The center actively participates in new drug development and conducts pilot studies and Phase I, II and III clinical trials.
In 1965, the NCI created an intramural program in the Division of Cancer Treatment (DCT) located at the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Hospital in Baltimore.
The intramural program was formally designated as the Baltimore Cancer Research Center (BCRC) of the NCI.
The facility had the advantage of being close to the home campus, and its laboratory base was located in a city with a large patient population for referral for studies.
The BCRC was involved in many studies, and the staff were highly productive, publishing multiple peer-reviewed papers in high-quality journals.