Are you curious why we needed the new DCH Cancer Center?

Here are the startling facts:

Cancer in the US & Alabama

• Cancer has been competing for the leading cause of death in the US.
• 1 in 2 males and 1 in 3 females will develop cancer in their lifetime.
• Every day, 68 people in Alabama are diagnosed with cancer.
• Every day, 27 people in Alabama die from cancer.
• In Alabama, early detection would save almost 3,200 lives a year!

• CURRENT DEMAND. Overall patient volume has grown to almost 40,000 patient visits (the facility was designed for 36,000).
  • In medical oncology (i.e., chemotherapy), the facility was originally designed to serve 6 chemo-treatment patients; this number has grown to 16 today.
  • The patient volume for radiation was designed to accommodate 55 patients per day; the actual patient volume is often over 70 per day.
• FUTURE DEMAND. The fastest growing age-cohort in west Alabama are individuals approaching 60-65 years old (Baby-Boomers). This is significant because the incidence of cancer goes up 433% after the age of 60!
• EQUIPMENT/TECHNOLOGY. The equipment used for radiation therapy is 11 years old (at the end of its useful life). There are now more advanced technologies available that will both improve and lengthen the lives of patients.
• While the DCH Health System finances are in good shape, it cannot fund the expansion alone; philanthropy is absolutely necessary to meeting future demand.

• Expanded & creatively designed patient care areas that contribute to a world-class patient experience - designed by the same architectural firm that designed M.D. Anderson's Clinical Cancer Building.
• Enhanced access to research-based institutions through affiliations, registries & clinical trials.
• Many of the most advanced & minimally invasive technologies will be made available - such as upgrading radiation technology. The new technology will more accurately target the tumor and protect surrounding tissue by accounting for tumor movement that often results simply from the patient's own breathing.
• Much greater emphasis on early diagnosis, translating directly to a longer and more enjoyable life for each cancer patient.
• Those diagnosed with cancer will receive world-class treatments that are effective, informative and respectful to the patient and the patient's family members.