Welcome to the new Gustave Roussy website
A new website designed to offer you a simpler, clearer, and more intuitive experience. Patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals, and donors: find information, news, and services more easily.
History of the Institute
In 1921, Professor Gustave Roussy, a specialist in anatomical pathology, established the first clinic dedicated to cancer patients at the Paul-Brousse Hospital in Villejuif, within Jean L'Hermitte's department. From that time on, he sought to combine patient care, research, and the training of healthcare professionals.
He thus laid the foundations for modern oncology.
From specialized consultations to the European leader in oncology
In 1925, the Seine Departmental Council established the “Regional Center for the Fight Against Cancer in the Paris Suburbs,” which would later become the Cancer Institute. Led by Professor Gustave Roussy, the center was established in Villejuif, next to Paul-Brousse Hospital. It remained there until 1980. The Institute was designated a public benefit organization in 1927 and became the Gustave Roussy Institute after its founder’s death in 1950.
The Need for Facilities Up to the Task
The Institute’s growing activity led to the construction of new facilities at Les Hautes-Bruyères in Villejuif. Planned in 1964, they were inaugurated in 1980. The Institute continues to invest in order to provide appropriate and modern facilities for its patients and its clinical and research teams: research wings, laboratory and outpatient care facilities (2005), and the molecular medicine building (2013).
In 2013, the Gustave-Roussy Institute became Gustave Roussy.
Today, Gustave Roussy, a major player in the global fight against cancer, continues to expand by bringing together a true Cancer Campus and creating the space needed to accommodate new research teams.
The Directors of Gustave Roussy
- Professor Gustave Roussy
Anatomopathologist
Director from 1925 to 1947 - Professor René Huguenin
Anatomopathologist
Director from 1947 to 1956 - Professor Pierre Denoix
Surgeon
Director from 1956 to 1982 - Dr. Yves Cachin
Surgeon
Director from 1975 to 1978 - Professor Maurice Tubiana
Radiation Oncologist
Director from 1982 to 1988 - Professor Robert Flamant
Epidemiologist
Director from 1988 to 1994 - Professor Thomas Tursz
Medical Oncologist and Researcher
Director from 1994 to 2010 - Professor Alexander Eggermont
Surgical Oncologist
Director from 2010 to 2019 - Professor Jean-Charles Soria
Medical
Oncologist Director from January 2020 to July 2021 - Professor Fabrice Barlesi
Medical
Oncologist; Director since August 1, 2021
key dates
From its founding to the present day, discover the full history of Gustave Roussy.
Verbatim
“Gustave Roussy draws its strength today from a century of innovation and success, thanks to an integrated, multidisciplinary model considered the most advanced in France and Europe.”
Prof. Fabrice Barlesi, Executive Director of Gustave Roussy
Tribute by Yan Pei-Ming
By presenting a portrait of Professor Gustave Roussy, Yan Pei-Ming, an internationally renowned artist, pays tribute to the visionary spirit of one of the founders of modern oncology.