Download The EMORY PROTON THERAPY CENTER PROJECT FACT SHEET

The EMORY PROTON THERAPY CENTER
PROJECT FACT SHEET
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$200+ million proton center project
107, 000+ square foot building
5 treatment rooms (4 rotational gantries and 1 fixed beam)
MRI and CT scan diagnostic services in support of proton therapy
Opening 2016
Proton Therapy - Effective Cancer Treatment
Proton therapy allows for a highly targeted dose of lifesaving radiation therapy to be
delivered directly to the tumor while minimizing the exposure to healthy issue. This can
result in a more effective treatment for patients with fewer side effects.
This advanced technology is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and
reimbursed by both Medicare and private insurance. Around since the 1950s, proton
therapy has been used to treat more than 110,000 people worldwide. Patients typically
receive approximately 30 treatments during a four- to six-week period. Each treatment
lasts about 15-25 minutes, after which the patient is free to carry on with daily affairs.
Proton therapy involves the use of a focused beam of protons to target tumors with
control and precision unavailable in other radiation therapies. The precise delivery of
proton energy limits damage to healthy surrounding tissue, resulting in minimal or no
side effects to the patient. This precision also allows for a more potent and effective dose
of radiation to be used. Children are a prime example of who benefits most from limiting
radiation, as they are particularly at-risk for the traditional side effects commonly
expected from conventional radiation.
Why proton therapy?
Proton therapy and standard x-ray therapy (photon radiation) both target specific,
cancerous cells in the body. The major advantage of proton treatment is that clinicians
can better control the energy distribution of protons as they are deposited in tissue.
Essentially, only a small amount of dose is delivered along the proton beam’s delivery
path. Most of the dose can be delivered to the targeted cells at a precise distance in tissue,
called the “Bragg Peak.”
Proton therapy is used to treat adult and pediatric cancers including:
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Prostate
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Brain
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Eye
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Head and neck
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Lung
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Spine
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Breast
ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY
The Varian Probeam superconducting cyclotron featured at the Emory Proton Therapy
Center is a 90 ton machine that accelerates protons to two-thirds the speed of light. This
cutting-edge system also features pencil-beam (or spot) scanning, which allows for
modulation of the proton beam’s intensity. This enables doctors to precisely shape the
dose distribution to concentrate on the targeted tumor, while sparing normal healthy
tissue. The calculated dose is “painted” to the tumor from multiple angles, with the beam
intensity modulated and shaped to match the shape of the tumor. The treatment is
delivered through the gantry which is three-stories tall and has the ability to rotate 360
degrees around the patient.
ABOUT WINSHIP CANCER INSTITUTE
Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University is Georgia’s only National Cancer
Institute-Designated Cancer Center and serves as the coordinating center for cancer
research and care throughout Emory University. For 75 years, Winship has served the
citizens of Georgia and the Southeast by working tirelessly to prevent, treat and cure
cancer.
Winship offers patients and their family members a vast array of resources in medical
oncology, surgical oncology, radiation oncology, diagnostic imaging, complementary
therapies and social services. Our faculty is comprised of 360 clinicians and researchers
within Emory University School of Medicine, Rollins School of Public Health, Nell
Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory/Georgia Tech Department of Biomedical
Engineering and Emory College. Winship’s culture of collaboration and discovery draws
physicians, scientists, nurses and other professionals from all over the world. To learn
more about Winship, visit http://winshipcancer.emory.edu.
ABOUT APT
Advanced Particle Therapy (APT) develops and manages premier proton therapy centers
to deliver exceptional cancer treatment to patients. APT provides a fully integrated
solution for the development of proton treatment centers for leading academic medical
institutions as well as best in class regional healthcare systems. APT serves as the
project’s developer and provides a turnkey solution to the highly complex task of
successfully developing, designing, constructing, overseeing and managing a particle
therapy treatment center. APT is developing centers for Scripps Healthcare in San Diego,
Emory Healthcare in Atlanta, the University of Maryland in Baltimore, and the
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. For more information about
Advanced Particle Therapy, visit www.advancedparticletherapy.com.