About Us
M. D. Anderson's 60th Anniversary
2001: A Cancer Odyssey
In 1941, World War II was raging in Europe, Citizen Kane was in movie theatres, and a state cancer hospital was born by an act of the Texas Legislature. The M. D. Anderson Hospital for Cancer Research of The University of Texas started out in temporary quarters on the Baker estate near downtown Houston. Back then, little was known about how cancer started or spread, and only a handful of treatments were available. Cancer survival rates were a dismal 25%.
How far we've come since then
In 2001, M. D. Anderson had much to celebrate. In the previous 60 years, half a million people entered our doors looking for hope – and found it. Cancer survivor rates have reached 60%. We've trained more than 40,000 cancer professionals who work all over the world. Our researchers have paved the way for an impressive arsenal of modern cancer treatments. Since 1941, our mission has remained the same: to eliminate cancer in Texas, the nation and the world. Sixty years is a long time, but we've only just begun Making Cancer History.