Current News/Media

Maryland Proton Treatment Center Installs Cyclotron

June 6, 2014

Maryland Proton Treatment Center Cyclotron Installation

June 17, 2014 (Baltimore, Maryland) - Advanced Particle Therapy, LLC. (APT) announces the installation of the 90-ton cyclotron at the Maryland Proton Treatment Center in Baltimore, Maryland. The equipment is part of the state-of-the-art system that will treat cancer patients with life-saving proton therapy.


 


Proton therapy uses accelerated particles (protons) to precisely treat cancerous tumors throughout the body. It is more precise than conventional forms of radiation treatment, delivering an exact, high dose of radiation to a tumor site while sparing surrounding healthy tissue and organs from damage. This sparing of healthy tissue means patients are better able to tolerate the highest doses of radiation and help avoid treatment-related secondary cancers and chronic diseases.

MPTC Cyclotron Installation June 2014Manufactured by Varian Medical Systems of Palo Alto, Calif., the cyclotron is approximately 90 tons, but just 6 feet high and 9 feet wide. The cyclotron accelerates protons to roughly 100,000 miles per second or 0.61 times the speed of light, to create a beam that can precisely reach tumors, even if deeply seated and located near critical organs. This beam can also be shaped in three dimensions to avoid surrounding healthy tissues, targeting tumors with unprecedented accuracy.

The Maryland Proton Treatment Center, which anticipates opening in 2015, will be operated by the University of Maryland Medical Center whose physicians bring a wealth of experience in radiation oncology and patient care.

APT also has three additional investor-owned centers:

  • The Scripps Proton Therapy Center in San Diego, CA which is open and currently treating patients in cooperation with Scripps Healthcare.
  • The Emory Proton Therapy Center, Winship Cancer Institute in Atlanta, GA in cooperation with Emory Healthcare
  • The Dallas Proton Treatment Center located in Dallas, TX in cooperation with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Watch the ABC Channel 2 Baltimore News coverage here.

About APT
Advanced Particle Therapy (APT) develops and manages leading-edge proton therapy centers that 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 premier 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.

For more information, please contact Advanced Particle Therapy at  mktg@advancedparticletherapy.com