The Thompson Cancer Survival Center Downtown facility has pioneered many advances in cancer treatment.

Photodynamic therapy, which replaces invasive surgery with laser light treatment, was initially developed at Thompson Downtown.

Thompson Downtown was the first clinical facility in the world to use TomoTherapy, the new third-generation stereotactic-guided radiation therapy and radiosurgery. The world's first prostate, breast, lung, head and neck, spine, pediatric neurosurgery TomoTherapy patients were all treated at the facility.

Thompson Downtown has the area's first real-time prostate seed implant and has led with advances like respiratory gating, total skin electron therapy and 3-D imaging.

The comprehensive breast clinic at Thompson Downtown brings together surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, a radiologist specializing in women's imaging and an extensive support staff to confer together then meet with the patient separately to plan and schedule treatment in just one day.