Wilmot Cancer Institute gets National Cancer Institute designation. What it means for care

• Wilmot Center Institute gets $10 million as part of the NCI federal designation, which will provide more patients access to clinical trials and support nation-leading cancer research.
• Wilmot's grant program includes more than 100 scientists who work areas across three broad research programs: cancer prevention and control; cancer microenvironment; and cancer genetics, epigenetics,
• Wilmot serves a unique and diverse part of New York. It covers more than three million people across 27 counties in western and central NY, which has been plagued by high cancer rates.

The University of Rochester Wilmot Cancer Institute has received a prestigious federal designation that expands patient access to clinical trials and develops new research initiatives.

In other words, more cancer patients in the Finger Lakes and New York will gain access to life-saving care.

The National Cancer Institute named Wilmot the nation’s 73rd designated cancer center, placing the institute in the top 4% of all cancer centers in the United States, the university said in a statement. Wilmot is already one of New York’s largest and busiest cancer centers outside of New York City, treating more than 45,000 patients a year.

Jonathan Friedberg, director of Wilmot, described the distinction as an historic milestone, adding the center plans "to leverage this designation toward continued growth, increasing clinical trial availability for our patients, and ultimately decrease suffering from cancer throughout our region."

What does Rochester's National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center mean for care in NY?

The National Cancer Institute, or NCI, designation is primarily a research award, called a Cancer Center Support Grant, which comes with $10 million in funding over five years.

Wilmot's grant program includes more than 100 scientists who work areas across three broad research programs: cancer prevention and control; cancer microenvironment; and cancer genetics, epigenetics, and metabolism.

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The grant also dedicates resources for the education and training of future cancer researchers, clinical trial development, shared resources, and community outreach.

Future plans at Wilmot related to the designation include:

• Building new facilities.
• Launching a new drug-development program.
• Expanding networks in the 27-county region that extends north to Oswego, south to the Pennsylvania state line and east to Albany.

Wilmot serves a unique and diverse part of New York. It covers more than three million people across 27 counties in the western and central part of the state, which has been plagued by high cancer rates and challenges related to an aging population, poverty, and vast rural areas, which can impede access to care.

How many NCI-designated cancer centers in NY?

There are seven other NCI-designated cancer centers in New York, with most in New York City.

The New York City centers include:

• Albert Einstein Cancer Center
• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Institute
• Mt. Sinai, Tisch Cancer Institute
• Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (College of Physicians & Surgeons Columbia University)
• NYU Cancer Institute - Perlmutter Cancer Center

The other centers are Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory on Long Island.

This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy

— David Robinson is a veteran health reporter for the USA TODAY Network's New York State Team. Reach him at Drobinson@lohud.com.