2025-26 Report to Our Community

The Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, is proud to share another year of momentum and meaningful progress toward a cancer-free future. The past year was one of discovery and determination. In a time when the research landscape continues to shift, MCC’s community of scientists, clinicians, staff, and partners stayed focused on what matters most: Improving and extending lives across Minnesota and beyond. 

To our researchers, clinicians, advocates, partners, and supporters: thank you. Every advance we list here—and all the others that happened behind the scenes—began with your dedication, curiosity, and generosity. Every discovery and every person we reach brings us one step closer to a world without cancer. Thank you for being part of this work and part of our community. 

Our Mission

We exist to reduce cancer's burden in Minnesota and beyond. This mission is carried out through four priority areas that we call our pillars: reducing the cancer burden; driving research discovery; accelerating the path to cures; and enabling research excellence.

In 2022, we set several goals to measure our progress toward a cancer-free future. Starting with this report, we'll share four of those measures every year, so that you can track our momentum alongside us. They are: 

Research funding: How much money our scientists win in competitive national grants. This year, $84.7 million—up from $79 million last year. 

Treatment trial participation: People who join studies testing new therapies that could become tomorrow's standard of care. This year, 418 participants. 

Community reach: How many Minnesotans we connect with through community cancer screening and education events, and research studies that don't test therapies—like surveys and follow-up studies. This year: 113 education events, 69 community screening opportunities, 76,310 people reached, and 5,371 people who joined non-treatment research studies. 

Homegrown trials: Clinical trials designed and led by our own researchers, not outside companies. This year: 33 trials open—that includes nine testing new treatments and 24 answering other research questions.