Mesothelioma Foundations

Mesothelioma Doctors

Over 30 Billion dollars in trust fund money has been set aside for asbestos victims.

Get a Free copy of Surviving Mesothelioma, Lean on Me, or 100 Questions & Answers About Mesothelioma

Mesolink.org now offeres Free Assistance with VA Claims and other benefits.

University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute

Contact Information

5150 Centre Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15232
(412) 647-2811

Affiliated Doctors

The University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI), working in conjunction with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), provides cutting-edge cancer treatments and research services through a network of 19 hospitals and more than 40 outpatient clinics to patients in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia. It offers highly evolved treatment strategies for a variety of pediatric and adult cancers, employing an array of cancer-fighting modalities, including radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery.

Founded in 1984 under the leadership of Ronald B. Herberman, M.D., the UPCI coordinates the research and patient care efforts of dozens of clinical sites in Pittsburgh and overseas that are affiliated with the medical center. The flagship facility of the UPCI, the Hillman Cancer Center, houses a research pavilion and a clinical pavilion, with over 400 researchers and clinicians. UPCI is composed of 625 research faculty members from the University of Pittsburgh, UPMC, or Carnegie Mellon University, and 2300 physicians in the UPMC network. Each year more than 36,000 patients experience the most current technologies, treatments and clinical trial opportunities available, with over 180 oncologists supervising that care.

Acclaimed as one of America's foremost cancer research centers, the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute is the only cancer referral center of its kind in the western Pennsylvania region. It is a recipient of the distinguished "Comprehensive Cancer Center" designation, awarded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to cancer facilities that meet strict NCI requirements for advanced cancer service delivery. In 2007, U.S. News and World Report ranked the center twelfth on its list of "America's Best Hospitals".

The UPCI received over $200 million in research grants in 2007, ranking tenth in contributions from the NCI. The center received three of the highly competitive Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) grants in 2007, for research focused on lung cancers, head and neck tumors, and skin cancers. One SPORE grant resulted in research that demonstrated estrogen's role as a lung cancer proliferation agent. An additional million-dollar grant from the V Foundation for Cancer Research will establish clinical trials to evaluate if drugs that counteract estrogen production will inhibit the growth of lung cancers.

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute pursue innovative methods to advance early detection and treatment of all forms of cancer, while striving toward the ultimate goal of a cure. Research efforts are directed towards ten key avenues of investigation. In the Cancer Epidemiology, Prevention and Control Program, scientists examine specific cancer-bearing populations to determine behavioral and environmental factors that can be modified to decrease the incidence of cancer. Tumor-specific programs exist for brain tumors, head and neck cancers, lung and thoracic malignancies, and urological cancers. The Biobehavioral Medicine Program focuses on the connection between the mind and cancer. Other groups concentrate on immunology, molecular biology, virology, and pharmacology. Special emphasis is placed on the translation of laboratory work into clinical trials that hopefully lead to new treatment modalities. For example, patients with peritoneal mesothelioma can be treated with infusion of chemotherapy agents into the abdominal area, eradicating cancer that may be missed in surgery.

The University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute is dedicated to comprehensive support services to patients and family members. The Behavioral Medicine Department and Social Work Services provide an extensive range of training programs and counseling services designed to help patients and families cope with the pain, stresses, insurance questions, financial burdens, and emotional upheavals accompanying a diagnosis of cancer. The Integrative Medicine Program offers information, complimentary services, and alternative therapies, including herbal medicine, meditation, acupuncture and nutrition.