International Center

Hundreds of patients come to Houston from other countries every year seeking world-class cancer treatment at MD Anderson. We completely understand the difficulty of traveling to a country where you may be unfamiliar with the language and culture. MD Anderson’s International Center is here to help you make a smooth transition to the United States and provide support at every step of your cancer journey.

From the moment you contact MD Anderson, you will be assigned an international patient representative who speaks your language and can guide you through appointment preparations, visa assistance, travel to Houston and more.

International Center services include:

• Preparing for your first visit with medical records, travel and housing arrangements
• Obtaining proper travel visas
• Airport arrival assistance and transportation to MD Anderson
• Free interpreters to help you understand medical language and communicate effectively with your cancer care team
• Assistance with navigating the MD Anderson campus and taking advantage of our support services
• Help getting around Houston and locating embassies, currency exchange outlets, restaurants and other cultural amenities to make you feel at home 

The Department of Language Assistance has certified interpreters for the following languages:

• Arabic
• French
• Mandarin
• Spanish
• Vietnamese
• American Sign Language

We also provide interpreters for languages not listed, but a 24-hour notice is required. Telephone interpreter service is available 24/7 for Spanish and Arabic. Telecommunications devices (TDD) are available for deaf or hard-of-hearing patients.  Language Assistance services are requested by the International Center staff for new patients and by the clinical team at the time of need for current and returning patients.