Governor Hogan at the groundbreaking ceremony for a new cancer center in Prince George’s County on April 7. Photo courtesy of the Office of Governor Larry Hogan.
Governor Hogan at the groundbreaking ceremony for a new cancer center in Prince George’s County on April 7. Photo courtesy of the Office of Governor Larry Hogan.

Governor Larry Hogan last week broke ground on the first-ever comprehensive cancer center at the site of the newly-opened University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center in Prince George’s County.

The center, expected to open in 2024, is part of the Maryland Cancer Moonshot Initiative, which will utilize the state’s public health facilities to advance care services, support research, and expand early detection, screening, and patient education. 

“This is very near and dear to my heart, because I know just how difficult it is to get that life-altering diagnosis and to experience that feeling of not knowing what comes next,” said Governor Hogan in a statement. 

“With the completion of this new cancer center, the neighborhoods where I grew up and spent much of my life—Landover, Capitol Heights, Largo, Upper Marlboro, and all of Prince George’s County—will be able to receive the high-quality cancer treatment and medical care that they deserve right here, where they will have access to some of the best doctors, nurses, and health care professionals in the world,” he said.

It will be a “one-stop destination to provide coordinated care,” said Mohan Suntha, president and CEO of the University of Maryland Medical System, in a statement. 

The center – which will initially focus on breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancers – will provide greater access to cancer screenings and expand life-saving clinical trials in the county for the first time.

As part of the Moonshot Initiative, the state is committing $67 million to fully fund the construction of the new center.