Photo by Dave Ranney
U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kansas, addresses reporters Monday shortly after touring the University of Kansas Cancer Center. Robert promised to actively support the center’s efforts to earn National Cancer Institute designation.
U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kansas, promised to be an active “cheerleader” for University of Kansas Cancer Center’s quest for being designated a National Cancer Institute.
“We have every indication that we will be successful,” Roberts said, meeting with reporters after touring the cancer center this week.
Plans call for the KU Cancer Center filing its 1,000-page application for NCI status on Sept. 25, 2011.
Roberts serves on the Senate Committee on Finance and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
“Those are two of the most powerful health care committees in Congress,” said Keith Yehle, director of federal relations at the cancer institute.
Roberts stressed that there wasn’t much “political” he could do because the designation criteria are driven by facilities, staffing and performance and are subject to peer review. Instead, he said, he would do what he could to make sure the National Institute of Health and the National Cancer Institute are adequately funded.
Both national agencies, he said, support the KU Cancer Center.
Roberts noted that most of 65 NCI-designated cancer centers are on the east and west coasts; only a few are in the Midwest. “We want to make that point very loud and clear,” he said.
Asked for an update on the center’s progress, director Roy Jensen noted that:
• Remodeling work has begun on the Hixon, Wahl and Lied buildings — roughly 170,000 square feet — on the KU Medical Center campus. By next summer, the buildings, he said, will be “world-class research space.”
• “Very active discussions” Jensen said, are underway with the Kansas Bioscience Authority on the construction of a building on KU’s west campus in Lawrence to house the center’s “drug discovery and delivery activities.” Jensen said he expects the building to be a topic of discussion during the KBA’s October board meeting.
• The state’s Congressional delegation has been contacted on the prospects of using “earmarks” to purchase research equipment.
• Three new “discovery and delivery projects” involving cancer drugs are expected to enter Phase One clinical in the next 12 months.
On Tuesday, KU Cancer Center officials dedicated the Richard and Annette Bloch Cancer Care Pavilion.
Annette Bloch donated $20 million for the pavilion in memory of her late husband, who co-founded the tax-preparation company H&R Block.
The pavilion serves as the cancer center’s outpatient clinic.
-Dave Ranney is a staff writer for KHI News Service, which specializes in coverage of health issues facing Kansans. He can be reached at dranney@khi.org or at 785-233-5443, ext. 128.