In 2018, the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center managed 380 clinical trials. Of these, 104 were investigator-initiated trials, designed and implemented by IU researchers. These trials evaluate potential new prevention, diagnostic or therapeutic approaches and are often the last line of defense for patients. A majority of these trials are only available at academic health centers and their affiliated cancer centers due to the rigorous demands of managing clinical trials and complexity of patients’ health.

Physician-scientists at IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center bring the most advanced therapies to Indiana, including a Precision Genomics program that analyzes a patient’s tumor and selects a custom therapy that precisely targets the cancer’s genetic vulnerabilities. IU and IU Health are the only institutions in the state to offer CAR-T therapy, a new approach that reprograms a patient’s own immune cells to recognize and attack cancer. Though more study is required to unlock its full potential, CAR-T therapy is one of the most promising cancer therapies in a generation.

IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center works with partner organizations in Indiana to improve the health of all Hoosiers. The collaborative work focuses on reducing the number of new cancer cases and the number of deaths caused by the disease through initiatives to increase HPV vaccination rates as well as developing, testing and disseminating interventions to increase breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening in racially diverse and rural populations in Indiana.

The IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center makes substantial contributions to Indiana’s life sciences economy. Researchers at the center currently hold 459 grants that total more than $60 million in external funding. Intellectual property filed by IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers in the past 10 years includes 402 disclosures, 53 patents issued, 65 licenses and 12 start-ups.