Our History
1902
- Wake Forest College Medical School founded as a 2-year program at Wake Forest College in Wake Forest, NC
1923
- North Carolina Baptist Hospital opened as an 88-bed hospital in Winston-Salem
1939
- A $750,000 trust fund was established in Bowman Gray Sr.’s will, pledging to relocate Wake Forest College Medical School to Winston-Salem and expand its program from two years to four
1941
- Formal opening of Bowman Gray School of Medicine in Winston-Salem with 75 students
Photo: Graduating class of 1943
1956
- Wake Forest University opened in Winston-Salem
1957
- First in North Carolina to use cobalt to treat cancer patients
Photo: In 1957, North Carolina Baptist Hospital installed a supervoltage cobalt-60 unit, a radiation machine used to treat cancer.
1967
- Proposal for Oncology Center, including original summary and case for support, was “hand delivered” to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) by Dr. Charles Spurr and Dr. Isadore Meschan
1968
- Oncology Research Center (ORC) established by Dr. Spurr, ORC 1968-1982 (passed away 1994)
1969
- First in the nation to use ultrasound to detect prostate cancer
1971
- National Cancer Act signed by President Richard Nixon, major focus on world-class cancer research
- Radiation oncology training initiated
Photo 1: Dr. George Barrett (C’52) adjusts a new scanning device used for image intensification
Photo 2: Dr. Damon Blake, professor in radiology, teaches five students in this undated photograph
1972
- Dr. Charles Spurr named director of the Cancer Center
Photo: Dr. Charles Spurr
1974
Received NCI-designated Cancer Center status
1975
Dr. Robert Cooper, professor of hematology/oncology at Bowman Gray School of Medicine, named acting director of the Cancer Center of Wake Forest University
Photo: Dr. Robert Cooper
1976
- Piedmont Oncology Association (POA) created by Dr. Spurr, 125 physicians across five states
1978
- Commission on Cancer accreditation by the American College of Surgeons
- Former Chair of Neurosurgery Dr. Eben Alexander, was a co-investigator on the first Phase III clinical trial for the treatment of patients with glioblastoma
1980
First Brian Piccolo cancer research fundraising event established in memory of the 26-year-old WFU grad and Chicago Bears football player; 3 signature events (Wake and Shake, Hit the Bricks and Pump It Up) have rasied over $4.5 million to date
Photo: 1988 Check presentation
1980
- Cancer Patient Support Program started (part-time program), funded by:
- Junior League of Winston-Salem
- Hillsdale Fund
- ORC
- Rufus T. Stedman Fund of Winston-Salem Foundation
- Greater Charlotte Foundation
1981 – 1985
- NCI funded POA due to growth and number of publications (one of 60 community programs)
1982
Dr. Robert Capizzi named director of the Cancer Research Center
Photo: Dr. Robert Capizzi
1987
POA renamed as the Southeast Cancer Control Consortium
Photo: A Plymouth, NC, family donated $10,000 to support the work being done in the Oncology Research Center at Bowman Gray School of Medicine in 1986. (L-R) Mr. Dallas Mackey, director of the Office of Development at the Medical Center; Mr. and Mrs. Warner Miller; and Dr. Robert Capizzi, director of the ORC. The Millers gave the money to Bowman Gray because of the kindness shown to them during their daughter’s illness and battle with cancer that eventually took her life. The Millers also lost two other family members to cancer.
1989
- Received interim “Comprehensive” status from NCI
1990
- Received NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center status; one of only 24 in the nation at the time
- Blood and Marrow Transplant (BMT) program established, second in NC
1991
- First hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy procedure performed at Wake Forest Baptist
1993
Dr. Frank M. Torti named Comprehensive Cancer Center director
Photo: Dr. Frank Torti
- Department of Cancer Biology created at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center
1998
- Breast cancer sentinel node mapping program launched
1999
- Prostate Cancer Center of Excellence established at Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center
- NCI awarded $2 million grant to establish the Wake Forest Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP) Research Base
Elekta Gamma Knife Unit opened, becoming the first in NC and 5th in the nation
Photo: Elekta Gamma Knife unit
2000
- Multimodality Breast Care Clinic opened
2001
- First in the nation to perform new brain tumor treatment - placement of an intratumoral balloon delivering local radiation - the GliaSite RTS
2003
- Brain Tumor Center of Excellence established
2004
- Freestanding Outpatient Cancer Center building opened with new Surgical Oncology Radiation Oncology and Medical Oncology Clinics
- Comprehensive Cancer Center awarded status as a full member of the NCI-funded New Approaches to Brain Tumor Therapy (NABTT) Central Nervous System (CNS) Consortium
2005
Dr. Boris Pasche named Comprehensive Cancer Center director
Photo: Dr. Boris Pasche
2007
- Dr. Bayard Powell presented at ASCO the incorporation of arsenic trioxide into frontline treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia, changing treatment worldwide
2009
Surgical Oncology Fellowship launched
- Accredited by National Accreditation Program for Breast Cancer (NAPBC)
2011
- First patient to receive laser interstitial thermal therapy (LiTT) at Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center
2013
Comprehensive Cancer Center expanded inpatient cancer services with a six-floor addition
2014
- Awarded $18 million grant for NCI Community Research Program (NCORP) Research Base, one of only two cancer center-based NCORP Research Bases in the nation
- Office of Cancer Health Equity founded
- Surgical oncology accreditation granted by ACGME and American Board of Surgery
2016
First in the nation to offer scalp cooling system to reduce hair loss in women with breast cancer (following the study that led to FDA approval)
2017
- NCI funded $9.2 million P01 “Maximizing Local Access to Therapeutic Deliveries in Glioblastoma”
2019
- One of four institutions chosen by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) to be part of a “dream team” of top scientists focused on finding therapies for T-cell lymphoma, a rare cancer of the blood and immune system
2020
- CAR T-cell therapy administered to the first patient at Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center
- Wake Forest Baptist Health (including Wake Forest School of Medicine) and Atrium Health officially joined as a single enterprise
2021
- P50 awarded to fund iDAPT center, a developing implementation science center for cancer control, only one of seven funded by NCI
2022
- Adolescents and young adults (AYA) oncology program launched, following award from Teen Cancer America
- Atrium Health and Advocate Aurora Health combined, creating Advocate Health
- Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute and Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center integrate, establishing one of the largest cancer programs in the country
2023
Dr. Ruben Mesa named executive diretor of the Comprehensive Cancer Center
Photo: Dr. Ruben Mesa
- Cancer services at Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute and Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist under one name, Atrium Health Levine Cancer
- NCI funded $9.4 million P01 Project MARVEL (Multidisciplinary Assessment of Risks from Vaping during Early Life)
2024
Atrium Health Levine Cancer Proton and Advanced Radiation Center (PARC) opened in Charlotte, becoming one of just 45 proton beam therapy sites in the country at the time