The Albert Einstein Cancer Center (AECC) was established in 1971 under the pioneering leadership of Dr. Harry Eagle, and was among the first academic cancer research centers to be designated by the National Cancer Institute, a designation continuously held since 1972. Building on the strength of AECC’s outstanding laboratory research, the Center’s clinical research component was inaugurated in 1983, and programs in Cancer Epidemiology and the Biology of Colon Cancer were established in 1996.
Today AECC draws upon the talent of 150 Cancer Center members from 18 academic departments at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine to foster basic, clinical, population, and translational research in an effort to better understand the origins of cancer and its effective detection, prevention, and treatment.
Cancer research at AECC is structured around five interdisciplinary research programs:
AECC’s cancer research programs are supported by 14 specialized Shared Resource facilities that provide technologies and services spanning laboratory, population, and clinical research.
In partnership with Montefiore Medical Center, clinical research activities are conducted by members of the clinical oncology services within the context of multidisciplinary disease-focused teams at the Montefiore-Einstein Center for Cancer Care. A portfolio of Phase I, II and III clinical trials are offered that encompass a wide spectrum of cancers and their specific stages. The clinical trials office provides services for protocol development, regulatory affairs, and data management. The AECC Protocol Review Committee provides scientific review and prioritization of all clinical trials prior to evaluation by the Institutional Review Board.
AECC is committed to improving the health and well-being of the Bronx population, the poorest urban county in the United States. AECC’s treatment research has been successful in reaching a high proportion of ethnic and racial minority patients who are often under-represented in cancer clinical trials. Epidemiological research at AECC focuses on factors that contribute to the excess burden of cancer in poor and minority communities, such as obesity, viral infections, and co-morbid illness. AECC’s behavioral and social scientists work hand-in-hand with front-line providers and community partners to find ways to improve cancer outcomes in the Bronx and beyond.