Cancer takes a huge toll not only for patients, but also their family, friends and communities. According to the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program, there were over 1.6 million new cases of cancer and over half a million deaths caused by cancer in 2015 alone.Despite the numbers, we’ve seen dramatic improvements in technology designed to treat various cancers, as well as advances in knowledge and understanding about diseases at the genetic level. Heartland Cancer Center, 204 Cleveland St. in Great Bend, aims to harness these advancements by bringing experts in the field, state-of-the-art technology and treatment techniques, to central Kansas.