Downtown Cancer Center to Open Next Week

Officials have cut the ribbon on a new cancer treatment facility in downtown Louisville.The Norton Cancer Center at Floyd and Broadway has been under construction since January 2010. It will open next week and is capable of providing aggressive radiation treatments on adults and children. The center will undoubtedly see a large number of patients, given the area's generally poor health."Each year some 24,000 Kentuckians are diagnosed with cancer. That's about 66 each day," Norton President Steve Williams. "Nearly 10,000 people die from this disease. Kentucky ranks 49th out of 50 states with its current rate of adult smokers, meaning our cancer rate and mortality will continue to be a real challenge."The three-story center cost $26.4 million. Two more floors can be added in the future as treatment and research technology advances.