NEW BERN, N.C. -- CarolinaEast Health System marks another milestone.

• $35 million SECU Comprehensive Cancer Center opens in 2019
• Project donors, cancer patients and staff all signed the final beam
• Center to offer recovery options like radiation, oncology and support services

On Wednesday, a Topping Out ceremony was held for the new $35 million SECU Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The final steel beam was set in place covered in signatures from project donors, construction workers, medical staff and cancer patients.

This new facility will consolidate treatment and recovery options throughout the county like radiation, oncology, nutrition services and psychological support services.

According to the National Cancer Institute, four of the top 12 counties in North Carolina with the highest incidence rate of cancer border Craven County including Lenoir, Beaufort, Carteret and Pamlico counties.

"We all say amongst ourselves it would be great to not have to build this just because that would mean cancer is gone but it isn't, it's here,” said Jim Estep, project director. “Building a structure like this that will make people's lives better and maybe their condition better is a good thing and I think we all share that on the site. We all realize that that's why we're here."

The new 80,000 square-foot facility is set to be complete by early 2019.