Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: A Legacy of Excellence in Cancer Care and Research

“Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, founded in 1884, is a global leader in cancer care and research. Committed to ending cancer for life, MSK combines compassionate patient care with groundbreaking research. Our core values of respect, inclusion, and integrity guide us in our mission.”

Since 1884, when it was founded as the New York Cancer Hospital, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center has been at the forefront of cancer treatment and research — and today maintains its status as one of the world’s preeminent institutions dedicated to a single focus: the fight against cancer. This mission, to “end cancer for life,” enables MSK to continue to set the standard in patient care and innovation.

A Rich History of Leadership and Innovation

Founded on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, early MSK leaders were some other very famous donors, including John J. Astor and Charlotte Astor. Over time, its name changed, following frequent changes of location—a tangible realization of the growth and development that would soon take it to the pinnacle of progress in cancer care. The previous site of the hospital on York Avenue was made possible by a donation from John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and opened in 1939. The creation of the Sloan Kettering Institute (SKI) by Alfred P. Sloan and Charles F. Kettering further establishes MSK as one of the world’s leading biomedical research institutions in the 1940s mg337 ***

In 2023, MSK will continue to excel in care delivery with its team of 1,493 attending physicians, 4,638 nurses, and more than a dozen tumor boards for multidisciplinary cancer care, where well over 90% of the new patients are discussed. The teams bring together experts from the departments of surgery, medical oncology, radiation oncology, radiology, and pathology to bring very comprehensive and highly individualized care to each patient.

With more than 25,000 admissions and over 1 million outpatient visits in a year, MSK’s physicians are renowned for their high abilities in diagnosing and treating all forms of cancer, from the most common to the rarest subtypes. Subspecialization at this level considerably increases the possibility of curing patients, which is what makes MSK constantly placed by U.S. News & World Report among the top two cancer hospitals in the United States over the past 30 years.

A Vision to Lead and a Mission to End Cancer

MSK’s vision is to be the world’s most respected leader in oncology. Its mission binds every individual within the MSK community as a whole: nobody has to die of cancer. Its scientists and clinicians work jointly in conducting pioneering research that is altering the knowledge about cancer and is considered to advance better prevention, detection, and treatment of the disease.

Core Value: Respect, Inclusion, Integrity

The core values of MSK form the base of its success. The institution is committed to respecting every individual through the listening, valuing, and treatment of such individuals with compassion as well as dignity. MSK promotes excellence through inclusion with active recruitment and development of disparate talents to develop an all-inclusive community. Upon which integrity is based, it steers clearly the MSK to the right path and maintains the highest standards in the care of patients, conduction of research, and education.

Under the leadership of Paul Sabbatini, MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center remains relentless and uncompromising—leading the fight against cancer through innovation, compassion, and an unwavering dedication to its mission, vision, and values.