A ceremony in Syracuse Friday launched the new face of cancer treatment in central New York. The Upstate Cancer Center is ready for patients, and assistant director Dick Kilburg says its innovative design merges nature and advanced cancer-fighting technology.
"Basically what we’re doing with this facility is bringing all the services under one roof, and being able to offer patients what they deserve in this community," Kilburg said. "All the extra services that a cancer center should be offering.”
At the grand opening ceremony, cancer survivor Allen Sustare said this center will serve a great need.
“Anyone who is invited to the great cancer dance, if they must attend, this place is where you will have the best possible result," Sustare explained. "If anyone is lucky, it is the people in this area who are so close to something like this.”
Beyond the radiology labs and infusion rooms, the cancer center will house a meditation room, music and dance rooms, a family resource center and a four-season therapy garden on the roof. The structure incorporates nature into every aspect of architectural design, including plenty of natural light.
The $74 million center also includes new cutting edge cancer treatments, including a radiotherapy system that treats advanced lung, liver and prostate cancers. The community is invited to tour the new center, located next to the main Upstate Medical University entrance on Adams Street, Saturday from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.
