NCI and University of Minnesota study sees large increase in number of lymph nodes evaluated for colon cancer:

During the past two decades there has been a significant increase in the percentage of patients who have a high number of lymph nodes evaluated during colon cancer operations, but this improvement is not associated with an increase in the overall proportion of colon cancers that are node positive, according to a study in the September 14 issue of JAMA... The researchers analyzed data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program, from 1988 through 2008. Included in the analysis were 86,394 patients surgically treated for colon cancer.

Click here to read full press release from University of Minnesota .

Among the research institutions NCI funds across the United States, it currently designates 66 as Cancer Centers. Largely based in research universities, these facilities are home to many of the NCI-supported scientists who conduct a wide range of intense, laboratory research into cancer’s origins and development. The Cancer Centers Program also focuses on trans-disciplinary research, including population science and clinical research. The centers’ research results are often at the forefront of studies in the cancer field.