New cancer hospital planned in South Carolina

South Carolina will be seeing the construction of a new cancer hospital.

Raymond N. DuBois, MD, director of the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, said the new cancer hospital will offer more services for patients. (Image: MUSC)

On Friday, the Medical University of South Carolina’s board of trustees approved the construction of a new cancer hospital in Charleston. The board also signed off on the construction of a new outpatient surgery center, along with space for clinics and medical offices.

The construction of the cancer center is likely to take five years, officials said. The university expects that the ambulatory surgery building will be open in 2028.

No cost estimates are available for the projects, a university spokesperson said Friday. But leaders of the Medical University of South Carolina say they’re anxious to offer more cancer services, so patients don’t have to leave South Carolina for treatment.

Raymond N. DuBois, MD, director of the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, said in a statement that the new hospital will provide “a transformative leap forward for patients across South Carolina who depend on world-class cancer care.”

“Our new facility will significantly expand access to advanced cancer services, enhance our capacity to recruit and retain top-tier clinicians, ensure lab research translates more rapidly into meaningful impact and propel us toward achieving National Cancer Institute (NCI) Comprehensive Cancer Center designation, the highest level of excellence in cancer research,” DuBois said.

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The new cancer hospital will offer inpatient and outpatient services. The hospital will perform surgeries for those requiring a hospital stay and those who need outpatient procedures. Officials say the new hospital will also offer chemotherapy and infusion services, cancer imaging, rehabilitation and palliative care.

Charles W. Schulze, chairman of the Medical University of South Carolina’s board, said trustees recognize the need to expand cancer services in the state.

“This is a monumental event for the entire state,” Schulze said in a statement. “The goal here is to have something that rivals the top cancer facilities in the nation so no one has to leave South Carolina for cancer care.”

South Carolina lawmakers have given MUSC $15 million to obtain designation as an NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The new hospital could also expand MUSC’s cancer research capabilities. The Hollings Cancer Center has more than 150 cancer scientists and sponsors more than 200 clinical trials across South Carolina.

DuBois said he is “profoundly grateful to MUSC leadership and our board of trustees for their bold vision and unwavering dedication.”

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