5O YEARS
1974–2024
Since its earliest days, VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center – formerly known as MCV/VCU Cancer Center and VCU Massey Cancer Center – has been at the forefront of cancer research, fueling innovation and a legacy for patient and community-centered care that extends far beyond central Virginia.
Dive into the cancer center’s rich, impactful history on these pages –and you can learn more at masseycancercenter.org/50years
1974
VCU Board of Visitors votes to establish a formal cancer center on the MCV campus and names Walter Lawrence Jr., M.D., its founding director.
The Cancer Rehabilitation Program launches under Susan Mellette, M.D., and goes on to become a national model for holistic care.
1975
The center receives its initial designation from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), establishing it as a leader in the national fight against cancer.
1983
The center is renamed VCU Massey Cancer Center in recognition of William E. Massey Sr. and the Massey family. A building dedicated to cancer research and treatment opens on the MCV campus.
1988
Massey establishes the first bone marrow transplant unit in Virginia.
The Rural Cancer Outreach Program is the first of its kind to deliver expertise and a continuity of care to rural cancer patients.
I. David Goldman, M.D. is appointed Massey director. 1988
Massey participates in landmark national clinical trials including in prostate and breast cancer prevention and receives its first NCI Minority-Based Community Clinical Oncology Program grant, fueling its leadership in equity outreach.
1989 2020 1989
The Massey Club annual leadership giving society is founded.
Gordon D. Ginder, M.D., is appointed Massey director and builds the center’s scientific base and support through philanthropy.
2006 1990s 1997
Massey’s Goodwin Research Laboratory opens, adding critical laboratory space. The building is funded through generous donors and the Campaign for Massey, with leadership support from William H. “Bill” and Alice Goodwin.
2019
Robert A. Winn, M.D. is appointed director and Lipman Chair in Oncology at Massey.
Facts & Faith Fridays launches.
2021
VCU Health Adult Outpatient Pavilion opens, providing a light and hope-filled space for cancer outpatient services.
Massey is awarded National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center designation, the NCI’s highest level of distinction. 2023
2022
Massey becomes the first cancer center in the region to offer MRI-guided radiation therapy to target solid hard-to-treat tumors.
The Healing Space opens, offering a place of respite for patients and families. 2023
2023
Massey on the Move vans are deployed in urban and rural communities, providing cancer education to at-risk populations.
2024
Massey celebrates fifty years of research, innovation and impact.