Frank --
See
this thread from 2007 about Stanford, which at that time was not a NCI-designated cancer center or comprehensive cancer center -- but was (and still is) a member of the
National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of 20+ top cancer centers across the country that devises the annual state-of-the-art treatment protocols.
The thread explains what designation by the National Cancer Institute (not NIH) means and what the difference is between NCI-designated "cancer centers" and "comprehensive cancer centers." NCI designation has to do only with research (since NCI is a significant source of research funding), NOT patient care. And, as Gary notes in the thread, institutions choose to apply to NCI for designation as a cancer center or comprehensive cancer center -- not every facility may want to go through all the paperwork.
Since that thread was published, Stanford has become an NCI-designated cancer center. The most up-to-date list of NCI-designated centers is
here. (The OCF list linked in one of the posts above has not been updated; that's why Stanford is not listed.)
On these boards, the term "comprehensive cancer center" or CCC has a different meaning from the research-specific definition of the NCI designation. It is typically used here to describe a facility that treats cancer using a team approach, bringing in medical personnel from a variety of specialties to weigh in on each case. This "comprehensive" approach is designed to ensure that the various specialists work closely together and are aware of what other team members are doing. Because head & neck cancers can affect so many vital functions, it's critical to have everyone involved on the same page.
Don --
Just FYI, the OCF list of NCI-designated centers includes both "cancer centers" and "comprehensive cancer centers" (as defined in the NCI designation).
But for our purposes, the difference between the two is irrelevant, since all of the NCI-designated facilities -- except for a very few, such as the Wistar Institute or the Salk Institute, which are research-only and do not treat patients directly -- use a team approach typical of a CCC.
