A Look at America's 5 Best Cancer Hospitals and Cancer Institutes

Every year U.S. News and World Reports on the tops picks for hospitals across the country. From individual hospitals with general specialization right down to the best cancer hospitals, the list is broken down by specialty making it easy for American's to see where the top rated institutes are. The top cancer institutes are ranked based on patient death rates, hospital reputation, and patient safety as well as other medical factors such as nursing staff and technologies that are available at the hospital. The current cancer institutes that have ranked within the top five on the 2009 list include the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Mayo Clinic and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Here is a look at the rankings of America's best cancer hospitals and cancer institutes.

University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center located in Houston, Texas:

MD Anderson Cancer Center ranked number 1 out of all cancer institutes in the U.S. having the highest score in all fields of the ranking system. Patient mortality rates are extremely low, the hospital has all 7 of the key technologies that were required to rank within the top cancer hospitals in the country and MD Anderson also has top patient services from pain-management programs to wound-management services. This hospital also ranked in the top five for Ear, Nose and Throat institutes as well as the top 10 for Urology care. The hospital is devoted to cancer care and research for prevention of cancer. MD Anderson Cancer Center offers carious forms of cancer treatments include the latest high tech proton therapy in its very own Proton Therapy Center. Each patient gets their very own specialized care plan and no two plans are created equally the same as no two patients or cancers are equal!

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center located in New York, New York:

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center scored a total of 94.1 points out of a total of 100 on the U.S. News and World Report best cancer hospitals rankings. Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) also ranked number 8 for top Urology hospitals in the United States as well. MSKCC consistently ranks within the top two best cancer institutes in the country for its radiation therapy services, renowned surgical expertise and leading oncologists. Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center also provides more than 250 bone marrow and blood stem cell transplants annually making them a leader in such therapies related to depleted T cell-depleted, cord blood and mini transplants.

Johns Hopkins Hospital located in Baltimore, Maryland:

Johns Hopkins Hospital scored number three on the top cancer hospitals in America list with a total U.S. News and World Report score of 62.6 out of 100. In addition to ranking in the number three spot for best cancer hospitals in the country, Johns Hopkins Hospital was ranked in the number one spot for best Urology, best Ear, Nose and Throat hospital and best Rheumatology hospital in the county. Johns Hopkins Hospital is a general care hospital with numerous treatment options and specialties include cancer care and pain management.

Mayo Clinic located in Rochester, Minnesota:

Mayo Clinic scored a 59.6 in the fourth ranking of best cancer hospitals in the United States. In addition for making a number four ranking for best cancer institutes, Mayo Clinic also scored a number one ranking for the following categories of specialty--diabetes and endocrine disorders, digestive disorders, neurology and neurosurgery, and orthopedics. Mayo Clinic offers specialized services with top 10 rankings in 14 specialties from gynecology to psychiatrics. The Mayo Clinic treats nearly every type of cancer known and has specialized knowledge and research foundations to provide the utmost in care for cancer patients.

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute located in Boston, Massachusetts:

Scoring a 48.6 and ranking number 5 on the best cancer hospitals in America list by the U.S. News and World Report, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute specializes strictly in cancer treatment and care. For the New England area Dana-Farber Hospital ranks at the top for cancer treatments and specialties. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute partners with Brigham and Women's Hospital as well as the Children's Hospital Cancer Care Center and Children's Hospital Boston to provide specialty oncology care to adults and children. The Dana-Farber Institute has recently opened three additional satellite cancer centers that branch as far away from the host site as New Hampshire to provide the best cancer treatment and care in the New England area.

Sources:

U.S. News and World Report, http://health.usnews.com

MD Anderson Cancer Center, www.mdanderson.org

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, www.mskcc.org

Johns Hopkins Hospital, www.hopkinsmedicine.org

Mayo Clinic, http://mayoclinic.org

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, www.dana-farber.org