UChicago Medicine expands Cancer Network nationally, names AdventHealth Shawnee Mission as first new affiliate

The University of Chicago Medicine is launching the UChicago Medicine Cancer Network’s new national initiative to bring its academic medicine expertise in cancer care and research to communities across the country. AdventHealth Cancer Institute Shawnee Mission, in Kansas, will serve as the network’s first national affiliate.

“This affiliation gives patients in the Kansas City area better access to the latest advances in cancer diagnosis and treatment, as well as opportunities to participate in clinical trials informed by our research,” said Mark Anderson, MD, PhD, Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs at the University of Chicago. “By affiliating with a strong community-focused healthcare provider like AdventHealth Shawnee Mission, we can improve cancer outcomes in Kansas City and advance the science and practice of academic medicine nationwide.”

UChicago Medicine’s leadership in the cancer field — combined with a commitment to advancing discovery and addressing disparities — is fueling the development of a 575,000-square-foot cancer pavilion on the University of Chicago campus on the city’s South Side. Scheduled to open in 2027 as the AbbVie Foundation Cancer Pavilion, it will be the first and only freestanding facility in Illinois solely dedicated to cancer care and research.

“Our Cancer Network and the AbbVie Foundation Cancer Pavilion represent a single, unified vision: transforming cancer care from discovery to recovery,” said Kunle Odunsi, MD, PhD, Director of the UChicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center. “We are accelerating how quickly new breakthroughs reach patients, bringing leading-edge treatments and clinical trials to communities where people live, and closing gaps in care and outcomes.”

Building on a legacy of clinical excellence and successful partnerships in the Chicagoland area, the UChicago Medicine Cancer Network is uniquely positioned to extend UChicago Medicine’s cancer expertise nationwide. Today, UChicago Medicine is:

• One of only 57 National Cancer Institute (NCI) Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the U.S. It has held an NCI designation since 1974 and the Comprehensive Cancer Center status, the highest distinction awarded by the NCI, since 2008.
• Ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the best cancer program in Illinois and No. 12 in the country, out of nearly 900 programs nationwide.
• Home to over 200 cancer researchers and physicians developing innovative treatments and providing advanced care to patients.
• Supporting more than 300 active clinical trials, some available nowhere else.
• Backed by $84 million in cancer research funding across over 720 grants.

“Cancer care is at a pivotal moment, with number of patients growing, science advancing rapidly, and the need for access to top-tier expertise increasing,” said Thomas Jackiewicz, President of the University of Chicago Health System. “Through the UChicago Medicine Cancer Network, we are taking our place on the national stage while delivering tangible benefits for patients far beyond Chicago.”

National leadership, local impact

UChicago Medicine will collaborate with AdventHealth Shawnee Mission, in Merriam, to enhance cancer care in the Kansas City region by expanding access to advanced treatments, leading-edge clinical trials, and expert second opinions at a new facility that opened in May 2024. Called AdventHealth Cancer Institute, the state-of-the-art building includes chemotherapy infusion centers, pharmacy, imaging, lab services and physical therapy all in one location and features the region’s only MRI-guided radiation therapy. It builds off more than a decade of care that was provided at the AdventHealth Cancer Center Shawnee Mission.

“This partnership strengthens our ability to deliver world-class, whole-person cancer care closer to home,” said Brenda Shoup, MD, gynecological oncologist and medical director of AdventHealth Cancer Institute. “By aligning with UChicago Medicine, we’re bringing nationally recognized expertise and innovation to our community — ensuring our patients have access to the latest treatments and research without having to travel far.”

The UChicago Medicine Cancer Network allows affiliates to remain independent while aligning with UChicago Medicine’s rigorous standards in clinical care, medical education and biomedical research. Affiliates also support onsite research operations, giving their patients seamless access to UChicago Medicine-sponsored clinical trials and select industry trials.

Meeting a growing need

The launch of the UChicago Medicine Cancer Network and construction of the Cancer Pavilion come at a time when cancer incidence is rising nationwide. Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the U.S., with an estimated 2 million new cases diagnosed in 2022 alone. The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention projects new cancer cases will increase by 49% between 2015 and 2050. On the South Side, cancer rates are expected to climb 19% in the next decade, more than twice the projected 9% in the rest of the Chicago area.

UChicago Medicine has been building a stronger healthcare ecosystem for an increasing number of communities in the Chicago area and beyond. In addition to building Illinois’ first freestanding comprehensive cancer facility on its South Side medical campus, it helped create the South Side Healthy Community Organization, a coalition of 12 other community providers working to improve access to care.

UChicago Medicine also formed a joint venture with AdventHealth in 2023 to serve patients in the western suburbs and opened a 130,000-square-foot multispecialty ambulatory center in Crown Point to meet the needs of Northwest Indiana’s growing population.