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For Immediate Release
June 29, 2015
Contact: Tom Langford
[email protected]
617-761-6775
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Mevion Medical Systems Delivers Proton Accelerator to
Seidman Cancer Center at University Hospitals
Delivery marks a major milestone in the installation of the first proton therapy
system to treat cancer in adults and children in Ohio
LITTLETON, Mass., June 29, 2015 – Mevion Medical Systems is annoucing the delivery of the
superconducting synchrocyclotron accelerator for its MEVION S250 proton therapy system under
installation at University Hospitals (UH) Seidman Cancer Center and UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s
Hospital in Cleveland.
The accelerator, which is the core of the proton therapy system, was delivered Friday. Its installation is a
crucial step in the deployment of the proton therapy system at UH. The unit will be the first proton
therapy system in Ohio treating adult and pediatric cancer patients when it begins clinical operation in the
spring of next year. This is the sixth accelerator delivery for Mevion, the innovator behind the world’s
most efficient and cost-effective high-precision proton therapy system.
“We are extremely excited to bring this leading-edge proton beam facility to Ohio,” said Nathan Levitan,
MD, president of UH Seidman Cancer Center. “As a national leader in cancer care, University Hospitals
Seidman Cancer Center is committed to providing patients with the most advanced cancer-fighting
technology and treatments. The addition of the MEVION S250 will be a great complement to our existing
state-of-the-art radiation oncology equipment and expertise and will benefit patients with many different
types of cancer. Additionally, it provides a distinct advantage to our pediatric patients and their families at
UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, eliminating the need to travel out of state for this technology
which results in fewer long-term effects due to the precisely targeted therapy.”
Proton therapy is an advanced form of radiation therapy that targets cancer cells more directly while
sparing much of the surrounding healthy tissue, thus making it ideal for treating pediatric patients as well
as adults with cancer in sensitive locations such as near the heart or brain. Traditional proton therapy
systems cost hundreds of millions of dollars to build and are typically the size of a football field.
However, the MEVION S250 is unique, providing precise, effective and efficient treatment without the
complexity of traditional systems. In addition, the capital costs and the operating costs are significantly
less as the MEVION S250 requires less space, less staff and less energy than other proton systems.
“The availability of proton therapy at UH Seidman Cancer Center is a significant step forward for cancer
patients in Ohio. Patients and families in the region facing cancer soon will have a powerful new
treatment option,” said Joseph K. Jachinowski, president and CEO of Mevion Medical Systems.
“Delivering the accelerator marks an important milestone in making this possible.”
Following the installation of the accelerator, the system will undergo proton beam tuning and acceptance
testing to verify that it meets precise technical and clinical requirements before being commissioned for
clinical use. It is expected to begin treating cancer patients in the spring of 2016. Currently, three
MEVION S250 proton therapy systems are in clinical operation treating patients.
About Mevion Medical Systems
Mevion Medical Systems, Inc. is a leading provider of proton therapy systems for use in radiation treatment for cancer patients. Mevion’s
flagship product, the MEVION S250 proton therapy platform, is the only modular, single room proton therapy system currently on the market.
The MEVION S250 integrates with standard radiation therapy workflow and provides a proton therapy treatment environment at a fraction of the
cost, footprint and operational complexity of conventional systems.
Mevion is privately held and based in Littleton, Massachusetts, with international offices in the United Kingdom and Japan. For more
information, please visit www.mevion.com.
About University Hospitals
University Hospitals, the second largest employer in Northeast Ohio with 25,000 employees, serves the needs of patients through an integrated
network of 15 hospitals, 28 outpatient health centers and primary care physician offices in 15 counties. At the core of its $3.5 billion health
system is University Hospitals Case Medical Center, ranked among America’s 50 best hospitals by U.S. News & World Report in all 12
methodology-ranked specialties. The primary affiliate of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, UH Case Medical Center is home
to some of the most prestigious clinical and research centers of excellence in the nation, including cancer, pediatrics, women's health,
orthopaedics, radiology, neuroscience, cardiology and cardiovascular surgery, digestive health, transplantation and genetics. Its main campus
includes UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, ranked among the top children’s hospitals in the nation; UH MacDonald Women's Hospital,
Ohio's only hospital for women; and UH Seidman Cancer Center, part of the NCI-designated Case Comprehensive Cancer Center at Case
Western Reserve University. For more information, go to www.uhhospitals.org.
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