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The
Art of Discovery,
The Science of Hope
 Cancer
starts in the realm of the microscope. Usually just a single abnormal
cell. Then there are two, and four, and eight, and sixteen…until
the place in the body—virtually anyplace in the body—
where the cancer began has been filled with cancer cells, becoming
a launching pad for new attacks. Some of these cancer cells begin
invading neighboring organs and tissues, and a new cycle of destruction
begins.
And cancer is not just one disease, it is an army. There are more
than 100 different types of malignant tumors, caused by a many-faceted
group of diseases. In Oregon, this year alone, over 15,000 people
will be diagnosed with cancer. Almost 7,000 people will die from cancer.
By the year 2000, one of every five patients in OHSU Hospital will
be cancer patients. You are probably close to someone who has faced
the disease. Perhaps you have faced it yourself.
Today, in our state and our region, no one faces cancer alone. The
Oregon Cancer Center at Oregon Health Sciences University is a major
force in landmark basic cancer research, clinical research into new
methods of diagnosis and treatment, and innovative strategies for
cancer prevention and control. The Oregon Cancer Center is the state’s
only cancer center rigorously reviewed and designated by the National
Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health. It is, in fact,
the only NCI-designated cancer center between Seattle and Los Angeles.
The Center is an exceptional resource, a tremendous combination of
commitment, creativity, talent and technology in the battle against
cancer. In just a few years, it has made terrific (and nationally
recognized) steps forward—even so, to continue on that path,
to realize the Center’s goals and the Center’s promise,
we need your help. |
