Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) is the world’s oldest and largest private institution devoted to prevention, patient care, research, and education in cancer. MSKCC scientists and clinicians generate innovative approaches to better understand, diagnose, and treat cancer. Since its founding in 1884, MSKCC has been focused on both patient care and innovative research, making significant contributions to new and better therapies for the treatment of cancer. Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center is a consolidation of two organizations: the Sloan-Kettering Institute, one of the nation's premier biomedical research organizations; and Memorial Hospital. They were unified as a single entity in 1960.

Today the center has more than 800 physicians and 11,000 employees accommodating more than a half-million outpatient visits and over 24,000 inpatient admissions each year. Services are delivered at numerous sites, which together constitute a network of community-based cancer treatment facilities. MSKCC's Breast Examination Center of Harlem, for example, provides breast and cervical cancer screening at no extra expense to the women of the Harlem community.

During the past decade, Memorial Sloan-Kettering researchers have made impressive advances in understanding the causes of cancer, particularly the genetic basis of many common cancers, and in developing new approaches for prevention, early detection, and treatment. MSKCC's 23-story Zuckerman Research Center, which opened in mid-2006, houses many laboratories and research programs.

Memorial Sloan-Kettering's distinctive "disease management" program formalizes the institution’s interdisciplinary approach to care. A disease-management team brings together experts in specific types of cancer, such as breast, colorectal, and lung, as well as prevention and wellness. Teams may consist of medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists, and other health professionals, an approach that integrates the knowledge and expertise from numerous disciplines in order to optimize care for each patient.

The social, emotional, and psychological needs of patients and their families are at the forefront of care. The Center offers a full range of programs to help patients and families throughout all phases of treatment, including support groups, genetic counseling, help managing cancer pain and symptoms, rehabilitation, assistance in navigating life after treatment, as well as integrative medicine services, which are offered at the Bendheim Integrative Medicine Center. This spa-like facility, which is open to community members as well as families and friends of Memorial Sloan-Kettering patients, offers therapies including massage, acupuncture, hypnotherapy, meditation, nutritional counseling, music therapy, and yoga.

For patients seeking refuge and respite from cancer and its treatment, the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Patient Recreation Pavilion offers adult patients and their visitors a wide range of arts and crafts activities, a well-equipped library, an outdoor terrace, and regular entertainment events. Recreation therapists lead activities such as copper enameling, watercolor, woodworking, origami, and stained glass. Other evening activities include bingo and Las Vegas nights. Live performances by outside entertainers, including students from the Juilliard School, are held several times each week. Crafts and activities are also available in patients' rooms.

Patients traveling to MSKCC from outside the United States are accommodated through the Bobst International Center, which provides a comfortable place for international patients and their families to coordinate their clinical and personal needs. Before a patient’s arrival, specially trained staff members assemble the medical information physicians need to arrange for an opinion by mail, an on-site second-opinion consultation, or medical care. During a patient’s stay, guest services staff serve as liaisons for planning lodging, air travel, local transport, and more. A limited number of private hospital rooms and suites are available for patients with special needs. One of the hospital floors offers private suites, featuring spacious rooms, baths, and sitting rooms, as well as a lounge and library for family members and companions. Upon request, interpreters can be made available to assist international patients with medical consultations as well as non-medical encounters.