Mayo Clinic is receiving a $100 million gift to expand its Rochester facility for patients who need proton beam radiation treatment.
The gift from the Fred C. and Katherine B. Andersen Foundation of Bayport, Minn., will allow Mayo to nearly double appointments for the treatment, which delivers precise radiotherapy to cancerous tumors.
Mayo doctors use the technology in cases where tumors are near or within vital organs, as well as for young people whose organs are still developing, because the treatment can minimize radiation of surrounding healthy tissue.
"This gift marks a significant milestone in Mayo Clinic's decades-long relationship with Fred and Katherine Andersen and the foundation that executes on their vision for healthy, strong communities," Dr. Gianrico Farrugia, the chief executive at Mayo Clinic, said in a statement.
Mayo started offering the treatment in 2015 with the construction of the Jacobson Building, which was named for Iowa philanthropist Richard Jacobson who also provided the clinic with a $100 million gift. The new Fred C. and Katherine B. Andersen Building will be connected to the existing center.
Mayo says its proton beam therapy program routinely approaches its appointment capacity of 1,200 patients per year. The clinic anticipates treating 900 additional patients annually with the expansion, thereby meeting annual estimated demand of 2,000 patients by 2025.
The expansion will include two floors below ground, with construction to begin next year. The goal is to start treating patients in the facility in 2026; services in the existing center will continue during construction.
"Mayo is the only center offering proton beam therapy in Minnesota and surrounding states," the clinic said in a news release. "The nearest centers are in Illinois and Missouri."
