UC Health Debuts $120M Cincinnati Facility

By Anca Gagiuc

Grand Opening of the Proton Theray Center at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

Cincinnati—One of the world’s most advanced cancer treatment and research centers will start treating patients next month at a $120 million facility on Cincinnati Children’s campus in Liberty Township. A joint project of the nonprofit pediatric medical center and UC Health, the new Proton Therapy Center will aim to advance the cancer-fighting potential of proton therapy.

“This important investment will transform cancer care for children and adults and generate a new wave of discovery,” said Cincinnati Children’s president & CEO Michael Fisher.  “Proton is advanced cancer therapy. I am pleased it is now available to our pediatric patients with the most challenging types of cancer, underscoring our deep commitment to always provide the safest and most effective treatment options.”

Proton therapy is a variety of radiation treatment that directs a highly focused beam at tumors through a particle accelerator. Its precision is believed to sharply reduce potential damage to healthy tissue.

The Proton Therapy Center will have the first proton treatment gantry fully dedicated to research along several tracks, including: basic research, assessment of imaging and other technological issues, and strategies that augment proton therapy. Also of note, the facility features dedicated treatment gantries for both pediatric and adult patients, as well as separate entrances for children and adults.

“The opening of this facility is the culmination of almost a decade of conversations and planning, and we are excited to begin providing treatment to an average of 200 adult patients per year nationally and globally,” said Richard Lofgren, president & CEO of UC Health. “This facility, together with the expertise of the faculty of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Cincinnati Children’s, will give patients access to a level of cancer care available in only a handful of locations around the world.”

Partnering with Cincinnati Children’s and UC Medical Center on the research initiatives will be the University of Cincinnati Physicians, the UC College of Medicine and Varian, the proton equipment manufacturer. Some collaborations will also involve research centers in Germany and Israel.

Image courtesy of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center