for people with breast cancer using a condensed hypofractionated schedule of proton therapy.
Biomanufacturing an experimental cell-based ovarian cancer vaccine and combining it with immunotherapy to study a one-two punch approach to halting disease progression.
Providing evidence that performing a minor surgical procedure on people newly diagnosed with pancreatic cancer helps identify cancer spread early and determine its stage.
News and patient stories
Read cancer news and patient stories from Mayo Clinic, including news about cancer research, trending topics in cancer, novel cancer treatments, patient care, cancer prevention, patient education and more.
Contact us
Researchers and scientists interested in learning more about business, research or collaboration opportunities can contact us by email at cancerresearch@mayo.edu. This email address is not for patient use.
