20th Anniversary
20 years ago, SCCA was formed with an ambitious vision: to lead the world in translating scientific discovery into the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure of cancer so that our patients can live longer, healthier lives. Our alliance partners, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle Children's and UW Medicine established this guiding principle when we opened our first outpatient clinic in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood and it inspires our work today.
That vision has led us to great achievement:
- SCCA named the top cancer hospital in the Pacific Northwest for more than 10 years by U.S. News & World Report
- Seattle Cancer Care Alliance is the only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer center in Washington state
That vision will lead us into the future as we work every day to advance the standard of cancer care and expand access to the most effective interventions across our region and beyond. Whether it’s through our nine treatment centers in the greater Seattle region encompassing hematology/medical oncology, radiation oncology and infusion services, through our Network affiliations with hospitals in five states or through sharing the results on our clinical trials to cancer specialists everywhere. As we celebrate our 20th anniversary in 2021 return to this page to learn more about how Seattle Cancer Care Alliance partners with oncologists, families and individuals to help our patients live longer, healthier lives.
History
We have accomplished a lot in our first 20 years. Here is a sampling of some of the highlights.
- 2003: Became an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.
- 2003: Olympic Medical Center became SCCA’s first affiliate member.
- 2006: Opened the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Survivorship Center.
- 2008: Introduced the SCCA Mammogram Van, a mobile digital mammography service.
- 2016: Opened the Prostate Cancer Genetics Clinic. The first of its kind in the United States.
- 2016: The Bezos Family Immunotherapy Clinic.
- 2017: Opened a multispecialty clinic for patients with kidney cancer.
- 2018: Opened the Hematologic Malignancy Genetics Clinic.
- 2019: Opened two community clinics in Poulsbo and Issaquah.
- 2019: Washington State Governor Jay Inslee signed the Tobacco 21 Bill into law in a ceremony at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. The legislation makes it illegal to sell or give tobacco or vaping products to anyone under the age of 21.
- 2020: SCCA Peninsula expanded its on-site services to include: hematology and oncology consultation and management, infusion therapy as well as pharmacy and supportive care.
Patient Stories
Fifteen years ago, Ricardo Parker asked his doctor about a small painless lump that was barely visible on his left foot. “It’s nothing,” the doctor told him. A few years later, noticing it was getting larger, Parker consulted a different doctor. Again, he was reassured and told there was no need to worry.
One of the most traumatic side effects of undergoing cancer treatment is hair loss. The emotional wallop can be particularly acute for women, for whom hair is often intertwined with body image.
Whitney Wynn had experienced strange symptoms for years, but her primary care physicians didn’t suspect cancer. Her recurrent yeast infections were dismissed as “just women’s problems” although they were later attributed to the high levels of cortisol being secreted by her tumor.
It’s understandable that Alyson Looney doesn’t remember the worst time of her life. After all, she was just 8 months old when she was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). Twenty years later, her mother, Leanne Looney, still gets emotional thinking about what Alyson endured: months of chemotherapy followed by a bone marrow transplant at Seattle Children’s Hospital under the care of Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) physicians.