World Cancer Day 2024 comes amid the arrival of new, innovative facilities and technologies at Ohio State, along with our continuing commitment to world-class care for patients and their families. “On World Cancer Day, we reflect on the successes achieved through care and research, but more importantly, on the opportunities that lie ahead as we continue to work to create a cancer-free world,” says David Cohn, MD, MBA, the interim CEO of The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute at The Ohio State University. “At The James and leading institutions across the world, dedicated experts are working every day to break new ground in existing and emerging areas of care, including robotic surgery, immunotherapy, cellular therapy, digital pathology and much more.” Those innovative treatments are provided by The James’ team of talented oncology experts, including dedicated doctors who specialize in dozens of cancer types, and a growing team of researchers who work with patients on clinical trials that help bring new treatments to the world. “We’ve recruited more than 200 new members over the past four years, and that’s more than most cancer centers in the United States,” says Raphael Pollock, MD, PhD, the director of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. “This is the best collaborative environment for cancer research of any place I know of.” As a Comprehensive Cancer Center, The James’ researchers are part of a multidisciplinary team that includes surgeons, nurses, physical therapists and more who care for patients at several locations across central Ohio. One of the latest of these state-of-the-art facilities is The James Outpatient Care, which features our proton therapy center, the first of its kind in the region. “Proton therapy is the perfect example of personalized care in cancer. You can target the proton beam in a highly specific way that results in virtually no damage to the surrounding healthy tissues,” said Arnab Chakravarti, MD, director of the proton therapy center and chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at The James. “This technology has the potential to literally improve the health and well-being of millions of people across Ohio and beyond.” As important as new and improved cancer treatments and technologies, though, is the reduction and eventual elimination of disparities that can limit access and information. Ohio State oncology leaders are working with government and community representatives to advocate for care equity, along with the widespread availability of prevention knowledge and potentially life-saving screening. “It’s vital that health care providers everywhere team up with patients to emphasize prevention and early detection through lifestyle choices and screening,” Cohn says. “We also need national, state and local leaders to join the cause to spread the word about these incredibly important efforts, and to guarantee access to the latest life saving cancer care to everyone, everywhere.”