The University of Kansas (KU) Cancer Centre has started construction on a new complex designed to integrate research and patient care.
The development aims to facilitate real-time collaboration between physicians and researchers, accelerating the availability of personalised treatment options for patients.
Located on the 39th and Rainbow campus in Kansas City, the facility will centralise the entire patient experience, encompassing nutrition, social work, pathology, and imaging services.
It will also offer patients access to cutting-edge clinical trials and therapies developed on site, enhancing the overall quality of care.
The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by US Senator Jerry Moran, US Representative Sharice Davids, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, and other dignitaries.
KU Cancer Centre vice chancellor and director Roy Jensen said: “Today marks a pivotal moment in our efforts to address one of the greatest health challenges of our time: cancer.
“This new centre will unite researchers, clinicians and patients side-by-side in one facility, supporting the real-time collaborations that are essential for groundbreaking discoveries. We intend to create a global destination for patient care and research.”
In 2022, KU Cancer Centre received the “comprehensive cancer centre” designation from the National Cancer Institute, the highest level of recognition for cancer centres.
The new complex will support cellular therapy, including a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) laboratory for producing CAR T-cell therapies, reducing the costs and wait times.
The project is funded by various sources, including a $100m lead gift from the Sunderland Foundation, the largest ever received by KU and the University of Kansas Health System.
The university has received the additional funding through federal and state contributions, along with private foundations and donors.
University of Kansas chancellor Douglas Girod said: “We knew that (the comprehensive designation) wasn’t the culmination of our work.
“Rather, it was an important milestone along the way to our next goal, which was to develop the facilities necessary to bring clinical and research capabilities together in the same place to provide better patient care and facilitate the development of new treatments and cures.”
