Maryland is throwing a flurry of punches in the battle against cancer 鈥� some $216 million worth of punches, under what鈥檚 being dubbed the Maryland Cancer Moonshot Initiative.
The money for cancer research and treatment is part of Gov. Larry Hogan’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Hogan, who is a cancer survivor, unveiled the plan Wednesday.
About 30% of the money 鈥� some $67 million 鈥� will help build the new Prince George鈥檚 Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center in Largo. A ceremonial groundbreaking is being scheduled within the coming weeks and the target date for completion is March 2024.
鈥淭he impact will greatly meet a historical need to have this one-stop shop of cancer services close to home in Prince George鈥檚 County,鈥� said Sarah Larson, the senior director of oncology at the hospital. 鈥淧rince George鈥檚 County has some of the highest rates of cancer mortalities and cancer incidences, particularly among African Americans.鈥�
It鈥檚 actually the worst in the state, she said. Meanwhile, it鈥檚 the opposite in neighboring Montgomery County, which has easier access to hospitals and treatment centers that already exist in the county, as well as closer proximity to facilities in D.C.
鈥淭hat gives them a huge advantage,鈥� Larson said. 鈥淧rince George鈥檚 County is extremely fragmented when it comes to oncology services.鈥�
When the new cancer treatment center is finished, the way county residents diagnosed with cancer are treated from beginning to end will be radically different.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a really special thing,鈥� Larson said. 鈥淚magine your loved one is diagnosed with cancer. It might take three to six weeks for them to schedule all of the right appointments. Medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, potentially surgical oncologists. That could take 鈥� three to six weeks. These are specialized providers from multi-disciplines. Instead of the patient chasing them down, the doctor is going to come to them in one clinic, in one setting, in one day.
鈥淭hey might sit in that clinic for up to four hours waiting on all these different providers, but all in one day, they leave with a treatment plan,鈥� Larson said.
In fact, patients won鈥檛 even have to travel far, with 鈥渁n exam room attached to a consultation room.鈥� That means you鈥檒l get off the exam table with that flimsy, crinkly gown, and step into a living-room type setup with more comfortable furniture to hash out what is often a scary and uncomfortable conversation.
Larson also said that even if the new facility won鈥檛 open for two more years, the hospital is already aggressively starting screening programs aimed at detecting cancer early throughout the county. The focus early is on breast, lung, colorectal and prostate cancers.
鈥淲e鈥檙e coming into this at the right time,鈥� Larson said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not going to sit on our hands for two years.
鈥淲hen you have these types of interventions you immediately see increased awareness, greater likelihood to get screened,鈥� and eventually, routine screenings. 鈥淟ong-term outcomes will be decreased cancer incidences, decreased morbidities, and decreased health care disparities,鈥� she said.
Included in the $216 million proposal would be money for the following:
- $100 million for the Greenebaum Cancer Center in Baltimore. The money would expand the University of Maryland Medical System鈥檚 Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center to provide . The center treates about 3,000 new patients a year.
- $25 million for the University of Maryland School of Medicine and Johns Hopkins University, both in Baltimore, to accelerate cancer research projects.
- $1 million to expand pediatric cancer research at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
- $20.5 million for the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund to help develop groundbreaking treatments.
- $2.5 million to the Maryland Tech Council for the BioHub Maryland Initiative to expand the state鈥檚 life sciences and biotechnology research workforce.
