Oncology services focus on cancer detection and the care of patients with cancer and include physician office or clinic visits, chemotherapy treatments, radiation therapy, and a variety of patient support services. Two major facility components include the radiation therapy suite and the medical oncology/infusion therapy area. These two functions may be located within the same facility — such as a cancer center.
When a preliminary space estimate is required to assess location options or to develop an early cost estimate for construction or renovation, the following rules-of-thumb can be used to estimate the DGSF (DGSM):
Radiation therapy suite. A radiation oncology service will require one or more linear accelerator (LINAC) treatment rooms/vaults — generally no more than four. Additional modalities may include a Gamma Knife, brachytherapy, and other radiation treatment spaces along with various treatment planning modalities — such as radiography/fluoroscopy, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasound. A positron emission tomography (PET) scanner and even a single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) unit or hybrid equipment may also be deployed. Due to the extensive amount of treatment planning and other support space required for a radiation oncology suite, significant economies of scale are achieved when two or more treatment rooms/vaults are provided.
- 7,000 to 8,000 DGSF (650.3 to 743.2 DGSM) for the first LINAC/Gamma knife treatment room
- 5,000 to 6,000 (464.5 to 557.4 DGSM) per each additional LINAC/Gamma knife treatment room
Medical oncology/infusion therapy. Space for chemotherapy is usually planned with a mix of private treatment rooms, open or partially-enclosed treatment cubicles, and recliner chairs. The mix is dependent on the patient population; however, treatment in a lounge-type atmosphere is often preferred because it can be more flexibly utilized, and more efficiently staffed, and promotes camaraderie among patients. Considering the major changes in types of therapeutic drugs, it is very important to plan space for future flexibility.
- 300 to 360 DGSF (27.9 to 33.4 DGSM) per treatment bay, cubicle, or room
If a satellite pharmacy is planned as part of the medical oncology/infusion therapy area, and additional 700 to 1,000 DGSF (65.0 to 92.9 DGSM) will be required.
Note: Department gross square feet/meters (DGSF/DGSM) represents the footprint of a department or functional component and includes the net area of the individual rooms as well as the space occupied by internal circulation corridors, walls/partitions, and minor utility shafts. More detailed information can be found in the SpaceMed Guide.
This article is an update of a previous post.