Research Programs at Fox Chase
Discovering how and why cancer develops, and how to cure and prevent it, are at the heart of Fox Chase Cancer Center’s century-long research mission.
Our oncology experts, who have been awarded two Nobel prizes, support today’s patients by investigating problems that range from understanding the fundamental biomolecular mechanisms of cancer all the way through to the treatment of many cancer types in the clinic. As one of the four original cancer centers to receive comprehensive cancer center designation from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), our interdisciplinary research programs couple discovery science with state-of-the-art clinical care and population health.
Fox Chase’s research efforts date back to 1926 with the founding of The Institute for Cancer Research, which joined the American Oncologic Hospital in 1974 to become Fox Chase Cancer Center. Our merger in 2012 with Temple University Health System’s oncology research, treatment and prevention programs has continued to expand our reach, incorporating additional expertise in molecular biology, cancer prevention and control and enabling collaboration with several key centers of excellence, including Temple’s Moulder Center for Drug Discovery Research.
Some of our significant discoveries and contributions include:
- Identifying hepatitis B and developing a vaccine
- Discovering the “Philadelphia Chromosome,” the genetic basis for leukemia leading to targeted therapies for the cancer
- Discovering a new tumor suppressor syndrome
- Developing prognostic gene signatures in bladder cancer
- Demonstrating the efficacy of a targeted agent, ceritinib, in mutated/resistant non-small cell lung cancer
- Increasing cervical cancer screening rates in underserved populations
- Developing advances in radiotherapy
