Rocky Mountain Oncology Center announced Friday it will begin work on a $7 million expansion project of its facility and services starting next week.

The facility, which treats cancer patients from all over the state, plans to add 6,500 square feet to house two new state-of-the-art machines for cancer diagnosis and treatment and a new patient rehabilitation services room, according to Dr. Robert Tobin, radiation oncologist.

The center opened about four years ago, and Tobin said they need to meet the increasing demands of patients.

Currently, the facility has only one linear accelerator, a device used for some radiation treatments, and patients sometimes have to wait.

"We're running the accelerator from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.," Tobin said. "It's stressful for the staff."

The center will purchase a new accelerator as part of the expansion, which will allow the facility to see more patients and provide it with a backup accelerator.

Plus, Tobin said, the new accelerator is "the Lexus" of accelerators and treats patients in about five minutes instead of 15 to 20 minutes.

The other device the facility will purchase is a PET/CT scan, Tobin said. This imaging device is the most advanced imaging technology for the detection and evaluation of cancer, he said, and it has become the standard of care for certain types of cancers.

Rocky Mountain Oncology will be the only facility with this type of imaging in the state.

This should prevent sick patients from having to travel to Colorado for care, said Janet Smith, director of the center.

Besides having to expand to make room for these two new devices, Smith said the center will also add a rehabilitation services room for patients to receive physical therapy, acupuncture, massages, nutrition tips and other care to help people through this difficult time.

"It's treating the mind, body and spirit," Smith said.

For example, she said some breast cancer patients need physical therapy in their arms to prevent swelling and infection in the lymph nodes. Many cancer patients experience pain as a result of treatments.

Cancer support groups will also meet in this new wing of the office.

She said there is a movement throughout the country to offer more of these types of services in oncology offices.

Smith said Rocky Mountain Oncology's partner, e+ Healthcare in Nashville, Tenn., will help fund the project.

The facility will have a groundbreaking ceremony at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

Contact health reporter Allison Rupp at (307) 266-0534 or allison.rupp@trib.com.