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Great question — here are the most highly recommended cancer hospitals on the U.S. West Coast, with a short note on what each is known for and a citation you can follow for more detail. I focused on major, research-driven centers (many are NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers) because those offer broad clinical expertise, access to clinical trials, and multidisciplinary care. Top West-Coast cancer hospitals (in no strict order) 1) UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center — San Francisco, CA Why: One of the West Coast’s leading academic cancer centers with strong research programs, multidisciplinary specialty clinics, and many clinical trials. NCI-designated comprehensive center. Cancer.gov 2) Stanford Cancer Institute / Stanford Health Care — Palo Alto, CA Why: World-class translational research, precision oncology programs, and access to early-phase clinical trials; NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center. Cancer.gov +1 3) Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center / Seattle Cancer Care Alliance — Seattle, WA Why: Renowned for bone-marrow transplant, immunotherapy and clinical-trial leadership; long history as an NCI-designated comprehensive center and a major research hub. Cancer.gov +1 4) City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center — Duarte (Los Angeles area), CA Why: Major research and clinical care center with strong cellular therapy, bone-marrow transplant and community outreach; NCI-designated comprehensive center. Cancer.gov +1 5) UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center — Los Angeles, CA Why: Large multidisciplinary programs, recognized by U.S. News among top cancer hospitals; longstanding NCI comprehensive center. Cancer.gov +1 6) UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center — La Jolla / San Diego, CA Why: San Diego’s NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center, noted for genomics, precision medicine and regional referral care. Cancer.gov +1 7) USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center — Los Angeles, CA Why: One of the earliest NCI-designated centers with strong clinical research and multidisciplinary oncology services. Cancer.gov +1 8) OHSU Knight Cancer Institute — Portland, OR Why: Oregon’s NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center; increasingly prominent in translational research and regional cancer care. Cancer.gov +1 How these centers were chosen (quick rationale) Most are NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers, which implies high levels of research, clinical trials access, and multidisciplinary care — an important marker for top cancer hospitals. Cancer.gov +1 Many appear in national rankings (U.S. News/Newsweek) and are noted for areas such as immunotherapy, genomics, bone-marrow transplant and precision oncology. Oncology News Central +1 How to pick the right center for you Match the center’s strengths to the cancer type — some centers lead in specific areas (e.g., transplant, pediatric, immunotherapy, brain, pancreatic), so pick a center known for expertise in your diagnosis. (See each center’s specialty pages above.) Cancer.gov +1 Clinical trials & novel therapies — if you want access to early-phase or cutting-edge trials, NCI-designated centers and major academic hubs are best. Cancer.gov Location & logistics — travel, accommodation and continuity of care matter; many of these centers have regional clinics or partnerships to reduce travel burden. (Check the center’s “locations” / referral pages.) cityofhope.org +1 Insurance & referrals — confirm insurance acceptance and whether a referral/second opinion is needed. Second opinions — it’s common and often valuable to get a second opinion from an NCI-designated center, especially for complex or rare cancers. Cancer.gov If you want, I can: Narrow this to the 3 best options within a specific metro area (e.g., Greater LA, Bay Area, Seattle, San Diego, Portland). Look up which of these centers has active clinical trials for a particular cancer type (I can search trials if you tell me the cancer and any treatment preferences). Pull contact / referral pages and patient navigator info for 2–3 centers you’re considering.