University Hospitals asks for new cancer therapy system

A new proton cancer therapy system requested by University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics officials is associated with a significantly lower risk of second cancers for patients.

UI Hospitals officials presented information to the state Board of Regents this morning during a meeting in Vinton about the $25 million proton therapy system. The regents will vote on approval to move foward with the project this afternoon.

The proton beam therapy system would be used to treat pediatric and adult patients with certain types of cancers. For the same dose to the targeted cancer area, protons deliver a lower physical dose to the normal tissues than do high-energy X-rays, which reduces the risk of second cancers, Dr. John Buatti, director of the UI's Center for Excellence in Radiation Oncology, said. Also, proton beams are more sensitive to organ motion and anatomy changes in the beam path, he said.

“The single most important thing for protons is treating children with cancer,” Buatti said. “The bottom line is that it's absolutely undeniable that protons theoretically are better.”

Buatti said numerous patients of his have gone out of state, to Indiana and Boston, to receive the proton therapy. It's time for the UI to have the technology, he said, because is has improved significantly in the past decade as it has become more popular and the costs have decreased.

Officials expect to increase patient usage of the proton unit over several years, to a maximum capacity of 25 patients per day.  The system likely will take several years to complete, as an addition to the Center of Excellence in Image-Guided Radiation Therapy, at the UI hospital's Pomerantz Family Pavilion.