Proton Therapy Center increases capacity 6 months in
Six months after the ribbon cutting, the Proton Therapy Center at Cincinnati Children’s Liberty Campus has brought the second of three gantries online for treating cancer patients. The state-of-the art facility officially opened its doors to patients on September 8, according to Abram Gordon, executive director. “We have a great staff with a lot of experience,” he says. “We have exceeded all our expectations.”
The Proton Therapy Center – a collaboration between Cincinnati Children’s and UC Health – was nearly a decade in the planning, requiring a $120 million investment and three years of construction. It represents the most sophisticated technology available, with the capability of delivering precise radiation therapy to cancerous tumors, limiting the damage to surrounding healthy tissue.
The center opened months ahead of schedule and hit the ground running. “We treated amazingly complicated conditions in our first few weeks of operation,” says Gordon. “Other centers put off treating these kinds of patients for months. It’s really been a time for our staff to shine.”
A treatment session typically takes 30 minutes, or 1 hour if the patient requires anesthesia. The proton beam is only in use for a few minutes each time. A patient will generally receive from 25 to 35 treatments. Frequently, patients will celebrate completion of their radiation therapy in a special way. The family of one patient, 4-year-old Ella Phillips-Shimovetz, treated her to a horse-drawn carriage ride to her last session, where she was greeted by Prince Charming, aka resident Andrew Porter, one of the center’s radiation therapists.
“We’ve gotten very positive feedback from patients and families about the center,” says business manager, Krista Starvaggi. “They are pleased with how well coordinated their care is. We have a very competent and compassionate staff.”
Another gantry dedicated to research will open in early spring.
“We will be looking at additional features and functionality of proton therapy and ways to make treatments more effective,” says Gordon. “We will also be testing new technologies for proton systems.”
Roughly 80-85 percent of pediatric cancers that need radiation can receive proton therapy.
“We are thrilled to be able to give children and adults an option that has benefits over conventional treatment,” he adds. “One of our key goals this year is to continue adding patients so we can help more and more people.”
