BOSTON — November 13, 2001 — The Northeast Proton Therapy Center (NPTC) at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), which delivers highly targeted, precise radiation therapy, has begun treating patients. The second hospital-based proton therapy center in the world, the NPTC features the most advanced technology of its kind and a full range of patient and research support services.

The center will be used both for Federally-funded clinical cancer research and for treatments already proven to be effective. The NPTC program builds on the experience gained at the Harvard Cyclotron Laboratory (HCL), where MGH physicians – along with their colleagues from Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI) and HCL physicists – have treated more than 9,000 patients for benign and malignant conditions since 1961. Treatment at HCL will be phased out over the next six months as operations are transferred to the NPTC.

"This is a spectacular day in the history of the hospital and for Partners HealthCare System, 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 Radiation Oncology at the MGH. "We are delighted to have this state-of-the-art facility specifically designed for patient care."

About proton therapy
When the positively changed atomic particles called protons travel through tissue, they 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 therapeutic target. Because the energy delivered by proton therapy can be so carefully controlled, a much higher dose can be safely delivered to a tumor than is possible with standard radiation therapy.

Proton therapy has proven more effective than other methods of treating certain tumors of the eye and the base of the skull, both areas in which the ability to protect adjacent structures is crucial. It has been successfully used to destroy arteriovenous malformations, tangled masses of immature blood vessels in the brain that can cause serious neurological problems or death. Proton therapy is being studied at NPTC and elsewhere for other brain and spinal tumors, prostate and rectal cancers, gastrointestinal tumors and lung cancers.

About NPTC
Producing the proton beam requires a cyclotron, a machine that accelerates subatomic particles to nearly the speed of light. The HCL, one of the world’s first such facilities, was built in the 1940s for research in nuclear physics. It has several limitations for patient treatment. Its relatively low power beam can only treat tumors close to the body’s surface, and its beam has a fixed position, making aiming the beam at the most effective angle for treatment difficult and sometimes impossible. In addition, HCL can treat only 20 patients per day. Its location and environment are far from ideal for patient treatment. And the distance from the hospitals limits the availability of important support services – such as anesthesia for pediatric patients.

Located on the MGH campus and adjacent to MEEI, NPTC 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 treatment of eye tumors – the center will eventually 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 from individuals and foundations.

The Massachusetts General Hospital, established in 1811, is the original and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. The MGH conducts the largest hospital-based research program in the United States, with an annual research budget of almost $300 million and major research centers in AIDS, the neurosciences, cardiovascular research, cancer, cutaneous biology, transplantation biology and photomedicine. In 1994, the MGH joined with Brigham and Women’s Hospital to form Partners HealthCare System, an integrated health care delivery system comprising the two academic medical centers, specialty and community hospitals, a network of physician groups and nonacute and home health services.

Media Contact: Sue McGreevey, MGH Public Affairs

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