GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) - The Sletten Cancer Institute, opening here later this month, and the McLaughlin Research Institute will be affiliated with the Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah, a leading cancer research and treatment hospital.

The collaboration, announced Thursday, means access to specialized care for patients in north-central Montana; the expansion of clinical studies into the cause, treatment and possible cures for the disease; and the possibility of more high-paying jobs at Sletten.

"This offers our patients the convenience of care close to home and the security of knowing they're getting the best of care, no matter how rare their diagnosis," said Dr. Grant Harrer, oncologist and medical director of the Sletten Institute, which is scheduled to open Dec. 27.

Access to specialized physicians with the Salt Lake Center institute gives north-central Montana cancer patients the opportunity for custom care, regardless of their diagnosis, geography or ability to pay, Harrer said.

Huntsman specialists, such as pediatric oncologists and gynecologic oncologists, will travel to Great Falls to see patients, said Kathie Avis, Sletten's executive director. They can provide patients with a second opinion and be a valuable resource for physicians.

"We're working to make referrals and information exchanges in special needs cases as smooth as possible," she said. Patients unable to afford travel expenses to Salt Lake City for treatment may qualify for travel assistance from Huntsman, she added.

"The collaboration also offers tremendous outreach possibilities to alleviate cancer care discrepancies among Montana populations, especially American Indians and the rural and frontier populations we serve," Avis said.

For scientists at McLaughlin, the affiliation expands the amount of expertise and broadens the patient base for clinical studies, said Dave Crum, assistant director of operations and development.

"We see this as the beginning of an academic medical center in Great Falls," Crum said.

The Huntsman Cancer Institute has the largest genetic database in the world and is a research leader in cancer genetics, according to Betsy Smith, genetic counselor at Sletten Institute.

Dr. Marshall Sklar, radiation oncologist, said more research could mean more jobs in high-tech fields such as his.

The Huntsman Institute is a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, a 19-member alliance of the world's leading cancer centers.

It operates high-risk clinics that focus on breast cancer, colon cancer and melanoma and provides access to leading-edge imaging and treatment technologies.