Hampton University Proton Beam Therapy Institute

By Hollyn Randolph

The site has been secured, directors are in place and the ground-breaking ceremony has since passed. The year 2011 will mark a milestone for Hampton University as the school plans to open a Proton Beam Therapy Institute for cancer treatment.

History of Proton Therapy

Proton beam therapy has been around since the late 1940s. That’s when Nobel Prize- winning physicist Robert R. Wilson suggested the use of protons for treating cancer in his paper “Radiological use of Fast Protons.” It had limited availability to many and it wasn’t until 1990 did the first hospital treatment center opened. Loma Linda University medical center in California was the first therapy center to open in the United States.

Currently there are six proton beam therapy centers operating in the United States Most of the centers are located in the Midwest and Southwest.   

Proton Beam Therapy is said to be the most precise form of radiation treatment. Unlike traditional cancer treatments, the beam radiates only the target area and does not affect healthy tissues. With the therapy’s preciseness, specialists can use higher dosages of radiation without the risk of harming healthy tissue. According to www.mpri.com, even with its good qualities, Proton Therapy is best used for tumors that haven’t spread throughout the body.

According to the National Association for Proton Therapy, the therapy is highly effective in tumors found in the head, neck, lung and prostate.

In the beginning

It was at a Hampton University alumni luncheon in 2005 where the idea of a Proton Beam Therapy center was born. William R. Harvey, university president, wasn’t familiar with the revolutionary form of therapy an alumnus was speaking of. After a morning of research on the internet, Harvey’s curiosity continued to grow. “The more I read, the more I became fascinated with it,” he said.

Since that event some three years ago, Harvey has been fund raising and lobbying supporters throughout the community. He is ecstatic about the center and believes it will benefit the community of Hampton roads as well as the mid-Atlantic region. “What a wonderful thing for Hampton, to ease human misery and save lives,” said Harvey

Economic Impact

Hampton Mayor Ross Kearney agrees and adds, “I see this as an economic engine for Hampton Roads.” The city has plans for additional hotels and commerce in the area of the Institute.  The institute is expected to bring in $50 million to the areas economy as well as creating jobs.

City Councilwoman Angela Leary believes the institute will create higher wages and provide citizens with discretionary income.

Let’s Get Healthy Virginia

Besides its economic impact, the city should benefit from a health standpoint. According to the American Cancer Society, Hampton Roads leads the nation in prostate cancer deaths. Chesapeake ranks No. 1 when compared to other cities in colon cancer deaths. 

“We will have the opportunity to give profound relief from human suffering and invasive surgery,” said Leary.

According to statistics by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, when it comes to prostate cancer incidents and deaths, the state average is higher than the national average. Data released by the department in 2006, reported that on average the United States has 26.6 deaths per 100,000 males, while Virginia has 30.8.

MD Anderson HU connection 

About 1,400 miles away in Houston, radiologists, students and researchers are prepping for a busy day. Today 60 patients will be treated and many more seen at the center.

The University of Texas M.D. Anderson cancer center is the third proton therapy center in the United States and the fourth center involved in research. With four treatment rooms, 200-ton gantries, a patient library, meeting and lecture rooms, it has the capacity to treat 3,500 patients a year. 

The normal procedure for patients who opt and qualify to have proton therapy normally takes about 5-6 weeks. Since treatment is individualized patients must come in a week prior to treatment. This way the physician and technicians can analyze and determine the form of treatment necessary. After being simulated to find the correct treatment spot, CT scan images and data are sent to a treatment planning area.

 At this stage a technician will mark the beam direction to determine the target area as well as the dosage. The data is sent back to the physician were it is approved and treatment for the patient begins in a week. Patients are encouraged to come in once a week to see physicians and nurses. 

Financial Issues

In a July 2007 article in the Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk, Harvey told the newspaper that the financing for the project wasn’t complete and that $20 million in state and federal funding was being sought. 

In 2007, the General Assembly allocated $500,000 for the project. Some in the state believe as though this isn’t enough and the state should be doing more. An editorial in the Daily Press newspaper titled “Zapping cancer,” the author discussed their dismay for the city and state for not helping out more. “The city that has sunk so much into me-too projects, i.e. retail, hotels, should be able to come up with some cash to invest in a project that is distinctive and promising,” said the author.

HU Proton Therapy Institute 

Regardless of the issues in building the Proton Beam therapy center, the fact remains that the area and state should prosper from it. Hampton City has donated 5.5 acres of land off of Magruder Boulevard. The center, which will be named HU Proton Therapy Institute, is expected to see 2,000 patients yearly and focus mainly on prostate cancer. It will also be the most advanced with beam scanning, flat panel control, image guides and robotic positioning.

“The robotic positioning will help position patients better so that we can get preciseness,” says Cynthia Keppel, Scientific and Technical director of the center.

Besides providing the best care to patients, HU proton therapy institute will conduct clinical trials and the center has plans of creating a program in radiation therapy and dosimetry. There is talk of advancing health physics and creating a joint MD/ PhD program. “My biggest concern now is starting on time and doing well,” says Keppel.

Charles Washington, director of clinical services and operations at MD Anderson cancer center, offers some advice to those working in conjunction with the center: “Communicate with one another, challenge yourself, be creative, and most of all be patient.”

The HU proton beam center is one of two scheduled to open up in the near future and will become one of seven nationally.  At 98,000 square-feet, it will be the largest center in the world.

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Randolph is a junior at Hampton University Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications.

ART:

www.jlab.org/news/news_letter/2007/20070824/HUProtonTherapy_Thiashovel.jpg

Hampton University and Hampton city leaders at the summer 2007 groundbreaking of the Proton Beam center

Credit: Jlab.org [Jefferson Lab, Newport News, Va.]