St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital was recognized today as one of the top 10 pediatric cancer hospitals for the 17th straight year by U.S. News & World Report. Every year since 2008, the publication has evaluated about 100 hospitals with pediatric oncology programs and ranked the top 50 as part of its annual list of Best Children’s Hospitals.
Hospitals are evaluated based on clinical data and an annual survey of pediatric specialists. Factors include clinical resources such as bone marrow transplantation services, brain tumor and sarcoma programs and Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT) accreditation. The survey also evaluates compliance with best practices and patient outcomes, such as mortality and infection rates.
“This is a remarkable track record, powered by all employees in the clinical enterprise and their tireless dedication to improving our patients’ lives,” said Ellis Neufeld, MD, PhD, St. Jude clinical director and executive vice president. “We are always seeking ways to improve treatment for our patients, and this recognition, 17 years in a row, confirms that commitment.”
Comprehensive Cancer Center
St. Jude is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. The center has received the highest possible ranking of “exceptional” in its two most recent NCI reviews. In 2022, the NCI extended its grant funding period based on sustained extraordinary progress, stability and longevity. The center also develops and leads numerous innovative clinical trials with national and international collaborating sites for children with cancer.
“The Cancer Center is designed to bring together discovery scientists and clinical researchers across disciplines to advance the best ideas from our laboratories into the clinics and to optimize long-term quality of life for survivors,” said Charles W.M. Roberts, MD, PhD, Cancer Center director and executive vice president. “By pushing the frontiers of what is possible through new approaches, such as immunotherapy and targeted therapies, we are working to bring new treatment options to children with cancer within our clinics and around the world.”
Centers of excellence
The hospital has top survival rates for childhood cancers, particularly acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the most common form of childhood cancer. The hospital has also nearly doubled the survival rate for medulloblastoma, the most common malignant brain tumor in children. The St. Jude Centers of Excellence, which focus on leukemia, brain tumors and the use of immunotherapy to treat cancer, continue to work toward improved outcomes for children with cancer.
In addition, St. Jude is leveraging its Center of Excellence in Data-Driven Discovery to advance research and accelerate breakthroughs in childhood cancer. Using vast genomic data and fostering collaborative efforts with researchers worldwide, St. Jude identifies novel treatment approaches, ultimately increasing childhood cancer survival rates.
With a unique data-sharing platform, St. Jude Cloud, St. Jude fosters collaboration, enabling researchers to work with expansive datasets, contribute their findings and apply new insights to improve treatment strategies for childhood cancer and other diseases. This integrated strategy enables rapid innovation and enhances the precision of therapeutic interventions.
A global movement
To ensure children around the world have access to lifesaving treatments, St. Jude launched the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines alongside the World Health Organization (WHO). The collaboration will provide an uninterrupted supply of quality-assured cancer medicines to treat children with cancer in low- and middle-income countries where childhood cancer survival rates are less than 30%, far below rates in higher-income countries.
“The greatest risk factor for a child dying from cancer is where they live,” said Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo, MD, St. Jude Global director and executive vice president. “Children in low- and middle-income countries face survival rates far below those in high-income countries. St. Jude, along with our partners, is committed to changing this disparity by expanding access to quality care, treatments and medicines for every child who needs it.”
St. Jude and the WHO are collaborating with UNICEF and the Pan American Health Organization on this innovative new approach. While many programs for improving cancer medicines have been developed, this new platform is the largest in scope and most comprehensive in approach.
“Being named one of the top children’s cancer programs every year since the survey began speaks to the incredible contributions our employees make every day in the clinic, in the laboratory and around the world,” said James R. Downing, MD, St. Jude president and chief executive officer. “In the past year, we have made strategic gains in fundamental science, childhood cancer, pediatric catastrophic diseases, global impact, infrastructure, talent and culture. We welcome the best and brightest in the field to join us in our mission to find cures and save children across the nation and throughout the world.”
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and cures childhood cancer, sickle cell disease, and other life-threatening disorders. It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. Treatments developed at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20% to 80% since the hospital opened more than 60 years ago. St. Jude shares the breakthroughs it makes to help doctors and researchers at local hospitals and cancer centers around the world improve the quality of treatment and care for even more children. To learn more, visit stjude.org, read St. Jude Progress, a digital magazine, and follow St. Jude on social media at @stjuderesearch.
