March 30, 2005                                                                                       PRESS KIT

Moores UCSD Cancer Center Dedication Ceremony Set For April 8

After eight years in planning and two years in construction, the Rebecca and John Moores UCSD Cancer Center building is set to open with the official ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled for Friday, April 8. More than 300 guests are expected. Presiding over the event will be the director of the National Cancer Institute, Andrew von Eschenbach; University of California Regent and donor John Moores; UCSD Chancellor Marye Anne Fox; and others. 

At $105 million and 270,000 square feet, this is the largest project ever undertaken by the UCSD Health Sciences. The new building allows for the consolidation of the extensive clinical, research, education and community outreach programs of the Moores Cancer Center. The facility contains state-of-the-art clinical space that is also comfortable and welcoming for patients; modern laboratories to support research that advances prevention, diagnosis and treatment of malignancy; and areas dedicated to patient support and education – all core missions of the region’s only NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center.

Examples of the building’s highlights:

• Trilogy Linear Accelerator – one of only a handful in the country, it offers virtually unmatched precision, power and speed in pinpointing and destroying tumors
• Healing Foods Kitchen, bringing healthy cooking classes to patients
• Patient and Family Education and Resource Center, with fingertip access to important information
• Cancer Commons, located at the heart of the center this space functions as a living room, with upholstered furniture and a fireplace, and is designed to encourage exchange of ideas
• Bamboo Court, with stands of mature bamboo and granite boulders this signature element provides intimate spaces for quiet conversation or meditation
• Garden of Hope, a serene outdoor setting designed especially for the comfort of cancer patients

Because of the building’s size and scope, move-in and launch of services will take place in phases, starting in April.

Founded in 1979, the Rebecca and John Moores UCSD Cancer Center is one of just 39 centers in the United States to hold a National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation as a Comprehensive Cancer Center. As such, it ranks among the top centers in the nation conducting basic and clinical cancer research, providing advanced patient care and serving the community through outreach and education programs.