EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso welcomed U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar to campus as they recognized Steve and Nancy Fox and family for their generous $25 million contribution to the Steve and Nancy Fox Cancer Center. The gift is a significant milestone in the university’s ongoing efforts to expand cancer research and treatment capabilities within our border region.
According to TTUHSC, Steve Fox’s vision for local cancer care materialized when the Texas legislature earmarked $65 million in the 2024-2025 state budget toward the construction of a $95 million cancer center in El Paso, making him instrumental in our region’s fight against cancer.
The Steve and Nancy Fox Cancer Center, spanning 90,000 square feet, will be a notable expansion for the Texas Tech Health El Paso campus upon its opening. As the sole comprehensive cancer care facility in West Texas and our region, it will offer centralized outpatient services, including imaging, treatment, research, clinical trials, and community outreach. Patients and their families often must travel outside the area to access many of these services.
The Centers for Disease Control identifies cancer as the foremost cause of mortality among U.S. Hispanics, comprising 20.3% of all deaths in this demographic. The incidence of cancer in this group is alarming: One-third of Hispanic individuals are likely to receive a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. Notably, Hispanics face unique health disparities, including elevated instances of leukemia and liver cancer relative to other populations. Along the U.S.-Mexico border, where Hispanics constitute over 80% of residents, breast cancer emerges as a particularly prevalent concern.
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