New Proton Centers Coming

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(From the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, May 4, 2007.)

" A Fort Lauderdale hospital moved Wednesday to buy a sophisticated

cancer radiation system now found in only five U.S. cities, greatly

expanding the treatment options for South Florida patients, especially

children.

The $19 million proton therapy machine at Broward General Medical

Center would be able to fire larger amounts of cancer-killing

radiation into tumors than does a standard radiation machine, while

damaging fewer healthy cells, officials said.

" It's a big advance, " said Dr. Anurag Agarwal, who will lead the

proton team for the hospital and its parent, the tax-assisted North

Broward Hospital District.

" Any time you can deliver a higher dose of radiation to that tumor,

you have a higher chance of curing that cancer, and any time you can

deliver a lower dose of radiation to the surrounding tissue, you have

a lower incidence of side effects, " he said.

Once the machine gets running, expected in three to four years, proton

therapy will give doctors a fourth weapon to combat cancer, along with

standard radiation, chemotherapy and surgery.

The machine will not replace the other therapies and will not be

needed in the many cases that can be handled with simpler methods,

physicians said. But the new technology will be the best choice for

tumors in or near sensitive areas such as the brain, eyes, prostate

gland, spinal cord and vital organs. In children, it can prevent

radiation side effects that may last a lifetime, such as stunted

growth and lower IQ.

" We would want to use it when we don't want to cause any radiation

damage to some of these critical areas, " said Dr. Abdon J. Medina,

director of radiation oncology at Holy Cross Hospital. " Right now, we

have to ship all our patients out of town if they need protons. "

Until now, only five large hospitals could afford $100 million to $200

million to build football-field-size cyclotron units needed to produce

proton beams. The nearest is in ville, with five more in the

works around the nation. Most have waiting lists for patients.

But Broward General lined up to buy a miniature version being

developed by Still River Systems near Boston. At a fraction of the

cost and size, six U.S. hospitals, including one in Orlando, have

ordered machines, the company said. "