Quick Facts about the Hutchinson Center
Mission and focusHistory
Campus and people
Research and accomplishments
Mission and focus
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center is a world leader in advancing the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer, HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening diseases.
- The Hutchinson Center's mission is the elimination of cancer and related diseases as causes of human suffering and death.
- Many people don't realize this, but the Hutchinson Center is solely a nonprofit, independent research institution, and patients are no longer treated here. Some of our scientists, however, are also medical doctors who treat patients at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, the patient-care facility that we run in collaboration with the University of Washington and Seattle Children's.
- In addition to their work on numerous forms of cancer, including a range of solid tumors and blood diseases, Hutchinson Center researchers study a host of other diseases. They include autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis, and infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS, to name a few. Learn more about our disease research »
- The Center is also the headquarters for the HIV Vaccine Trials Network, which is an international group of scientists and educators searching for an effective and safe HIV vaccine. Learn more »
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History
- The Hutchinson Center officially opened its doors in Seattle in 1975. Many luminaries attended the opening ceremonies, including President Gerald Ford, Sen. Edward Kennedy and baseball legend Joe DiMaggio.
- Fred Hutchinson may be our namesake, but he wasn't the person who founded our Center—his brother, Dr. William "Bill" Hutchinson, did so in his honor. Bill, a Seattle surgeon, dreamed of creating a place where doctors could pursue their lifesaving cancer research.
- Also known as "Hutch," Fred Hutchinson was a Major League Baseball player and manager who died of lung cancer at age 45. During his baseball career, he pitched for the Detroit Tigers from 1939 to 1953 and managed the Tigers, St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds. He led the Reds to the 1961 World Series against the New York Yankees.
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Campus and people
- More than 2,800 people work for the Hutchinson Center, including nearly 200 scientific faculty and close to 400 predoctoral and postdoctoral researchers.
- Our faculty includes three Nobel laureates: Dr. E. Donnall Thomas, Center Director and President Dr. Lee Hartwell and Dr. Linda Buck. Learn more »
- We're also home to a MacArthur genius, basic scientist Dr. Mark Roth, who pioneered the use of hydrogen sulfide to put mammals into a state of reversible metabolic hibernation. This achievement one day could be used to “buy time” for critically ill trauma patients. Learn more »
- Our campus, which borders Lake Union on the north edge of downtown Seattle, covers more than 14 acres. Our labs and offices cover about 1.3 million square feet. Learn more »
- The Center has won more than 35 awards for energy conservation and environmental leadership. Our employees embrace a philosophy of conservation and sustainability. Learn more »
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Research and accomplishments
- One of the greatest success stories in cancer treatment, bone-marrow transplantation, resulted from the pioneering work of one of the Hutchinson Center's founders, Nobel Laureate Dr. E. Donnall Thomas. This revolutionary procedure has boosted survival rates for some blood cancers from nearly zero to upwards of 85 percent. Hutchinson Center researchers have trained hundreds of clinicians around the world in this life-saving technique. Learn more »
- Over the years, doctors in our bone-marrow transplantation program have performed more of these transplants than anywhere else in the world, with patients coming from every continent except Antarctica.
- Our researchers were among the first to recognize that the body's own immune system can be harnessed to fight off cancer and other diseases. They have since used this technique, called immunotherapy, to beat back aggressive skin and kidney cancers and are working on applying it to other diseases. Added bonus? Far fewer side effects than conventional drugs, radiation or surgery. Learn more »
- Many of our researchers are highly interested in preventing cancer and detecting it early. The Center leads large international and national projects aimed at discovering new biomarkers—molecules in the blood that signal the earliest stages of cancer development, among other important clues.
- Our researchers were the first to develop a molecular test that can detect when a patient still has traces of cancer: It's sensitive enough to find one blood-cancer cell among a million normal cells. This test allows doctors to quickly prescribe new therapy at the first hint of possible relapse. Learn more »
- Some of our more well-known studies over the years have explored the links between lifestyle choices and cancer. Our researchers have investigated the effects of practicing yoga, exercising regularly, sipping red wine, smoking marijuana and tobacco, and munching on vegetables, to name a few.
- In 2008 the Center launched an awareness campaign called End Colon Cancer Now, with the goal of spreading the word that colon cancer is both preventable and treatable if detected early. Learn more at endcoloncancernow.org »
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Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
1100 Fairview Ave. N. PO Box 19024 Seattle, WA 98109
©2009 Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, a nonprofit organization.
Terms of Use & Privacy Policy.
1100 Fairview Ave. N. PO Box 19024 Seattle, WA 98109
©2009 Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, a nonprofit organization.
Terms of Use & Privacy Policy.
