By Anne Levin

Penn Medicine Princeton Health is planning a new cancer center at its Plainsboro campus. The proposed 195,000-square-foot facility includes more than 40 exam rooms, over 30 infusion chairs, and two radiation oncology linear accelerators.

The estimated cost of the project, which includes a six-level parking garage and a 31,000-square-foot imaging center for outpatients, is $401 million, according to a Penn Medicine spokesperson. The proposal is currently in the early stages of the approval process in Plainsboro Township.

Since 2018, Princeton Medical Center has been owned by the University of Pennsylvania. The university’s board of trustees approved the plan on February 29. Construction of the garage is targeted to begin in 2026, followed by the cancer center and imaging center in 2028.

“Penn Medicine’s advanced cancer care draws patients who live both near and far from our facilities — on average, a Penn Medicine cancer patient travels 20 miles for care in Philadelphia, and 15 miles to be treated at our regional hospitals,” said Michele Volpe, University of Pennsylvania Health System chief operation officer. “But that travel can be difficult for patients and families going through hard times, and our cancer system investments continue to expand access to the most advanced care across the entire region we serve. The communities around Penn Medicine Princeton Health are a crucial area for increasing these services, since many patients there otherwise face lengthy drives to hospitals in Philadelphia or New York City. We are tremendously excited to move ahead with this project to provide more patients in New Jersey with options close to home.”

The Penn Medicine Princeton Health Cancer Center is planned as a “foundational” part of Penn Medicine’s cancer system strategy, providing a platform for more advanced care in the Central New Jersey region.

“The proposed facility will offer comprehensive cancer treatment in a single facility staffed by disease-specific physicians and multidisciplinary teams working in concert with Abramson Cancer Center physicians across Penn Medicine,” according to the Penn Medicine spokesperson. “This integrated model

has been successful at Chester County Hospital, Lancaster General Health, and in Penn Medicine’s suburban-Philadelphia ambulatory centers — offering patients care and access to clinical trials close to home as well care coordination for advanced services including surgeries and proton therapy at Penn Medicine’s downtown hospitals.”

The new cancer center is proposed for a site at the opposite end of the main hospital building from the Medical Arts Pavilion. A temporary parking lot during construction is part of the plan.