Grand Opening of Cincinnati Children’s / UC Health Proton Therapy Center

Proton Center Will Dramatically Change Pediatric and Adult Cancer Care

Monday, August 08, 2016

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and UC Health are celebrating the grand opening of the new Proton Therapy Center. Located at Cincinnati Children’s Liberty Campus, the $120 million facility is one of the most advanced proton research and cancer treatment centers in the world. The first patients are expected to be treated in September.

“This important investment will transform cancer care for children and adults and generate a new wave of discovery,” said Michael Fisher, president and CEO at Cincinnati Children’s. “Proton is advanced cancer therapy. I am pleased it is now available to our pediatric patients with the most challenging types of cancer, underscoring our deep commitment to always provide the safest and most effective treatment options.”

“The opening of this facility is the culmination of almost a decade of conversations and planning, and we are excited to begin providing treatment to an average of 200 adult patients per year nationally and globally,” said Richard Lofgren, president and CEO of UC Health.  “This facility, together with the expertise of the faculty of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Cincinnati Children’s, will give patients access to a level of cancer care available in only a handful of locations around the world."

What is Proton Therapy?

Proton therapy is a form of radiation treatment used for certain types of cancers. The medical procedure involves a type of particle therapy utilizing a beam of protons to blast diseased tissue with remarkable precision. It works by extracting positively charged protons from hydrogen gas and accelerating them through a cyclotron (a particle accelerator) up to nearly 2/3 the speed of light. The protons are guided to the tumor site by powerful magnetic and electrical fields. They carry just enough charge to reach a precise point in the tumor. 

Traditional radiation treatment kills targeted cancer cells but can also damage surrounding healthy tissue. It’s estimated as much as one-third of the radiation dose a patient receives can wind up deposited away from the targeted tumor. Proton therapy is expected to significantly reduce the risks because of its precision, allowing cancer survivors to have far fewer long-term consequences.

The types of cancer best treated by proton therapy include Hodgkin lymphoma, pediatric brain tumors, neuroblastoma, and soft tissue sarcomas. In the adult population, the targeted treatment is specifically helpful in cancers of the brain, eyes, head, neck, lungs, prostate and spinal cord.

The Only Center with a Dedicated Treatment Gantry for Research

The Center will have the world’s only proton treatment gantry fully dedicated to research along several tracks including: basic biological research to better understand exactly how protons kill cancer cells; applied research and development for evaluating imaging methods, computer-targeting technologies and patient positioning techniques; and translational research to develop and refine other treatments that can augment proton therapy. 

The research will be done in cooperation among Cincinnati Children’s, UC Medical Center, the University of Cincinnati Physicians, the UC College of Medicine and Varian, the proton equipment manufacturer. Some collaborations will also involve research centers in Germany and Israel. More multi-institutional partnerships are likely.

About the New Proton Therapy Center

The Proton Therapy Center features two treatment gantries, one research gantry, and a shelled treatment bay for future expansion. One treatment gantry is devoted to pediatric patients and one to adult patients.  The Center, located at Cincinnati Children’s Liberty campus, will have separate and clearly-marked entrances for children and adults. Contractors on the three-year project included Messer Construction of Cincinnati and the Linbeck Group of Houston. Varian Medical Systems of Palo Alto, California, is the equipment manufacturer.

About Cincinnati Children's

Cincinnati Children’s, a non-profit, pediatric, academic medical center established in 1883, is internationally recognized for improving child health and transforming delivery of care through fully integrated, globally recognized research, education and innovation. It is one of the top three recipients of pediatric research grants from the National Institutes of Health, ranked third in the nation among all Honor Roll hospitals in U.S. News and World Report’s Best Children’s Hospitals, and a research and teaching affiliate of the University of Cincinnati’s College of Medicine. Its patient population includes the eight-county primary service area covering parts of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. A destination for children with complex medical conditions, it also served patients from all 50 states and nearly 70 countries during the past year. Additional information can be found on the Cincinnati Children's website. Connect on the Cincinnati Children’s blog, via Facebook and on Twitter.

About UC Health

UC Health, the University of Cincinnati’s affiliated health system and the region’s only academic health system, includes University of Cincinnati Medical Center, ranked among the top 25 percent of institutions according to UHC’s 2015 Quality and Accountability Study; West Chester Hospital, recipient of the 2016 Healthgrades® Outstanding Patient Experience Award™, placing the facility’s performance above 90 percent of similar hospitals nationally for patient satisfaction; Daniel Drake Center for Post-Acute Care, Cincinnati’s premier provider of long-term acute care; University of Cincinnati Physicians, Cincinnati’s largest multi-specialty practice group with more than 700 board-certified clinicians and surgeons; Lindner Center of HOPE, the region’s premier mental health center; and several institutes focusing on the areas of cancer, the neurosciences, cardiovascular and diabetes. To learn more, visit UCHealth.com.