Ernest McCulloch discusses how the Ontario Cancer Institute, dedicated to the goal of reducing the burden of cancer, continuously strove for excellence and shows how both original and collaborative work were encouraged within a supportive environment. To achieve this goal the institute divided its operation into four strands: two of the strands were the research areas - the study of advanced radiation therapy and biology, which worked separatively but cooperatively; a third was patient care; and the fourth element was leadership, provided by the clinical chiefs, the heads of the research...