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Massey Cancer Center

Contact Information

401 College Street Richmond, VA 23298
(804) 828-0450

The Massey Cancer Center is part of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond, Virginia. They are one of only 25 recognized National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Cancer Centers. This means that a considerable aspect of the newest cancer research done in this country is developed at the Massey Cancer Center. They have 500 researchers, of which 175 are faculty at VCU. Because this cancer center is a research facility as well as a provider of patient care, when new discoveries are made they can go from the labs to the patients more quickly.

Cancer Treatment

Clinical trials traditionally make it easy to provide patients with new treatment options as soon as they are developed. Massey conducts the most cancer-related clinical trials in the state of Virginia. Massey offers Phase I clinical trials, which means they study treatments and diagnostic procedures that are fresh from the laboratory. Phase I trials are the first step towards approval by the FDA.

As with the best NCI-designated cancer centers, Massey believes in the team concept. Each team focuses on a particular type of cancer and is comprised of specialists from many disciplines, including surgical oncology, radiation oncology, and medical oncology. The lung cancer experts at Massey are known as the Chest Tumor Team. This team approach to treating cancer ensures services such as:

Consultations between experts in different disciplines for each case.
Quicker diagnosis and evaluation of the cancer.
The newest and most innovative treatment options available.
The chance to be part of clinical trials.

Pain and Symptom Management Clinic and Palliative Care

Someone who has mesothelioma, a form of lung, stomach, heart or testicular cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos, may benefit from Massey’s Pain and Symptom Management Clinic. Mesothelioma has no cure and often the treatment for it revolves around palliative care. This type of care is centered on relieving pain, making the patient more comfortable, and improving the quality of their life for the time that they have left.

Cancer and its treatment can cause constant pain and is often not treated as it should be. At the Pain Management Clinic, the staff helps to educate patients who have a lot of pain on how to manage it. They can also offer a wide range of medication options. The Pain Management Clinic also offers physical therapy to manage pain and employ people who can provide spiritual support.

Research at Massey

Because of Massey’s NCI cancer center designation they are able to receive funding – 50 percent of which is from private donors – to retain researchers, physicians, and scientists to conduct research in the field of cancer. Massey has five cancer research programs:

Studies on preventing and controlling cancer
Research on the biology of cancer cells
Development of new cancer treatments
Studies on cancer immune mechanisms
Research into the advancements in radiation biology and oncology

One of their characteristic research activities is known as translational research, which means their research on a specific procedure or treatment can go directly from the laboratory to the patient.