November 16, 2001

A long-awaited moment finally arrived last week: The MGH's Northeast ProtonTherapy Center (NPTC) treated its first patient Nov. 8 in what MGH physicians have called "a very successful procedure." As one of only two hospital-based proton therapy centers in the world, the NPTC features the most advanced technology of its kind. It delivers highly targeted, precise radiation therapy to patients with tumors or other problems in areas requiring special protection.

The patient, Jonathan Barres, 51, (in photo above) of Stonington, Conn., was diagnosed in August with a benign tumor in the base of his skull. Surgeons at New England Medical Center could remove only a small part of the tumor. Radiation treatment would be needed to eradicate the rest of the tumor without causing damage to his brain. To limit the impact on his eye and cognitive abilities, Barres' physicians recommended that he be treated with proton therapy.

"This is a spectacular day in the history of the hospital and for Partners HealthCare, one that will have a wide range of implications for treating patients with cancer," says Jay Loeffler, MD, director of the NPTC and chief of MGH Radiation Oncology. "We are delighted to have this state-of-the-art facility specifically designed for complicated patient care. Countless individuals have worked tirelessly to achieve this important step in cancer treatment and research at the MGH."

Proton therapy takes advantage of a specific property of the positively charged atomic particles called protons. When traveling through tissue, protons release most of their energy in a concentrated burst near the end of their range. This allows the power of the proton beam to be focused extremely precisely, with an accuracy of 0.5 millimeters, sparing surrounding structures. In contrast, standard x-ray radiation therapy delivers a steady dose of radiation as it passes through tissue, including areas in front of and behind the target. Because the energy delivered by proton therapy is so carefully controlled, a much higher dose can be safely delivered to a tumor than is possible with standard radiation therapy.

Producing the proton beam requires a cyclotron, a machine that accelerates subatomic particles nearly to the speed of light. The Harvard Cyclotron Laboratory (HCL) in Cambridge, one of the world's first such facilities, was built in the 1940s for research in nuclear physics. MGH physicians – along with their colleagues from Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and physicists from HCL – have used the Harvard facility to treat more than 9,000 patients for benign and malignant conditions since 1961.

The HCL has several limitations for patient treatment, however. Its relatively low power beam can treat only those tumors close to the body's surface, and its beam has a fixed position, so that aiming it at the most effective angle for treatment is difficult and sometimes impossible. In addition, HCL can treat only 20 patients per day.

Located on Fruit Street across from the Clinics Building, the NPTC facility features a high-power cyclotron, producing beams that can be moved to treat any site on the body.

With three treatment rooms – two with movable gantries and one designed for the treatment of eye tumors – the center eventually will be able to treat more than 65 patients a day. The center's location allows for a full range of medical and support services for both inpatients and outpatients. The NPTC was constructed with funding from the National Cancer Institute and the MGH, including philanthropic support. Treatment at HCL will be phased out during the next six months as operations are transferred to the NPTC.