UPMC - Hillman Cancer Center

What UPMC - Hillman Cancer Center does

UPMC Hillman Cancer Center is a private, nonprofit NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center founded in 1985 and headquartered at 5150 Centre Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is the only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in western Pennsylvania and operates under the UPMC health system with a formal academic affiliation with the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. The center employs 5,001–10,000 staff and coordinates more than 300 researchers with clinical teams to advance laboratory findings into novel clinical trials, spanning basic, translational, clinical, and population science across cancer prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, and end-of-life care.

Its core technology portfolio centers on molecular diagnostics, next-generation sequencing, cellular therapies, immunotherapy, and advanced imaging. Notable proprietary technologies include the BiliSeq DNA/RNA-based next-generation sequencing panel for bile duct cancer detection (82% sensitivity, 98% specificity in a six-year prospective study of over 2,000 patients), a ctDNA blood test to guide surgical de-escalation in women 70+ with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, and a radiopharmaceutical development program. Shared research infrastructure includes the Advanced Cancer Cellular Therapy Laboratory, Cancer Genomics Facility, Cell & Tissue Imaging Facility, Cytometry Facility, Cancer Bioinformatics Services, and the Population-based Cancer Data and Analytics (PANDA) facility. AI is applied through deep-learning mammography screening and bioinformatics-driven genomic analysis.

Revenue is generated through four primary streams: NIH/NCI research funding (including the Cancer Center Support Grant), clinical patient care services billed through standard insurance, philanthropic donations (e.g., Rush to Crush Cancer, Circle of Hope), and education and training programs for students, residents, and healthcare professionals. Go-to-market is multi-modal: physician referrals and direct patient acquisition for clinical care, peer-reviewed publications and conferences (e.g., ASCO) for research positioning, and community outreach for catchment-area engagement. The center is led by incoming director John Byrd, MD (effective November 2025), succeeding Robert Ferris, MD, PhD.

Name

UPMC - Hillman Cancer Center

Legal name

UPMC Hillman Cancer Center

Website

https://hillmanresearch.upmc.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

UPMC Hillman Cancer Center is an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in Pittsburgh — the only one in western Pennsylvania — providing cancer prevention, detection, treatment, survivorship, and end-of-life care while conducting basic, translational, clinical, and population research across cancer.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Oncology Treatment and Research Services

NAICS

Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals (622310), Medical Laboratories (621511), Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories (6215)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Medical Laboratories (8071)

akta.pro primary industry

Oncology & Cancer Specialty Hospitals (HLAFAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Molecular Tumor Boards & Clinical Interpretation Services (HLAAANAD), Clinical Research & Trial Central Laboratories (HLAFAMAL), Medical Oncology (HLAKAFAB)

Keywords

• Cancer treatment services
• Clinical oncology research
• Molecular diagnostics
• Clinical trials management
• Cancer immunotherapy

Headquarters

HQ city

Pittsburgh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. NIH Research Funding: Federal research funding from the National Cancer Institute and other NIH institutes. In Pennsylvania alone, NIH funding amounted to $2.27 billion in 2025 supporting thousands of jobs and hundreds of businesses. UPMC Hillman is an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center receiving Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG) funding.
2. Patient Care Services: Clinical care revenue from providing cancer treatment services to patients. As the preeminent institution in western Pennsylvania for cancer care, the center provides both standard treatments and access to novel clinical trials.
3. Philanthropic Donations: Donations and fundraising through programs like Circle of Hope (minimum $10,000/year commitment), Rush to Crush Cancer events, and general donations. Funding supports pilot research projects and facility improvements.
4. Education and Training Programs: Revenue from training programs for high school students, undergraduates, PhD graduate students, postdoctoral associates, medical students, residents, and healthcare professionals. Includes specialized fellowships and training grants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

UPMC Hillman Cancer Center is an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center that delivers comprehensive clinical cancer care, runs basic, translational, and clinical cancer research, manages Phase I–III clinical trials, and trains the next generation of oncology researchers and clinicians. It also operates proprietary molecular diagnostics such as BiliSeq and ctDNA blood tests and provides shared research infrastructure to investigators.

Product overview

UPMC Hillman Cancer Center is an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center offering a portfolio of molecular diagnostic tests and clinical research services. The core offerings include BiliSeq (a DNA/RNA-based sequencing panel for bile duct cancer detection) and ctDNA blood tests for breast cancer treatment guidance. These diagnostic products are complemented by extensive clinical research services including clinical trials across all phases, and shared research resources such as cellular therapy, genomics, and imaging facilities that support the center's research mission.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BiliSeq Molecular Test A DNA/RNA-based next-generation sequencing panel developed by UPMC Hillman clinician-researchers for detecting bile duct cancer. In a six-year prospective study of nearly 3,000 bile duct specimens from over 2,000 patients, BiliSeq V2/V3 achieved 82% sensitivity and 98% specificity compared to 44% sensitivity for standard pathology alone, with combined detection reaching nearly 90%. The test identifies treatment-relevant information in about one-fifth of patients, changing care decisions in nearly one-third of those cases. It is intended for patients with suspected or confirmed bile duct cancer and their treating clinicians.
• ctDNA Blood Test for Breast Cancer A circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) blood test used to identify women aged 70 and older with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer who may safely avoid surgery. Patients with negative ctDNA tests were more likely to have stable disease or tumor shrinkage on endocrine therapy alone. Results were published in Clinical Cancer Research and the test is intended for older ER+ breast cancer patients considering surgical de-escalation.
• Clinical Research Services Comprehensive clinical research services including Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III clinical trials, clinical protocol and data management, and protocol review monitoring. Translates Hillman science into patient care and is offered to investigators, sponsors, and patients in western Pennsylvania.
• Cancer Treatment and Clinical Care Services Comprehensive clinical cancer care services spanning prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, and end-of-life care, delivered at the Pittsburgh facility as the only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in western Pennsylvania. Includes standard-of-care therapies and access to novel clinical-trial treatments for cancer patients in the region.
• Oncology Education and Training Programs Structured training programs for high school students, undergraduates, PhD graduate students, postdoctoral associates, medical students, residents, and healthcare professionals. Includes dedicated fellowship programs, training grants, and the Hillman Fellows program supporting the next generation of cancer researchers and physicians.
• Pilot Research Funding Program Pilot research funding mechanism administered with the Rush to Crush Cancer program that awarded five pilot projects totaling $750,000 ($150,000 each over two years) in 2026 to advance basic, translational/clinical, and population science cancer research at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center.

Quantifiable outcome

• BiliSeq nearly doubled cancer detection compared to pathology alone, with combined detection reaching nearly 90%
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of Pittsburgh School of MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal academic affiliation providing the research and educational foundation for UPMC Hillman Cancer Center. The only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in western Pennsylvania, affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Researchers and faculty hold University of Pittsburgh appointments.
• Yale Cancer CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research partnership on HPV+ throat cancer clinical trial studying less intense treatment approaches using robotic surgery followed by low-dose radiation.
• University of Alabama at BirminghamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration with Nadine Hempel lab on ovarian cancer metastasis research studying what happens to tumor cells after detaching from primary tumor.
• UPMCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent healthcare system providing operational infrastructure, patient base, and administrative support. UPMC Hillman Cancer Center is part of the UPMC network serving western Pennsylvania.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Abramson Cancer Center (University of Pennsylvania): NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania with major clinical trials and translational research programs. Comparable to Hillman in academic-affiliated cancer center model with similar NCI designation tier.
• Dana-Farber Cancer Institute: NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center affiliated with Harvard Medical School, with deep clinical and translational research programs. Comparable to Hillman as an elite academic cancer center with similar NCI designation and research-care-training mission.
• Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center: NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center with strong translational science and clinical research programs. Comparable to Hillman in research intensity, NCI designation, and emphasis on translating laboratory science into clinical trials.
• MD Anderson Cancer Center: NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center and global leader in oncology research, treatment, and clinical trials. Directly comparable to Hillman as a non-NCI-designated peer in the same category, with overlapping research programs, clinical trials infrastructure, and training pipelines.
• UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center: NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center at UCSF with clinical trials, precision oncology, and population science programs. Comparable to Hillman as a peer NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center with similar breadth of programs and academic affiliation.
• Stanford Cancer Institute: NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center at Stanford with translational research and clinical trials across solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. Comparable to Hillman in academic-affiliated, NCI-designated cancer center scope.
• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: Premier NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center offering clinical care, translational research, and clinical trials across all major oncology disciplines. Closely comparable to Hillman in scope, NCI designation, and academic affiliation model.
• Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center: NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins with clinical, translational, and basic research programs. Comparable to Hillman in NCI designation status, academic affiliation, and breadth of research programs including immunotherapy and precision oncology.
• Yale Cancer Center: NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center at Yale with clinical care, research, and training programs. Comparable to Hillman as a peer NCI center with active research collaborations (e.g., the HPV+ throat cancer trial partnership).

Broad incumbents

• Mayo Clinic Cancer Center: NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center embedded within the broader Mayo Clinic health system. Comparable to Hillman as an elite NCI cancer center with integrated health system delivery, though operating at significantly larger national scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about UPMC - Hillman Cancer Center