Science and Technology Studies research group at Mexico’s National Autonomous University (UNAM)

Three important road axes, Insurgentes, Anillo periférico and Viaducto Tlalpan, surround the hospital zone. Despite the proximity to these roads, none of the city's mass transportation systems, such as the Metro (subway) or the recently established Metrobus (exclusive-lane bus service) have a station close Av. San Fernando # 22. The lack of mass transportation leads to constant traffic jams in the area, forcing patients using mouth covers and/or even wheelchairs to move between running cars to get to the hospital.

The work carried out by the tumor bank is crucial for accomplishing the promise made by the Incan’s director and displayed on posters throughout the building: “El cancer, hoy un reto, mañana una historia de éxito” (Cancer, today a challenge, tomorrow a success story).

The tumor bank, which stores almost 5000 samples taken from cancer patients, is located on the third floor of the new hospitalization tower. Two white, clean and neat rooms contain several refrigerators, a thermocycler, a nitrogen tank and a perfectly clean fume hood. A constant noise from the air ventilation system and the refrigerators seem to isolate the place and the staff from the noisy street, where recordings of evangelical pastors blaring out salvation messages mix with the suggestive calls from taco sellers inviting the people to sit and taste their products.

Going down from the third floor to the ground floor, people in white coats get lost among people without coats. In the central hall to the left there are two waiting rooms, one for emergencies and the other for people waiting to see their sick relatives. In the morning, this room is usually filled by sitting people who look extremely tired, some of them lying down and others dozing; they probably spend the night sitting and covered with blankets due to the cold temperatures.