Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, founded in 1975, is home to three Nobel laureates. It is an independent, nonprofit organization whose mission is to eliminate cancer and other diseases as a cause of human suffering and death. The Hutchinson Center engages in multifaceted research. Its Basic Sciences Division investigates the fundamental causes of cancer at the cellular level and awards a graduate degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology jointly with the University of Washington. Its Human Biology Division expedites the translation of laboratory advances into clinical applications and public health programs. Its Clinical Research Division, a pioneer in the development of bone marrow transplantation and immunotherapy, continues the search for better treatments. The Center’s Public Health Sciences Division studies the causes of cancer in human populations and how to prevent it. The Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division develops treatment and prevention strategies for infectious diseases worldwide. The Center employs more than 3,000 physicians, scientists, and staff.

The Hutchinson Center, together with its clinical and research partners, the University of Washington, Seattle Children's and the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, comprise the Fred Hutchinson/University of Washington Cancer Consortium. The Consortium is among 40 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers nationwide.

In 1998, as a natural outgrowth of these collaborations a decision was made to form the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA), a cancer care organization dedicated to providing the best oncology care available. The SCCA is recognized as one of the most comprehensive adult and pediatric cancer care programs in the United States. Through the SCCA, patients have access to state-of-the art cancer care programs and the latest research-based cancer therapies being developed by its three partner organizations. Patients are cared for by experienced teams of physicians, nurses and support staff.

The Center’s roster of internationally acclaimed scientists include a MacArthur Fellow, six members of the National Academy of Sciences, six members of the Institute of Medicine, four members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and eight current and former Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigators.