UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center is the only NCI-designated center serving inland Northern California and reaches a 6-million-person region. The center provides care to more than 100,000 adults and children annually and offers approximately 300 active clinical trials across phases 1–3, including regionwide phase 1 access through the “Sacramento Citywide Oncology Phase I” program. An innovative research enterprise of nearly 260 scientists received over $12 million in cancer-related funding supporting 108 projects in 2024, leveraging collaborations across the school of medicine, medical center, children’s hospital and the Institute of Regenerative Cures. UC Davis uniquely manufactures CAR T-cells on site, making it the only University of California campus to do so, and is working to advance precision therapies such as targeted molecular theranostics. Technology leadership includes developing the world’s first total-body PET scanner, “EXPLORER”, and pairing the Ion robotic bronchoscopy system with Cios Spin 3D imaging, contributing to earlier lung cancer diagnoses. In 2025, researchers moved into the $1 billion Aggie Square innovation district to accelerate translation with industry partners. Equity-focused initiatives span the community outreach and engagement office and the new 45-foot “MobileMammo+” program for rural screening, while a comparative oncology program with the nation’s top veterinary school drives translational trials in companion dogs to inform human cancer care.
