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The primary responsibility of a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center is to conduct research that will lead to the reduction of cancer morbidity and mortality.
Our research covers the entire waterfront of cancer. We are engaged in research that advances understanding of the fundamental molecular and cellular mechanisms of cancer initiation and progression, research that takes basic information about cancer cell targets to develop leads for cancer treatment, research that builds on the strengths of optical sciences here at the University of Arizona to bring new technologies for cancer imaging to the forefront, and research that focuses on human populations, especially populations at increased risk of developing cancer. With the primacy of this research mission in mind, the research programs and core services constitute a bedrock of the University of Arizona Cancer Center.