A merger between the Kansas University Cancer Center and the Kansas City Cancer Center will help KU achieve National Cancer Institute designation, officials said.

The completed deal was announced on Tuesday.

The addition of the Kansas City Cancer Center brings on 10 patient care locations throughout the Kansas City region.

“What we’re doing now is merging these two organizations that have put the patient at the forefront,” said Bob Page, president and CEO of KU Hospital.

The combined outpatient operation will offer 52 hematologists, oncologists and radiation oncologists.

KCCC will add 21 hematologist/oncologists, six radiation oncologists and a pathologist.

Before the merger, a reasonable criticism could have been made that the KU Cancer Center lacked a sufficient number of patients enrolled in Phase I clinical trials to become a nationally recognized cancer center, said Roy Jensen, director of the KU Cancer Center.

“This helps solidify that critical mass for us,” Jensen said.

The KU Cancer Center already had 143 clinical trials under way before the merger, and the Kansas City Cancer Center will add 73 new trials to the effort.

“We’re excited about the opportunity to expand our clinical trial program,” to more than 250 trials, said Mark Myron, president of the Kansas City Cancer Center.

No jobs will be lost as part of the merger. The 27 physicians from KCCC will become members of the KU School of Medicine’s faculty, and will eventually become involved in clinical education of students and residents.

The non-physician staff of KCCC will become employees of KU Hospital.

Both parties declined to discuss financial details of the merger on Tuesday, but Page said that no state funds were used to complete the deal.