Simmons Cancer Institute at SIU School of Medicine
www.siumed.edu/cancer
217-545-6000

The mission of Simmons Cancer Institute at SIU (SCI) is to serve the people of central and southern Illinois by addressing their present and future cancer care needs through medical education, biomedical research and patient service.

FACT SHEET

• The Illinois Board of Higher Education approved a proposal to establish the SIU Cancer Institute in April 2000.  A groundbreaking ceremony was held in July 2005.  In November 2005, John and Jayne Simmons, and the Simmons law firm, located in East Alton, IL announced a $10.2 million philanthropic gift to the Institute to support research.  The building was dedicated in July 2008. It opened in July 2010.
  
  
• The SIU Board of Trustees voted in April 2010 to change the name to “Simmons Cancer Institute at SIU."  Renaming the facility recognizes the change in the legal name of the Simmons law firm and continues to honor and recognize the $10.2 million philanthropic gift to support research made by the firm in 2005.
  
  
• SCI’s permanent home at 315 W. Carpenter in Springfield is 63,000 square feet in size and cost $21.5 million to construct.   The multi-faceted building houses a chemotherapy infusion center, nearly three dozen exam rooms, minor procedure facilities, and a Women’s Health Care Cancer Center with X-ray, mammography and ultrasound services.  A Patient Navigator provided through the American Cancer Society to assist patients through their cancer journey and the Just for You Salon to provide wigs, caps and scarves for cancer patients.
  
  
• Today, more than 30 physician specialists lead 11 SCI cancer care teams.  The teams are: breast, colorectal, gynecologic, head and neck, hematology, melanoma, neuro-oncology, pediatrics, prostate, psycho-oncology and lung. 
  
  
• Side by Side is an innovative counseling program for those living with cancer, including their families and caregivers.  The psychology team partners with a variety of professionals to address the difficult issues that come with a cancer diagnosis using a variety of techniques including yoga, Tai Chi, Reiki massage and other programs designed to reduce stress associated with a cancer diagnosis.
  
  
• Clinical trials research will also be based in the building.  SCI currently has 20 open trials.  There are an additional 100 cancer trials available to SIU cancer patients through other community oncology programs and physicians working with our SCI oncologists, most of which are National Cancer Institute sponsored.
  
  
• The Simmons Cancer Institute’s physicians and specialists have nearly 1,700 patient visits each month.  Patients travel from more than 70 counties in central and southern Illinois to receive comprehensive cancer care from the cancer specialists at SCI.
  
  
• It is projected that 64,115 new cancer cases are expected to occur in SCI’s primary and secondary service regions in the time period from January 1 2010 to December 31 2012.*
  
  
• 59 percent of the counties in Illinois served by Simmons Cancer Institute have a mortality rate even higher than the state rate according to 2009 figures published by the American Cancer Society.
  
  
• The 75 clinicians and researchers who are members of SCI have been awarded more than $20 million in national multi-year grant funding as of 2010.

*Based upon Illinois Dept. of Public Health, Illinois State Cancer Registry Projected Cancers by County                                                                                                                                                                 

8/2010