Gov. Ron DeSantis, joined by First Lady Casey DeSantis, announced that Jacksonville's Mayo Clinic will be launching the first carbon ion therapy program in the United States during a press conference this week.
“Our administration is committed to fighting cancer by making targeted investments in innovative therapies that have the potential to save lives," DeSantis wrote in a release. "During my time as governor, we’ve increased funding for cancer research and treatment programs by more than 114 percent. The Casey DeSantis Cancer Research Program has strengthened Florida’s position as a national leader in cancer research and innovation. We’re proud that Mayo Clinic chose Florida as the home for this groundbreaking initiative, and we look forward to seeing how these cutting-edge therapies give hope to patients fighting some of the most aggressive and treatment-resistant cancers.”
According to Mayo Magazine, Carbon ion therapy is a type of radiation treatment that utilizes beams of carbon ions to identify and erase cancerous tumors. The process, more specifically, essentially ignites carbon atoms to nearly the speed of light and removes them of their electrons, which in turn produce positively charged carbon ions that go directly to the cancerous tumor.
The Mayo Clinic opened a 228,000-square-foot facility in Jacksonville to help expand cancer treatment and research in June 2025. The facility is expected to begin carbon ion therapy in 2028, along with proton therapy in 2027.
The governor's office noted patients can still expect care before the therapy programs begin, including photon therapy, immunotherapy, CAR-T cell therapy, advanced imaging, and other specialized cancer services.
First Lady Casey DeSantis joined Gov. DeSantis at the announcement. Casey DeSantis is a breast cancer survivor herself, having become cancer-free in March 2022.
Florida has also led the way on several cancer initiatives over the past year and throughout Gov. Ron DeSantis' tenure, including over $1 billion in funding and $218 million in 2025 alone.
“Under the Governor’s leadership, Florida continues to lead in innovation, and today at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, we are proving that this leadership extends beyond our state, transforming not only how we care for Floridians, but also how the rest of America approaches cancer treatment,” Casey DeSantis said. “This state-of-the-art technology was made possible, in part, through funding from the Casey DeSantis Cancer Research Program.”
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