Scripps Health broke ground May 24 on a 41,000-square-foot radiation therapy center featuring one of the most advanced technologies of its kind in the world for treating cancer. The $43.9 million facility, located on an 8-acre parcel at 10670 John Jay Hopkins Drive, is expected to be open for patient care by the third quarter of 2012. Construction is expected to start by June. “The Scripps Radiation Therapy Center will help improve the quality of patient care by providing the very latest technology and a full offering of treatment options,” said Chris Van Gorder, president and CEO of Scripps Health, in a statement. “Our technology will help provide greater patient comfort by significantly shortening treatment times, and will improve precision by leaving less time for tumor and patient movement during treatment. This will be the premier radiation therapy center in the region.” According to the American Society for Therapeutic Radiation and Oncology (ASTRO), nearly two-thirds of all cancer patients will undergo radiation therapy, and the new Scripps center will specialize in radiation therapy, in addition to offering access to clinical trials. According to Scripps, the facility will include three new, state-of-the art linear accelerators: one TrueBeam STx linear accelerator — which will be the first of its kind in San Diego — and two Clinac linear accelerators, each manufactured by Varian Medical Systems of Palo Alto. There are fewer than 20 TrueBeam STx units in use worldwide, according to Scripps. The closest is in Palo Alto, and most of them are on the East Coast or overseas. When complete, the Scripps Radiation Therapy Center will have the capacity to treat approximately 1,200 patients annually. The new center is just the latest expansion in cancer services. In August, construction began on the Scripps Proton Therapy Center in Mira Mesa, which will be San Diego County’s first facility to offer advanced proton therapy to cancer patients.