On Oct. 26, 1994, the University of California, Irvine (UCI) Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center (CFCCC) gained designated Cancer Center status from the National Cancer Institute (NCI). It is the only NCI designated cancer center in Orange County.

The designation included a three-year grant of $3 million and was the first step toward obtaining even more coveted status, that of “comprehensive cancer center” like that of University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of Southern California.