CHRISTUS Health breaks ground on new Cancer Center in Longview

LONGVIEW– According to our news partner, KETK, on Wednesday, CHRISTUS Health broke ground on a new $36 million Cancer Center in Longview. Construction begins soon and should be finished by the fall of 2026. There’s one goal in mind for the state-of-the-art, 35-thousand-square-foot facility.

“We are going to reduce the incidence of cancer in northeast Texas and we’re going to improve mortality rates,” CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic physician vice president of operations John DiPasquale said. In 2024, across the United States, an estimated two million new cancer cases were reported. Nearly one hundred and fifty thousand of them here in Texas. The American Cancer Society reports that a new clinic of this type will provide access to treatment at home, reducing the financial burden of traveling to larger cities for care.

“It’s hard to find anyone who’s not been directly impacted by cancer,” DiPasquale M.D. said.

According to the Department of State Health Services, Gregg and Smith are among the counties above the 90th percentile for cancer incidence rates in all of the Lone Star state. “There’s frankly more demand than we can meet at present,” CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Health System president and CEO Todd Hancock said. “To know that you have that resource right here in your community, you don’t have to travel to big centers, but you can access it right here, I think that’s a sense of comfort for people,” Hancock said.

“Look at our incidence of cancer in northeast Texas, we’re near the highest in the state, also with mortality,” DiPasquale said.

Christus Health added that it will be a local place for patients to go, and hopes it reduces the stress and burden on those going through treatment and the stress on their families.