The Duke Cancer Center, a new, state-of-the-art, patient care facility will open in February 2012, providing patients access to a more streamlined approach to cancer care.

The 267,000-square-foot Cancer Center building will epitomize the Duke Cancer Institute model -- fully integrating care and research. The synergy fostered by the cancer facility and DCI will accelerate the translation of research discoveries into the most advanced clinical care for patients.

The Duke Cancer Institute has produced several brief videos to help guide patients and visitors to Duke Cancer Center. View these videos. 

An Enhanced Work and Patient Care Environment

Patients in the Duke Cancer Center facility will benefit from the convenience and comfort of an everything-under-one-roof approach.

While clinical cancer services are currently spread across Duke Clinic, the new building will house almost all cancer services, which will support multidisciplinary care. Clinical and support services will be located within the disease-based programs and related clinics will occupy the same floor, strengthening their respective programs.

Members of the cancer care team -- from physicians, nurses, and clinical trials team member to pharmacist, social workers, and dietitians -- will work side-by-side to provide comprehensive, compassionate care.

Shared spaces will foster caregivers’ ability to work together and improve efficiency in coordinating care for their patients.

Clinical trials are an important care option for many patients and the clinical trial enrollment process will improve in the new building, which will have dedicated spaces where patients can speak with research nurses about trials that are available.

Patient-Centered Amenities

In addition to convenience and collaboration, the Duke Cancer Center was designed with patient comfort and healing in mind.

All aspects of the new space were designed with input and suggestions from patients and their caregivers, as well as DCI staff and faculty.

Some of the unique, patient-centered features of the building include:

• Spacious, comfortable waiting areas in each clinic with large windows and a volunteer-staffed hospitality station
• A quiet room for personal reflection and meditation
• Large infusion rooms where patients can choose to sit with others or receive treatment in private
• An outdoor rooftop garden area in which patients can receive chemotherapy outdoors
• Dedicated spaces where patients can speak with research nurses about clinical trials
• A retail pharmacy so patients don’t have to stop on the way home to fill prescriptions
• A café offering a health-focused menu with occasional cooking demonstrations
• Private rooms where patients can select head coverings and have consultations for post-surgical garments

Making a Future Commitment to Patient Care

The Duke Cancer Center is part of Duke’s unparalleled commitment to patient-focused, research-driven cancer care and is vital to meeting the growing demand and need for Duke Medicine-quality cancer services.

Currently more than 600 patients are being seen daily in our cancer clinics, infusion center, or radiation therapy. New cancer cases in North Carolina are projected to increase by 16.5 percent over the next five years. The Duke Cancer Institute and new Cancer Center will prepare us to provide the high-quality care our patients expect to receive.