Tampa Bay's oncology "arms race" took a major step with the recent grand opening of Moffitt Cancer Center's outpatient center in Pasco County, adding to a flurry of recent expansions and new technologies aimed at elevating cancer care in the region.
The 120,000-square-foot outpatient facility — the first completed project on Moffitt's 775-acre Speros biotech campus — will begin treating patients Jan. 26. Services will include cancer screenings, imaging, infusion and specialty clinics.
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The building will also house the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation Proton Therapy Center, which is expected to open to patients in June.
The Jan. 9 ceremony included Moffitt and Speros leadership, state and local officials, and philanthropic partners, followed by tours of the outpatient and proton therapy spaces.
"We hope all this technology will make this a magical campus, where we have engineers working with immunologists working with clinicians working with researchers," said Dr. Patrick Hwu, Moffitt's president and CEO. "When you do that, that's where the magic happens, that's where the innovation happens, and that is where we will save many, many lives."
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The Speros campus, located in Land O' Lakes off Ridge Road, just east of the Suncoast Parkway, represents Moffitt's long-term vision for a global hub of cancer treatment and discovery. Backed by more than $1 billion in capital investment, it is projected to include "a growing ecosystem of partners" and create thousands of jobs.
"When you have 775 acres of development, that's twice the size of downtown Tampa, so we're literally building a city that's all about curing cancer and life sciences," Bill Cronin, president and CEO of the Pasco Economic Development Council, said.
"So when you look at all the different cross-pollinations of different industries coming together with real-time clinical analysis, proximity to be able to share information immediately — time is everything when it comes to life. We only have so much. It's finite."
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Expansion over multiple phases is planned in the coming years. The first phase is scheduled for completion in 2028. In addition to the outpatient and proton therapy centers, it will include the 250,000-square-foot Moffitt Discovery and Innovation Center and Cryogene biorepository.
The Tampa Bay area is quickly becoming a hub for advanced cancer care, with multiple hospital systems investing heavily in facilities, cutting‑edge treatments, clinical trials and patient‑centered services.
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At stake is Florida's lucrative and growing oncology market, fueled in part by a large and aging population. Cancer remains the second leading cause of death in Florida and carries one of the highest cancer burdens in the nation, with roughly 115,000 new cases diagnosed each year, according to the state Department of Health.
For example, BayCare’s proton therapy facility is nearing completion at Tampa’s St. Joseph’s Hospital and Tampa General Hospital has one planned for downtown Tampa.
Also, TGH and Lakeland Regional Health just announced a partnership to expand subspecialized care into Polk County. The area's major health systems have also expanded into satellite cancer centers, joining a network of specialty oncology providers.
