Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center

03/13/2026

The Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center is pleased to announce new leadership in our Community Outreach and Engagement office with the appointment of two new assistant directors: Lauren C. Houghton, PhD, and Melissa P. Beauchemin, PhD, RN. 👏 Columbia University Irving Medical Center Columbia Public Health Columbia University School of Nursing

Together, they bring expertise in cancer prevention, clinical care delivery, and community-engaged research to strengthen HICCC’s efforts to reduce disparities and deepen partnerships across the communities it serves.

Dr. Houghton, assistant professor of epidemiology at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health will serve as Assistant Director for Cancer Prevention and Community Engagement and will help expand cancer prevention strategies through deeper, bidirectional community partnerships.

Dr. Beauchemin, assistant professor of nursing at Columbia University School of Nursing will serve as Assistant Director for Clinical and Health and System Engagement and will focus on bridging COE’s community-facing efforts with the clinical enterprise across Columbia University Irving Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, and affiliated ambulatory sites.

https://www.cancer.columbia.edu/news/hiccc-community-outreach-and-engagement-office-welcomes-two-new-assistant-directors

12/19/2025

We are please to announce that the 2025 issue of HICCC's Annual Report, "Pathways to a Cure" is now live!

This issue tackles the biggest questions in cancer today: Why are diagnoses rising in younger adults? How is AI speeding up detection? Which new therapies are rewriting what’s possible?

Our scientists and clinicians are pushing the boundaries- and changing how we prevent, detect, and treat cancer.

And we’re going further: expanding access to advanced care, bringing services into the communities we serve, and training the next generation of cancer leaders.

Read now:
https://pubs.cancer.columbia.edu/

Columbia University Irving Medical Center

We are pleased to present the new digital 2025 Annual Report of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (HICCC).

07/23/2025

The Spring/Summer issue of HICCC’s Accelerations magazine is here!

In this edition, we explore the powerful intersections of scientific discovery, community action, and personal resilience. From fast-tracking drug discovery breakthroughs to long-awaited advances in pancreatic cancer research, this issue shines a light on the people and ideas shaping what’s next in cancer research and care at Columbia University Irving Medical Center .

▶️ What’s on the horizon in cancer research?
▶️ How are we accelerating the path from lab to patient?
▶️ And how are individuals and communities driving change every day?

This and more in our latest issue, below.

Explore the Spring/Summer 2025 issue of HICCC magazine, highlighting patient-centered care, innovative cancer research, and community partnerships. Features include an interview with Director Anil Rustgi, MD, updates on the Irving Cancer Drug Discovery Program, and inspiring survivor stories.

07/23/2025

As rates of early-onset breast cancer rise, Katie is turning a startling diagnosis into empowerment and advocacy.

05/27/2025

People with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have a greater risk of cardiovascular disease. Columbia researchers helped make the game-changing discovery that certain RA drugs reduce that risk—lowering the odds of a heart attack or stroke.

Research Means .

Learn more: https://columbiamed.link/3uEOdMj

01/24/2025

Movement is medicine—especially for girls entering puberty! 🏃‍♀️💪

Did you know that exercise habits during these years can impact early-onset breast cancer risk later in life?

Rebecca Kehm, PhD, assistant professor of Epidemiology, breaks down how staying active during puberty and into adolescence can lower the risk of early-onset breast cancer later in life. Columbia Children's Health Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Learn more about the environmental, hormonal, and lifestyle factors behind this important connection. https://www.cancer.columbia.edu/news/rise-early-onset-breast-cancer-may-start-puberty

01/21/2025

HICCC’s “Pathways to a Cure” Annual Report is live! Columbia University Irving Medical Center NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital

In this issue, we’re exploring HICCC’s latest discoveries in AI, cell therapies, and robotic surgery, sharing inspiring messages from our patients, and spotlighting the next generation of leaders in cancer research and health equity.

Read the issue here:

This year has been a transformative one for the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (HICCC). With the launch of our 2025-2030 Strategic Plan, we are reflecting on our achievements and charting a bold path forward. Our vision is clear: our discoveries here will end cancer everywhere.

10/28/2024

Throughout Breast Cancer Awareness Month , HICCC came together to wear pink in support of those whose lives have been affected by breast cancer. Check out some of the incredible researchers, nurses, clinicians, and health professionals who advance and support breast cancer research and provide compassionate care every day at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital.

Over 200,000 cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year in the U.S. Every October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month helps bring awareness about breast cancer and how to find it early, including mammograms every two years starting at age 40 for those at average risk of breast cancer.

09/30/2024

We are thrilled to welcome Michel Sadelain, MD, PhD, a global pioneer in CAR-T therapies, to Columbia and to the the HICCC.

Michel Sadelain named the inaugural director of the Columbia Initiative for Cell Engineering and Therapy and director of the Cancer Cell Therapy Initiative in the HICCC.

06/02/2024

Sasha's journey through cancer treatment, recovery, and survivorship offers a powerful reminder: it takes a village.

Today, National Cancer Survivors Day, we honor all those facing cancer, remember those we’ve lost, and champion survivors and their care teams.
https://youtu.be/dsmPvuXHD-Y

04/04/2024

AACR’s 2024 annual meeting starts tomorrow! Stay up to date here on exciting research being presented by HICCC physicians and scientists and tag us in your meeting highlights to be featured. American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
https://www.cancer.columbia.edu/news/roundup-hiccc-aacr-2024

04/02/2024

Facing a cancer diagnosis can feel overwhelming for patients. “One major stressor is the uncertainty about the course their cancer will take," says Columbia University Irving Medical Center psychologist Jon Levenson, MD. Read more in the article from TIME.

Support groups and meeting with a therapist can help.