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Proton Beam Accelerator Delivered to Siteman Cancer Center for Proton Therapy

  • October 26, 2011
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ST. LOUIS – A cross-country delivery of a technology some think will revolutionize radiation therapy for some cancer patients will make its way to St. Louis and the Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine.

Delivery of the world’s first superconducting synchrocyclotron proton accelerator is scheduled to begin Tuesday, October 25 from Mevion Medical Systems’ company headquarters in Littleton, MA to its destination at the Kling Center for Proton Therapy at the corner of Euclid and Forest Park in St. Louis on Sunday, October 30. This revolutionary accelerator is the key component of the MEVION S250 Proton Therapy System that is currently under installation at the Kling Center.

Proton therapy is a form of radiation therapy used in adults to shrink tumors near vital organs like the spine or brain and also in pediatric cancer patients whose bodies are still growing.

“Protons allow us to target tumors with greater precision because we can adjust the depth of the radiation,” says Jeffrey Bradley, MD, Washington University associate professor, Siteman Cancer Center radiation oncologist and director of the Kling Center for Proton Therapy. “We then avoid a collateral dose that exposes other organs and healthy tissue.”

The issue that has hindered the technology’s expansion is cost. Existing proton beam facilities in the U.S. have cost in excess of $150 million due to the size and resulting cost of the current generation of cyclotrons generating the protons. So far these cyclotrons have required free-standing, football field-sized buildings delivering the proton beam to three or four “vaults” for patient treatment. Currently, the closest location to St. Louis offering proton therapy is more than 220 miles away.

The Kling Center for Proton Therapy will cost around $20 million with a superconducting synchrocyclotron so small – and the first of its kind in the world – it will be housed in a single room not much larger than a traditional radiation therapy room. The cost of this next generation single room proton therapy approach will be only a fraction of the investment needed for the current technology multi-room large cyclotron proton therapy systems.

"Our role in helping bring this technology from laboratory to clinical use should eventually make this treatment available to many more across the country," says Dr. Bradley. "It is much more affordable than the current delivery system, and occupies a fraction of the space."

The Mevion S250 Proton Therapy System has not been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for clinical use. Administrators at Barnes-Jewish hope to engage in patient treatment by the end of 2012. Once FDA approval is obtained, the center should treat in excess of 200 patients per year, focusing on pediatric patients from St. Louis Children’s Hospital, patients suffering from cancer in the central nervous system and spine, and other cancers such as head and neck, thoracic, abdominal, and pelvic tumors.

“This therapy will allow us to offer new ways to treat many types of cancers,” says Dr. Bradley who was installed in 2009 as The Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital’s S. Lee Kling endowed chair in radiation and oncology. As chair, he receives permanent support to lead a team of researchers who investigate how to best use this technology to meet the needs of patients.

The system will be housed in a site across Euclid Ave. from the Center for Advanced Medicine with street access between the Parkway Hotel and the Center for Advanced Medicine’s North Garage.

Media Contact:
Jason Merrill
314-286-0302
[email protected]

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