McLaren Proton Therapy Center Doubles Patient Capacity By Opening a Second Treatment Room
The McLaren Proton Therapy Center opened a second treatment room in May, making it the largest proton therapy center in Michigan. In addition, cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) was added to both treatment rooms, allowing better imaging capabilities prior to each treatment. The addition of a second operational treatment room and new imaging modality comes at a time when physician and self-referrals have significantly increased.
“We have an increasing demand for proton technology as we have been treating at almost capacity with one gantry room,” explains Hesham Gayar, MD, Medical Director of the McLaren Proton Therapy Center. “Patients are coming to us from all over Michigan and the neighboring states. I am glad to have the additional room to help more patients receive life-saving treatments, at the highest possible precision and accuracy of positioning to reduce side effects and improve quality of life.”
The CBCT allows for six-degrees of freedom when aligning patients for treatment. This means patients are accurately aligned for treatment quicker, even in the most challenging scenarios. With a CBCT, therapists can see a more detailed image to distinguish the tumor from healthy tissue. The McLaren Proton Therapy Center is one of a few centers in the country with this technology.
The addition of the second treatment room allows for a more efficient workflow, and for a better patient experience. As the proton beam is being delivered to one of the treatment rooms, another patient will be positioned and prepared for their treatment in the second treatment room. Now, the focus shifts to opening a third treatment room in the future.
To make a referral or to discuss a patient’s case with one of the radiation oncologists, call (855) 697-7686, or email protontherapy@mclaren.org.