EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — “Hope is here,” that’s the slogan for Texas Tech Health El Paso’s (TTHEP) Fox Cancer Center, which broke ground on Wednesday, Sept. 17.
The comprehensive cancer center will be the only one of its kind in West Texas, according to TTHEP officials, which they said will provide the region access to advanced and specialized cancer treatment that has been lacking.
“Currently, El Pasoans have to drive as much as 550 miles to receive cancer care in a comprehensive cancer center. We’d like to make sure that people can receive their care here in El Paso. Prevention, early detection, treatment, research, survivorship and all the surrounding support services are necessary,” said Richard Lange, president of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in El Paso.
Lange said the facility will provide access to advanced cancer treatment previously unavailable in the region, including advanced radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and support services for families.
“The biggest obstacle in the cancer journey of a patient isn’t really the diagnosis. It’s figuring out how to get treatment: imaging, facing the treatment and endless appointments of additional testing. So I think this is going to be a great, added enhancement to our community,” said Marthe Zepeda, associate director for community partnerships for the American Cancer Society…