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Siteman Cancer Center named among top U.S. cancer centers

By Jim Goodwin |
Washington University School of Medicine
The newly completed Parkview Tower offers state-of-the-art accommodations for Siteman Cancer Center patients in need of hospital... The newly completed Parkview Tower offers state-of-the-art accommodations for Siteman Cancer Center patients in need of hospital care. Located at Siteman’s main location on the Washington University Medical Campus, the high-rise features private rooms, a rooftop garden and a family center with kitchen and business facilities, among other amenities.

Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine has been named among the top cancer centers nationally by U.S. News & World Report. The recognition is part of the overall ranking of Barnes-Jewish and Washington University, which are No. 18 on the news magazine’s 2020-21 “Best Hospitals” list, released today.

Siteman was named No. 11 in cancer care, based on a review of 899 hospitals. Health-care facilities are chosen largely on patient outcomes and other data and a national survey of physicians.

In addition to their national rankings, Siteman and Barnes-Jewish each were ranked No. 1 in the St. Louis region and No. 1 in Missouri in their respective categories.

“Being recognized as one of the nation’s top cancer programs is an honor,” said Timothy J. Eberlein, MD, Siteman’s director and the Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Distinguished Professor and head of the Department of Surgery at the School of Medicine. “More importantly, it speaks to the extraordinary care we provide to our patients, care that’s built on one of the top cancer research programs anywhere.”

Siteman’s “Best Hospitals” listing follows recent recognition by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the principal federal agency for cancer research and training. Based on the NCI’s review of Siteman research programs, the cancer center received the agency’s highest possible rating, “Exceptional.”

Siteman is Missouri and southern Illinois’ only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center and the only cancer center in that area to be nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report. The cancer center treats more than 75,000 patients, including 12,000 newly diagnosed patients, every year. Care is provided at six locations in the St. Louis region: on the Washington University Medical Campus and at Northwest HealthCare, part of Christian Hospital; Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital; Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital; Siteman Cancer Center-South County; and Memorial Hospital East in Shiloh, Ill. Siteman also partners with Siteman Kids at St. Louis Children’s Hospital in the treatment of pediatric patients. The facilities all are affiliated with BJC HealthCare.

Barnes-Jewish Hospital and its Washington University physician partners also are part of U.S. News & World Report’s top 20 honor roll of hospitals that excel in complex specialty care.

To determine its rankings, U.S. News & World reviews 16 specialties. Rankings for 12 of them, including cancer, are based on a mathematical model combining mortality rate for particularly challenging cases, patient experience and other data, as well as on the expert opinions of specialized physicians nationally. Learn more about the methodology here.

The 2020-21 “Best Hospitals for Cancer” list is available at https://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/rankings/cancer. Rankings also will appear in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hospitals 2021” guidebook, available Oct. 6.