Advancing cancer care From the cover
The setup
Resources in The Woodlands area
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Hospitals in The Woodlands area are adopting new technology and expanding services in cancer care as cases increase. Justin Kendrick, Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center’s senior vice president and CEO, said recent technologies in lung bronchoscopy introduced at the hospital allow biopsies to be taken in hard-to-reach places. The Woodlands hospital is also the rst in the area to use the Edison histotripsy machine to treat liver cancer with targeted ultrasound, he said. Meanwhile, Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital is using arti cial intelligence-supported tools in radiology to improve early detection, diagnosis and treatment planning, said Kerrie Guerrero, vice president and chief nursing o cer. “These technologies help radiologists identify suspicious abnormalities on imaging studies ... including subtle ndings that may be more di cult to detect in early stages,” Guerrero said. Among other hospitals in the area, St. Luke’s Health is also working on updates to its technology and range of providers this year, said Lisa Williams, director of patient care services. At MD Anderson’s The Woodlands campus, Dr. Pamela Schlembach said targeted radiation treatment continues to advance, and multiple weeks of treatment are not always needed. “Today, in some of our treatments, we could do them as quickly as one day,” she said.
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Texas cancer statistics
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148,598 new cancer cases projected in 2025 48,814 cancer deaths in 2025 in Texas 2nd leading cause of death in Texas
Houston Methodist is among area hospitals focusing on new developments in cancer care.
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COURTESY HOUSTON METHODIST THE WOODLANDS HOSPITAL
1 Houston Methodist • AI tools in radiology improve detection • Breast Care Center celebrated a decade of service in 2026 2 Memorial Hermann • New tools to treat lung and liver cancer • Expansion of Melissa Preston Breast Center 3 St. Luke’s Health • Planning updates to technology, providers 4 Texas Children's Hospital • The system is collaborating with MD Anderson to end childhood cancer 5 UT MD Anderson
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• Advances in radiation treatment 6 Woodlands Cancer Institute • Relocated in The Woodlands in 2025
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SOURCES: VARIOUS HOSPITAL SYSTEMS, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES COMMUNITY IMPACT
The approach
Cancer survivors
Cancer incidence per 100,000 residents Montgomery County Harris County Texas Breast cancer (women) 129.7 120.4 123.7
Cancer prevalence is the number of survivors alive on a certain date who have ever been diagnosed with cancer.
Cancer prevalence in Texas is concentrated in its most populous areas, but individual types of cancer see different rates of growth, according to data from the National Cancer Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Montgomery County, the most recent data available—from 2023—shows breast cancer incidence in Montgomery County was higher than statewide and Harris County numbers. Liver cancer, while lower, was rising by two cases per 100,000 people per year from 2018-22, the data shows. Dr. Faraz Bishehsari, director of the gastroen- terology research center at UTHealth Houston, said cancer treatment is generally moving toward patient-specific strategies. “Our goal is to move toward a more refined form of precision medicine, one that considers not only which treatment to use, but potentially how and when to use it for each patient,“ Bishehsari said.
≤ 30,000
30,001- 100,000
100,001- 200,000
200,001- 300,000
Liver cancer 9.4 13 12.6
Stomach cancer 6.2 7.8 6.9
Public Health Region 6 Montgomery County
NOTE: INCIDENCE RATES ARE FOR ALL AGES, SEXES AND STAGES OF CANCER EXCEPT WHERE NOTED.
SOURCES: NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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