Levine Cancer Institute

Levine Cancer Institute
Name	Levine Cancer Institute
Location	Charlotte, North Carolina
Country	United States
Type	Specialist
Speciality	Oncology
Founded	2013

Levine Cancer Institute Levine Cancer Institute is an oncology network affiliated with a major health system in North Carolina that provides multidisciplinary cancer care, research, and education. The institute integrates medical oncology, radiation oncology, surgical oncology, hematology, and subspecialty services across a regional network to serve patients from urban and rural areas. It collaborates with academic centers, community hospitals, nonprofit organizations, and governmental agencies to advance cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

Overview

The institute delivers coordinated care across specialties including medical oncology, radiation oncology, surgical oncology, hematology, and palliative care while partnering with entities such as Atrium Health, Carolinas Medical Center, Novant Health, Duke University School of Medicine, and Wake Forest School of Medicine. Core programs span tumor-specific clinics for breast cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, hematologic malignancys, and gynecologic oncology with tumor boards and multidisciplinary conferences. It embeds supportive services drawing on collaborations with American Cancer Society, Susan G. Komen, National Cancer Institute, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and community organizations to enhance screening, navigation, and survivorship. The institute emphasizes evidence-based pathways aligned with guidelines from National Comprehensive Cancer Network, American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Society for Radiation Oncology, and Society of Surgical Oncology.

History

The organization was established in the 2010s as part of a strategic expansion by Atrium Health and key clinical leaders from institutions including Duke University Medical Center and UNC Health Care. Early initiatives involved consolidating practices from regional centers such as Carolinas Medical Center-Mercy, Levine Children’s Hospital, and affiliated community hospitals. Significant milestones included forming translational research partnerships with Vanderbilt University Medical Center and establishing clinical trial infrastructure linked to the National Cancer Institute network and cooperative groups like Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology and SWOG Cancer Research Network. Leadership recruited physician-scientists with backgrounds at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, MD Anderson Cancer Center, and Brigham and Women's Hospital to build subspecialty clinics and molecular diagnostics capabilities. Over time, the institute expanded service lines, acquired advanced technology from vendors partnered with Varian Medical Systems and Elekta AB, and participated in regional cancer coalitions and registries such as the North Carolina Central Cancer Registry.

Clinical Services and Programs

Clinical offerings include systemic therapy with chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted agents informed by genomic profiling from laboratories such as Foundation Medicine, Caris Life Sciences, and Guardant Health. Radiation services utilize technologies from Varian Medical Systems and Elekta AB for stereotactic radiosurgery, intensity-modulated radiation therapy, and brachytherapy. Surgical programs cover minimally invasive and robotic procedures using platforms from Intuitive Surgical for urologic, gynecologic, thoracic, and gastrointestinal malignancies. Specialized clinics address hereditary cancer risk with genetic counseling linked to American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics guidelines and integrate reconstruction services with plastic surgery teams trained in techniques from Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic. Supportive oncology includes pain management, rehabilitation, fertility preservation in collaboration with Shady Grove Fertility, and integrative medicine programs modeled after initiatives at Dana–Farber Cancer Institute.

Research and Clinical Trials

The institute operates a clinical trials office that participates in cooperative group trials from SWOG, Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, and Children's Oncology Group as well as industry-sponsored studies by pharmaceutical companies such as Roche, Pfizer, Merck & Co., Bristol Myers Squibb, and AstraZeneca. Translational research programs focus on tumor genomics, immuno-oncology, precision medicine, and biomarkers in collaboration with academic partners including Duke Cancer Institute, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Emory Winship Cancer Institute. Investigators publish in journals like Journal of Clinical Oncology, Cancer Research, and The Lancet Oncology and present at meetings organized by ASCO, ESMO, ASTRO, and SABCS. The institute hosts biobanking initiatives, genomic sequencing pipelines, and participates in early-phase trials coordinated with networks such as CTEP and consortia including NCI MATCH.

Affiliations and Network

The network affiliations extend to regional health systems and academic centers including Atrium Health University City, Carolinas Medical Center affiliates, Wake Forest Baptist Health, and community hospitals across North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia. Strategic collaborations include partnerships with nonprofit organizations like American Cancer Society, research foundations such as Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and policy stakeholders including North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. The institute participates in regional tumor registries, quality collaboratives, and value-based care programs aligned with payers including Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and private insurers.

Facilities and Locations

Facilities comprise comprehensive cancer centers, outpatient infusion centers, radiation therapy suites, surgical operating rooms, and inpatient oncology beds located in urban hubs such as Charlotte, North Carolina, satellite clinics in suburban and rural communities, and specialty units in tertiary hospitals. Key locations include major campuses affiliated with Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center and community sites integrated with imaging centers offering PET/CT and MRI technologies from vendors like Siemens Healthineers and GE Healthcare. The institute invested in electronic health records interoperability with systems including Epic Systems Corporation to coordinate care across sites.

Patient Care and Support Services

Patient-centered services include navigation programs, psychosocial oncology, survivorship clinics, clinical nutrition, and palliative care teams working with hospices and community providers such as Hospice of Charlotte and Gentiva Health Services. Financial counseling, clinical social work, and patient advocacy collaborate with foundations like CancerCare and Patient Advocate Foundation. Educational outreach includes community screening events, sun-safety campaigns with American Academy of Dermatology, tobacco cessation programs aligned with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and clinical education for trainees from Wake Forest School of Medicine and Duke University School of Medicine.

Category:Cancer hospitals in the United States