Choosing a Cancer Center or Hospital
When you or a loved one has cancer, choosing the right cancer center, hospital, or cancer doctor can make a big difference in your treatment and recovery. Learn more about how to search for a cancer center where you can get the right care, support, and expert help.
Types of cancer centers or hospitals
Cancer treatment is offered at different types of centers. These centers vary in their focus on patient care, research, and the range of services they provide. The main types include:
- Comprehensive cancer centers: These centers are designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for their excellence in research, patient care, and community outreach. They offer a wide range of services and work to develop and test new treatments.
- Academic cancer centers: These centers are often part of medical schools or universities. They are also known as teaching hospitals. In addition to patient care, they focus heavily on research and training future health professionals. They typically provide access to specialists, clinical trials, and advanced technologies.
- Community cancer centers or hospitals: These centers focus on providing cancer care close to home. They aren’t usually connected to academic centers. While they may participate in some research, their primary role is patient treatment and support. Many offer practical services such as transportation help, support groups, and other resources for patients and families.
It's important to know that not all cancer programs offer the same level of expertise or range of services. The right choice for you will depend on:
- Your specific type of cancer
- The treatments you need
- The level of support you need
- Which specialists are important for your care
Ask for recommendations
When looking for a cancer center, the doctor who suspects you may have cancer or who found your cancer is the first person you should ask for recommendations. Often, the doctor will suggest a cancer center even if you don’t ask.
Try asking:
- If you were in my place, where would you go first?
- If you or someone close to you had this cancer, where would you go for treatment?
Ask for at least 2 or 3 suggestions and find out if you need a cancer center that specializes in a certain type of cancer. Then find out if these cancer centers accept your health insurance plan.
Finding a cancer center or hospital
There are national organizations that keep directories about cancer centers. Each provides an option to help you locate a cancer center or hospital near you.*
- The Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) of their cancer program members.
- The NCI allows you to search their database to identify NCI-designated centers near you and offers a breakdown of the services they offer.
- The Association of 黑料大湿Posts Cancer Institutes (AACI) provides a state-by-state in their member directory.
- The Children’s Oncology Group (COG) offers a that have experts who treat children and teenagers with cancer.
- The 黑料大湿Posts College of Surgeons offers a list of breast centers accredited through their and .
* Inclusion of a facility or a health care professional in any of these databases does not imply endorsement by the 黑料大湿Posts Cancer Society.
Things to consider when choosing a cancer center
When choosing a cancer center, think about the services and qualities that are important to you based on your needs and type of cancer.
Experiences and services for your cancer type
You’ll want to know how much experience a center has in treating your type of cancer. It's important to know the cancer center can provide all the services you need. You may want to start by asking your primary care doctor and health care team about their experience with the cancer centers you are looking into.
Larger hospitals often treat many kinds of cancers and may have special resources, like tumor boards – groups of cancer experts who meet to talk about the best treatment plans for each person with cancer. This can be helpful if you have a type of cancer that is rare or more challenging to treat.
Often you will need more than one type of treatment. In addition to the types of treatment they offer, ask who will be on your cancer care team.
Consider:
- Does the center provide radiation therapy or surgery services on site, or is it connected with another facility that does?
- Does it offer a pharmacy for you to get your medications? What about laboratory or radiology services?
- Do they have support services, like patient navigators, social workers, counselors, and dietitians to help you and your family?
- Can they connect you with the right specialists if you need them?
Location
If you live in a small town, you may need to travel to a larger city to find a center that best meets your needs. ?This could help you get the best treatment, even if it means extra travel or inconvenience.
Larger cancer centers are also more likely to have clinical trials (research studies) you might be able to take part in.? Some cancer centers have more than one location (satellite) or may only be open on certain days. They may be part of a hospital or freestanding (not connected to the hospital).
Ask:
- If you do have to travel, do they offer a place for you and your family to stay?
- If you need to be hospitalized for medical care, where would that be?
Financial and insurance needs
You’ll want to check with your health insurance to make sure that the center is covered by your plan. Centers that are “in network” are usually covered and often cost you less out of pocket. Some insurance plans cover more for treatment at centers that meet certain quality standards.
Many cancer centers and hospitals have financial help and support resources to guide you through the cost of care. Learn more about financial and insurance matters.
Ask your health insurance:
- What costs might I have to pay – like deductibles, co-payments (co-pays), or co-insurance – at the different centers I’m considering?
- Will I have to pay facility fees for treatment? If so, will my insurance plan cover these extra charges?
Accreditation
You may also want to check if the cancer center is accredited. This means it meets certain quality standards. Accreditation can help you know if a center provides safe, high-quality care. There are several programs that give this type of approval:
- The Joint Commission checks hospitals and other health care centers for overall quality and safety. This doesn’t mean they have expertise in cancer care but does mean they meet general quality standards. You can search their of accredited centers or call 630-792-5800.
- The Commission on Cancer (CoC) is part of the 黑料大湿Posts College of Surgeons (ACoS). It gives accreditation to cancer programs that meet certain standards and offer a range of state-of-the-art cancer services. You can for an accredited cancer center near you.
- The 黑料大湿Posts Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has a certification program (Quality Oncology Practice Initiative or QOPI?) for high-quality outpatient cancer programs. You can for a QOPI? -certified program on their website. ASCO also has another certification process, ASCO Certification, that recognizes centers that meet evidence-based standards for patient-centered cancer care. You can also on their website.
Worksheet: How to Choose a Cancer Center or Hospital
Consider using this useful worksheet to help you ask the right questions and keep track of the information you find while searching for where to receive cancer care.
- Written by
- References
Developed by the 黑料大湿Posts Cancer Society medical and editorial content team with medical review and contribution by the 黑料大湿Posts Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
黑料大湿Posts College of Surgeons. Commission on Cancer: Standards and resources Accessed at https://www.facs.org/quality-programs/cancer-programs/commission-on-cancer/standards-and-resources on July 30, 2025.
黑料大湿Posts Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). Choosing a cancer treatment center. Accessed at cancer.net. Content is no longer available.
黑料大湿Posts Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). Quality programs. Accessed at https://www.asco.org/practice-patients/quality-improvement/quality-programs on July 30, 2025.
Joint Commission International. Joint Commission International accreditation. Accessed at https://www.jointcommission.org/en/accreditation on July 30, 2025.
National Cancer Institute (NCI). Finding cancer care. Cancer.gov. Updated August 28, 2024. Accessed at https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/managing-care/finding-cancer-care on July 30, 2025.
Last Revised: August 26, 2025
黑料大湿Posts Cancer Society medical information is copyrighted material. For reprint requests, please see our Content Usage Policy.
黑料大湿Posts Cancer Society Emails
Sign up to stay up-to-date with news, valuable information, and ways to get involved with the 黑料大湿Posts Cancer Society.