The original concept of the South West Wales Cancer Institute developed following the West Glamorgan Cancer Review which reported in December 1994.
The Calman-Hine report (1995) on Commissioning Cancer Services in the UK introduced the concept of Cancer Centres with satellite Cancer Units. In 1996 the Cameron report in Wales identified Swansea as the Cancer Centre for South West Wales. This included the two acute hospitals, Singleton and Morriston in the Swansea NHS Trust and the Oncology/ Radiotherapy department based in Singleton.

The people of Swansea and S.W.Wales have contributed £963,203, through the Evening Post Millenium Appeal , to the development of the Cancer Centre and this has helped to provide the new Ambulatory Chemotherapy Unit, the Cancer Institute and the Breast Centre, which is nearing completion. These are all integral parts of the Cancer Centre for Swansea and S.W.Wales.

The South West Wales Cancer Institute is an academic institution that aims to promote excellence in Cancer Care throughout South West Wales through fostering research, and providing education for medical and nursing staff and information for patients and families. The staff is multidisciplinary, including Nurses, Database Managers, Scientists and Clinicians.

The Institute is situated on the Singleton Hospital campus, adjacent to the University of Wales, Swansea. Professor Robert Leonard, and internationally recognised expert on breast cancer was appointed as the Institute’s Director in 2001, with Professors Gerry Thomas, a molecular oncologist, John Wagstaff, a medical oncologist specialising in colon cancer and Roger Taylor, a clinical oncologist, being appointed in 2002, 2003 and 2006 respectively. Dr Gian Bertelli, a medical oncologist specialising in breast and ovarian cancer, also joined the Institute in 2002. In 2006, Professor Leonard moved to take up a new post as Clinical Director for Cancer Services in Hammersmith Hospital and Professor Thomas moved to become Director of Scientific Services at Velindre Hospital.

Research at the Cancer Institute focuses largely on Clinical Trials for breast, colon, ovary and prostate cancer. The majority of Clinical Trials involve using either new drugs to treat cancer or different combinations of established therapies to determine which is the best therapy for cancer patients at particular times during their cancer journey.

Clinical Trials must involve large numbers of patients in order to provide secure conclusions before therapy strategies can be determined for general use. Research nurses and Medical Oncologists at the Cancer Institute collaborate with centres worldwide to provide information for this research.

Research at the Institute is complemented by laboratory-based research at Swansea Medical School.
Swansea is one of the sites throughout Wales involved in the Wales Cancer Bank. The Swansea-based Wales Cancer Bank Nurses also work closely with Research Nurses involved in Clinical Trial Management at the Institute.