Quick Facts
  • house icon next to a calendar outline
    Year Built:
    1998
  • icon of person with first aid kit
    Number of Physicians:
    4
  • Hospital bed icon
    Patients Treated Per Year:
    587 admissions in 2016

Tradition of Excellence at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance

The Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) has come a long way in a relatively short period of time, quickly carving a niche for itself as one of the top treatment centers in the U.S.

In 1998, the SCCA opened originally as a collaborative effort of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, the University of Washington Medical Center and Seattle Children’s Hospital.

That cancer-fighting trio turns scientific discoveries into innovative treatments, prevention breakthroughs and cures that drawn rave reviews from the medical community.

For more than a decade, U.S. News and World Report has ranked SCCA/University of Washington Medical Center among the nation’s top 10 Best Hospitals for Cancer Care in its annual report.

The SCCA network includes seven facilities throughout Washington and four more in Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho and Montana, along with community-based physicians throughout the area.

It provides access to myriad resources, including clinical trials, throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Mesothelioma Treatment at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance

SCCA has a dedicated team working to combat mesothelioma, the rare and aggressive cancer caused by exposure to toxic asbestos fibers.

The team includes medical oncologists, thoracic surgeons and radiation oncologists well versed in mesothelioma who provide a personalized, multidisciplinary approach to care.

Diagnostic testing and much of the treatment for mesothelioma is performed at the General Oncology Clinic at SCCA. The nearby UW Medical Center handles surgical procedures and follow-up appointments.

SCCA recently opened a phase II mesothelioma clinical trial involving the immunotherapy drug durvalumab (MEDI4736) in combination with chemotherapy. It is designed as a first-line treatment of unresectable mesothelioma. Durvalumab is known as a monoclonal antibody that helps a patient’s own immune system attack tumor cells.

Dr. Bernardo Goulart is chief investigator of the multicenter trial expected to run through 2020. Surgeons Dr. Farhood Farjah and Dr. Michael Mulligan perform much of the aggressive surgery that may include an extrapleural pneumonectomy or pleurectomy/decortication.

Seattle Cancer Care Alliance Among the Elite

SCCA prides itself in being among the best facilities in the country.

It attributes that status to a variety of factors that it promotes, including:

  • Patient-centered care: Everything done is linked to better, safer outcomes for patients.
  • Innovation: Employees push the boundaries of conventional medicine and are always looking for improvements.
  • Respect: Staff meets the varied needs of the community it serves by seeking diversity in perspective leads.
  • Collaboration: The culture of teamwork was part of its beginning, and it remains a high priority.
  • Agility: Change is embraced as progress toward the most advanced care possible and never settling for second best.
  • Responsible: Emotional, financial and environmental issues are considered when making decisions.

When patients complete treatment, SCCA continues to work tirelessly with them.

The Survivorship Clinic, which caters to cancer patients, offers support, treatment and education. SCCA emphasizes follow-up programs, and clinical studies for survivors and long-term follow-up care is offered to all patients.

Mesothelioma Clinical Trials at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance

  • A phase I clinical trial to determine the efficacy of using the immunotherapy drug atezolizumab before and after chemotherapy and aggressive surgery. The trial will be done with or without radiation therapy.
  • A phase II clinical trial treating patients with the immunotherapy combination of nivolumab (Opdivo) and ipilimumab (Yervoy). The trial is for rare cancers, including pleural mesothelioma.
  • A phase I clinical trial to define optimal dosage levels and anti-tumor activity of XmAb20717 for selected advanced tumors, including mesothelioma.
  • A phase I and II clinical trial to determine the tolerability, safety and efficacy of using INCAGNO1876 in combination with nivolumab and ipilimumab for advanced malignancies, which includes mesothelioma.