Mass General Brigham Cancer transforms cancer care

Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute is transforming cancer care by creating a more integrated, accessible and research-infused system of care anchored by new ambulatory and inpatient capacity launching at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in the coming months.

The growth comes as Mass General Brigham continues to deliver the very best patient outcomes, with cancer programs at both BWH and MGH ranking among the top five in the nation, and both hospitals continuing to be recognized for overall excellence in care. At the same time, Mass General Brigham investigators continue to accelerate research and discovery, powered by the largest hospital system-based research enterprise in the nation.

Next month, the Cancer Institute will open new ambulatory clinic space in the Hale Building for Transformative Medicine and add to its inpatient footprint at BWH. With this additional growth, the Cancer Institute will provide Brigham-based services in eight cancer specialties, complementing a full suite of disease programs available throughout the system, including MGH where the Phillip and Susan Ragon Building is set to open within the next year, housing inpatient and ambulatory cancer space.

"The progress of the past year reflects what is possible when our outstanding clinicians and care teams come together to accelerate progress on behalf of our patients, while our researchers are driving new discoveries that will shape the future of care," said David Ryan, MD, president, Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute. "At Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute, we are enhancing our services and expanding our capabilities all while keeping our core vision at the center: to prevent, cure, and treat cancer through research infused care serving our community and the world beyond."

"Our Cancer Institute is anchored by world-class clinical and operational teams who work tirelessly every day on behalf of our patients," said Joi Torrence-Hill, chief administrator, Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute. "We are expanding access, opening new programs and spaces, strengthening our research enterprise and building the teams needed to give every patient the best chance at the best-case scenario."

Top-ranked programs deliver nationally-recognized quality

For the second year in a row, Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute's academic medical center programs were named among the top five in the nation by U.S. News and World Report (BWH and DFCI ranked #3, MGH ranked #5). Both AMCs were also named to the Honor Roll of the top hospitals in the nation. Brigham and Women's Hospital ranked #14 in Vizient's latest rankings of academic medical centers for overall quality, underscoring the value of the wide-ranging expertise at Mass General Brigham's AMCs. This progress is driven by our comprehensive quality strategy, For Every Patient, which is driving performance in key quality indicators, grounded in high-reliability principles.

Momentum in new cancer services at BWH

This year, Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute has moved rapidly to launch services on the Brigham campus. Beginning in May with the launch of the first Brigham-based breast cancer services, the Cancer Institute added clinics in gastrointestinal, thoracic, genitourinary, and sarcoma cancer, with additional services soon to launch in lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and classical hematology. Together, these launches are advancing a disease-focused model that brings medical, surgical and radiation oncology expertise together around each patient.

The Cancer Institute also launched new inpatient capabilities which will further expand this fall. New inpatient units, on the 11th floor of BWH's Braunwald Tower, provide comprehensive inpatient care that leverages the broad multidisciplinary expertise of multidisciplinary clinical teams. The Cancer Institute also launched an inpatient consult service to provide expert oncology care for inpatient beds throughout the hospital.

Additional clinical services have been added at BWH throughout the year, including the Cancer Institute's comprehensive Early Detection and Diagnostics program and infusion capabilities, complementing extensive services at MGH and throughout the system's community sites.

New spaces at MGH and beyond

At Massachusetts General Hospital, new cancer space in the Phillip and Susan Ragon Building is set to open next year. Within the Ragon Building, the Herb Chambers Tower will be the home for the Cancer Institute on the MGH campus, housing 228 acute care inpatient beds and 32 intensive care unit (ICU) beds, along with ambulatory space, a 24/7 Center for Urgent Cancer Care, and restorative spaces including a rooftop healing garden.

Beyond Boston, Mass General Brigham's Waltham Healthcare Center is a major hub for the Cancer Institute, with new exam rooms added in March and additional infusion chairs expected in 2027. The Cancer Institute's first Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital footprint is targeted for summer 2027 with ambulatory and infusion capabilities.

Groundbreaking research and discovery

Over the past year, Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute investigators have continued to accelerate discoveries with the potential to reshape cancer prevention, detection and treatment. Recent progress includes a proof-of-concept for developing personalized immunotherapy from immune cells found in melanoma brain metastases, opening a potential new avenue for treating cancer in the central nervous system; comprehensive blood-based protein profiling to uncover biological mechanisms of immunotherapy resistance in melanoma; and an AI-powered approach that tracks facial aging over time to provide additional insight into cancer patients' survival outcomes. Investigators also identified inherited genetic variants associated with CAR T-cell therapy's safety and effectiveness, offering clues that could help refine treatment strategies and improve patient management. Together, these studies highlight the institute's commitment to advancing precision medicine and translating scientific discoveries into better outcomes for patients.

Enhancing access

Across the system, the Cancer Institute has made it easier for patients and referring clinicians to connect with the right expertise. A single access line, 1-855-77-MGBCI, now provides a front door to Cancer Institute services, supported by centralized email and Epic referral pathways. The system's newly unified website, massgeneralbrigham.org/cancer, also provides streamlined patient access. A rapid-access pilot in gastrointestinal and thoracic oncology is also helping patients begin education, testing and care planning sooner when a multidisciplinary appointment is not immediately available.

Advancing research, talent and community support

The past year also brought meaningful investment in the people and discoveries that will shape the future of cancer care. The Cancer Institute expanded recruitment of physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses and other professionals; increased support for investigator-initiated and cooperative-group clinical trials; and continued disease-program planning to align care models and network strategy across Mass General Brigham.

Transformative philanthropy accelerates that work. An anonymous $50 million gift is supporting gene and cell therapy infrastructure and programs at both MGH and BWH. A $35 million gift from Irving Oil is supporting the Center for Urgent Cancer Care and a healing garden in the Ragon Building. The Cancer Institute expanded its partnership with the Boston Athletic Association, with the newly-renamed B.A.A. 10K presented by Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute drawing nearly 10,000 athletes, including 700 Team MGBCI runners. In September, the Mass General Brigham Eversource Cancer 5K Run-Walk drew more than 3,000 participants and raised more than $1.5 million to support cancer care and research.