An Excellent Diagnosis for Chao Family Cancer Center

In medicine, as in other professions, acclaim elsewhere often precedes recognition at home.

“I get more requests for my comments on patient cases from people around the world than in Orange County,” says Dr. Frank Meyskens, director of UC Irvine’s Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.

He notes that three in 10 local cancer patients seek treatment options outside the county, though he figures the number should be more like one in 10.

But Meyskens, recruited eight years ago to start the center, now sees a chance for attention here.

The National Cancer Institute recently designated the center “comprehensive,” putting it in the elite ranks of 30 such centers across the country. The designation means prestige, opportunities for growth and bucks--a five-year, $8.5-million grant.

One of the things that that money will do is free up UCI experts such as Meyskens to hit the local lecture circuit. He said he and colleagues will be available to local community clubs and colleges for talks on cancer treatment and research.

The center sees about 1,500 new patients a year, 30,000 outpatients and 1,000 people in prevention programs. It also assigns about 250 patients a year to experimental trials of new therapies and plans to use its new rating as a comprehensive center to double that number.

Meyskens also wants to increase business from out-of-state patients. “A lot of people come to Southern California for vacations during the winter and need care,” he says.

The center draws UCI faculty from its schools of medicine, biological sciences, physical sciences, social sciences and social ecology. So far, 135 faculty members participate in cancer research or treatment.

About half of the grant will support salaries for technicians involved in a range of services. Another chunk will fund faculty recruitment and new projects.

All of which may help the center whip up enthusiasm for its biggest plan yet--a $25-million to $30-million general facility.