Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso has announced a $25 million gift from Steve and Nancy Fox and their family to help establish a comprehensive cancer center. 

The Fox Cancer Center will consolidate outpatient services such as cancer imaging, treatment, research and clinical trials, and outreach programs. Steve Fox is a cancer survivor who battled stage 4 tongue and neck cancer more than 22 years ago.

According to the National Cancer Institute, El Paso has an 83 percent Hispanic population, and the annual average of 395 cancer cases per 100,000 Hispanics exceeds the average of 346 cases per 100,000 Texas residents. It’s estimated that Hispanics make up less than 4 percent of participants in cancer research and clinical trials, a disparity that may hinder improved treatments and treatment outcomes. The center aims to help close the gap by increasing Hispanic participation in research and clinical trials. 

“When you have the diagnosis of cancer, what you want is the best possible outcome, which is to be cured,” said Steve Fox. “You know in your mind, in your heart, that often times the best treatment option is not in El Paso. You end up having to travel, which is very difficult. Sometimes your work doesn’t allow you to go. You have a wife at home with small children. It compounds the stress of fighting cancer. What you want to know is that you’re receiving world-class care. We're working on that with the new cancer center in El Paso and I’m optimistic that we’ll deliver, for the vast majority of cancer patients, world-class care. I truly believe that.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Fat Camera)