This past week both John and I toured the new Emory Proton Therapy Center in Atlanta. This facility will be the first of its kind in Georgia to offer patients access to a new, state-of-the-art form of radiation therapy.
Proton therapy uses accelerated particles (protons) to precisely treat cancerous tumors within the body. Proton therapy can be 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 FDA-approved therapy is used to treat adult and pediatric cancers including those with tumors in the brain, eye, head and neck, lung, spine, breast or prostate. Proton therapy has the potential reduction in many of the usual side effects of standard x-ray radiation.
The facility is three stories and 108,000 square feet. Approximate cost is $200 million. The Emory Proton Therapy Center is 10 miles from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and just minutes from I-75/85 with convenient covered parking attached to the building. This is the only proton center in Georgia and one of only a few in the entire southeastern United States. There are approximately 25 proton treatment centers in the U.S. and more than 50 worldwide.
Currently, referring physicians and patients with questions about proton therapy and its appropriateness for their particular cancer can schedule a consultation with a Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University (Winship) radiation oncology physician expert. Visit the Winship website or call 404-778-3473