MD Anderson Plans $3.4 Billion Houston Expansion
The Houston cancer center will add a 25-story tower and a radiation oncology building in the Texas Medical Center.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Cancer
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MD Anderson Cancer Center has announced plans for a 25-story tower and a separate radiation oncology building on its Houston campus. The two buildings are estimated to cost $3.4 billion and add more than 2 million square feet.
Why it matters
Demand for cancer care has risen as Texas' population has grown, and the expansion would raise treatment capacity by more than 25% over current levels. The project is intended to serve a growing and aging population in Houston and across Texas.
The project carries an estimated $3.4 billion price tag and would lift annual treatment capacity to about 250,000 patients, more than 25% above current levels. Construction timelines and the final cost breakdown between buildings were not detailed in the announcement.
The players
MD Anderson Cancer Center
MD Anderson Cancer Center is a cancer hospital and research institution in Houston that is part of the University of Texas System and is widely recognized as one of the leading cancer centers in the United States.
University of Texas System
The University of Texas System is a public university system headquartered in Austin that oversees multiple academic and medical institutions across Texas, including MD Anderson, and is a funding partner in the project.
The details
The 25-story Inspiration Tower will hold 1.4 million square feet, including disease-specific clinics working alongside MD Anderson researchers, and the separate Prism building will cover 292,000 square feet dedicated to radiation oncology and diagnostic imaging. Both buildings will incorporate artificial intelligence and robotics and will sit at the corner of Fannin and Holcombe in the Texas Medical Center.
Timeline
Prism building is expected to be completed in 2030.
Inspiration Tower is expected to be completed in 2032.
MD Anderson launched a $2.5 billion philanthropic campaign last year to help fund the project.
Big Picture
The project extends MD Anderson's long-running growth on its Texas Medical Center campus, positioning the Houston institution to expand capacity faster than its existing footprint allows. It would make the tower the largest cancer-focused clinical facility in the United States.
The expansion would allow the hospital to treat roughly 150,000 patients a year at the Prism building alone and about 250,000 across the system, which could shorten access wait times for Houston-area patients. Patients seeking radiation oncology and diagnostic imaging would have a dedicated building once construction is completed.
The takeaway
The expansion signals that treatment capacity for cancer patients in Houston is being built out to meet demand from a growing population. Patients and families planning care in the years ahead may see more space, new technology and broader access once the buildings open.
What happens next
Prism building construction is expected to conclude in 2030, and Inspiration Tower is expected to be completed in 2032.
Further reading
For more on treatment and research trends, explore Cancer coverage on Wisevoter.
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