The mission of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is to provide expert, compassionate care to adults and children living with cancer while advancing the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, cure and prevention of cancer and related diseases.
Volunteers serve as compassionate resources for patients, their families and staff.
They compliment staff in all areas of the hospital, including the Blum Patient and Family Resource Center, the Friends Boutique, the Friends Gift Shop, the main information desk, the Gosman Infusion Clinics, and medical and administrative offices. Today, DFCI belongs to a network of comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute. It is also one of twelve federally designated centers for AIDS research in the United States. In 1996, the Institute helped establish a new service to care for adult patients with cancer. This joint venture is organized around highly collaborative disease centers.