URMC to get $11.5 Million for Lymphoma Research ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) - Rochester could soon become one of the top cancer treatment destinations for lymphoma patients.

Monday the Wilmot Cancer Center announced they have received an $11.5 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to fund lymphoma research and clinical trials.

Richard Fisher is the Director of the Wilmot Cancer Center. He says the specialized grant is only given to institutions who combine scientific research with patient care, placing the center at the forefront of advances against the disease.

"What it means here is that we can get ideas very quickly out of promising lab studies into clinical trials," said Fisher. "And the speed of doing that means our patients will get therapies first, way before they get approved by the FDA. So this is a major advance for people getting treated."

Fisher says while the grant will mainly help patients in the Rochester community, he notes that 40 percent of the lymphoma patients they see come from outside the region. He predicts the grant will cause both a rise in the number of patients they treat and in the ability of the center to attract more talented lymphoma doctors and researchers.

The Medical Center is planning on putting the grant towards several aspects of lymphoma treatment including stem cell research, studying ways to improve the body's immune system, and investigating ways to improve existing therapies.

The NIC grant is specialized funding only given to top cancer research programs, making URMC one of only five specialized lymphoma treatment and research centers in the country.
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