MD Anderson Announces $3.4 Bn Expansion With Two New Cancer Care Facilities

The expansion is expected to increase the center's capacity to care for nearly 250,000 patients annually. The investment will be funded by UT MD Anderson and philanthropic support.

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has announced a $3.4 billion expansion of its cancer care facilities, with plans to construct two new buildings, Inspiration Tower and Prism, spanning nearly 2 million square feet. The expansion is expected to increase the center's capacity to care for nearly 250,000 patients annually. The investment will be funded by UT MD Anderson and philanthropic support.

The two facilities will expand clinical services, diagnostic imaging, and radiation oncology capabilities. According to the center, the projects form part of the largest capital expansion in its history.

“Every detail of these buildings, from the technology to the treatment rooms, was designed around our patients who will receive their care in them and our employees who will work in them,” said Jeffrey Lee, M.D., UT MD Anderson president ad interim, in a statement. “The facilities will serve as a physical representation of hope for the patients and their families who will walk through the doors.”

Inspiration Tower to House 24 Operating Rooms

Inspiration Tower will be a 1.4 million-square-foot, 25-floor facility featuring disease-specific clinics. The building will include up to 330 exam rooms, 184 short-stay beds, 162 ambulatory treatment stations, 56 imaging rooms, 24 operating rooms, and 38 procedure rooms.

According to a November 5 press release, the tower will be the largest cancer-focused clinical facility in the United States. It is scheduled to open in 2032.

Prism to Expand Radiation Oncology and Imaging

Connected to Inspiration Tower through a skybridge, Prism will be a 292,000-square-foot facility dedicated to radiation oncology and diagnostic imaging. It is expected to serve up to 150,000 patients annually.

The facility will house 12 MRI machines, four CT scanners, two PET-CT units, 18 radiation units, and seven radiation simulators. Prism is scheduled to open in 2030.

“Every patient we treat deserves an environment that reflects the excellence of the care they receive at UT MD Anderson,” said Chris McKee, UT MD Anderson EVP and chief strategy officer, in a statement. “Our new facilities will be innovative, agile, adaptable and beautiful, and they will allow us to care for more patients, more effectively—in an environment that enhances healing and well-being. We are building for our future and for every patient who will be counting on us.”

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