William Cance, MD
William Cance, MD, Deputy Director of the University of Arizona (UA) Cancer Center in Phoenix has been appointed Interim Director of the UA Cancer Center. Dr. Cance, who joined the UA in October 2016, is also Professor in the Departments of Interdisciplinary Oncology, Pharmacology and Toxicology, and Surgery in the UA Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy–Phoenix.
As Interim Director, Dr. Cance will oversee all clinical operations and research for the UA Cancer Center and will have a primary leadership role in the UA Cancer Center’s September 2020 submission for renewal of its 5-year Cancer Center Support Grant through the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
The UA Cancer Center is among 49 NCI Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the nation and is the only one based in Arizona. The UA Cancer Center first received Comprehensive Cancer Center status in 1990. One of the key mandates that the UA Cancer Center must satisfy for its Cancer Center Support Grant renewal is to address the cancer burden in an identified “catchment area.” For the UA Cancer Center, that encompasses the entire state of Arizona.
Professional Experiences, Research, and Education
Dr. Cance is the Principal Investigator on a 25-year R01 grant from the NCI focusing on focal adhesion kinase. He has been awarded numerous other NCI and National Institutes of Health grants, as well as funding from the American Cancer Society, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Defense. He has served on the NCI Board of Scientific Counselors and is a member of NCI Subcommittee F, which focuses on institutional training and education. His research interest and expertise centers on thyroid cancer, parathyroid disease, and soft-tissue sarcoma. He is board-certified in general surgery.
Dr. Cance received his medical degree from Duke University, completed his residency in general surgery at Barnes Hospital/Washington University School of Medicine, and completed a fellowship in surgical oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. ■
