On May 2, 2018, the Stephenson Cancer Center received National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation. The Stephenson Cancer Center, established in 2001, is located on the University of Oklahoma (OU) Health Sciences Center campus in Oklahoma City.  Stephenson is the state’s only NCI-Designated Cancer Center, providing a critical resource for patients seeking research-driven, patient-centered, multidisciplinary treatment.

This designation brings the total number of NCI designated cancer centers to 70. With Stephenson included, 14 of these centers now have the Cancer Center designation, 49 have the Comprehensive Cancer Center designation, and seven have the Basic Laboratory Cancer Center designation.

Oklahoma’s pursuit of the NCI designation started 17 years ago, and investment in the center has added up to $400 million.