Although scientists at the University of Nebraska Medical Center have been researching cancer since the early 1960s, the national crusade against cancer was mobilized in 1971 when President Richard Nixon signed the National Cancer Act. Over the past quarter century, remarkable advances in cancer research have been attained. In 1996, the National Cancer Institute reported that the cancer death rate in the United States has peaked and, for the first time, begun to fall. This accomplishment comes as a result of the knowledge gained in laboratories and used by scientists and clinicians to develop improved prevention, early detection and diagnosis and treatment strategies.
Despite the tremendous headway made in understanding the biological and chemical processes that cause cancer cells to develop, the search for a cure continues. At the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center, researchers are developing creative research tools to unlock the secrets of this complex disease and devise optimal prevention and treatment strategies.
