On September 24, 1997 the National Cancer Institute (NCI) awarded its most prestigious honor -- designation as a "comprehensive cancer center" -- to the University of California, Irvine (UCI) Cancer Center, officially making it one of only four NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers in California.
In the NCI award notification, UCI's newly renamed Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center was commended for its demonstration of research excellence in the basic and clinical sciences, as well as in cancer prevention and control. This latest recognition comes only three years after the cancer center received an NCI designation as a clinical cancer center. It remains the only NCI-designated cancer center in all of Orange County.
In 1996 the Center received a charitable gift of $2.4 million from the Chao family of Orange County. In Acknowledgment of the importance and generosity of this gift the Clincal Cancer Center has been renamed the Chao Family Cancer Research Center. The funds will be used to enhance research and laboratory facilities.