In 1947, The first attempt at coordinating cancer at University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) was a collaboration between the UC School of Medicine, the city and county of San Francisco and the National Cancer Institute in 1947 with the Laboratory of Experimental Oncology (LEO).

During its five years of operation (1947-1953), LEO investigators produced 124 scientific papers, based upon 605 “experimental treatments” conducted on 467 cancer patients admitted to the lab’s experimental ward.

In 1992, UCSF received an National Cancer Institute (NCI) grant to develop a Cancer Center. In 1999, the Center received its NCI “Comprehensive” designation.