COLUMBUS – Some next-generation cancer-fighting weaponry has arrived in Columbus.
Nationwide Children’s Hospital and The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research have opened a $100 million, 55,000-square-foot proton therapy center, the first such treatment facility in central Ohio.
Proton therapy is a highly targeted form of radiation therapy for the treatment of complex tumors that cannot be removed through surgery.
Proton therapy uses protons – which are positively charged particles — instead of X-rays to destroy cancer cells, which minimizes the damage to surrounding healthy cells.
“Proton therapy is the perfect example of personalized care in cancer…This technology has the potential to literally improve the health and well-being of millions of people across Ohio and beyond,” said Arnab Chakravarti, MD, director of the proton therapy center and chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at OSUCCC – James.
The first proton therapy treatment at the center on Ohio State’s west campus on Kenny Road was performed on an adult woman with chondrosarcoma of the brain in mid-December, officials said.
The center offers comprehensive radiation oncology treatment options for both adult and pediatric patients at a single location.
“With the opening of this facility, it is thrilling to get a glimpse into what is now possible in the realm of cancer treatment for children,” said Dr. Timothy Cripe, chief of the Division of Hematology, Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplantation at Nationwide Children’s.