Particle Therapy Retrofits to Redefine Cancer Care and Double Patient Throughput

One of the biggest reasons particle therapy is not readily accessible to everyone who would benefit from it is the large cost and space requirements associated with the construction and technology needed to deliver particle therapy. Leo Cancer Care has developed innovative upright radiation therapy solutions that are significantly smaller and less complex, meaning particle therapy can be more accessible than ever before.

McLaren Proton Therapy Center had allotted a significant amount of space to install a traditional rotating gantry to deliver proton therapy. This is where the partnership between Gresham Smith and Leo Cancer Care began as they collaborated to show McLaren Proton Therapy Center that this single treatment room could become two treatment rooms if they installed the Leo Cancer Care, Marie™ solution.

McLaren HealthCare engaged Gresham Smith due to their expertise in the proton therapy design, familiarity with the existing building, and experience with the Karmanos Cancer Institute.  Dan White, Senior Vice President and Project Executive at Gresham Smith, was involved in designing the original Proton Center, which was constructed in late 2012. It was originally designed to house three traditional rotating gantry proton vaults, two of which were fully built out, and one shelled for future expansion.

Today the idea is to take the single treatment room and convert it into two smaller rooms housing Leo Cancer Care’s, radiotherapy solution named Marie™, a revolutionary upright treatment and imaging system.

“The implications of this project are enormous, from increased capacity and throughput to affordability and speed to market.  It’s very humbling to think that the spaces created in this project will be more readily accessible to patients in need, and in turn, save countless lives. It’s an understatement to say that we are very excited to be working on a project that is the first of its kind in the world, and together with McLaren Health and Leo Cancer Care, we will bring positive change to the healthcare world”, Goran Vukovljak, Senior Architect and Project Director from Gresham Smith.

 With the Leo Cancer Care equipment taking up half the space, at effectively half the cost of conventional radiotherapy units, the agreement has important commercial and economic benefits for the healthcare provider.

“McLaren will realize a sizable capital cost reduction by implementing the Leo Cancer Care upright positioning and imaging system instead of our present three-story, one hundred plus ton, rotating gantry solution,” said Daniel Medrano, Co-Director of Research and Development for the McLaren Proton Therapy System.

This partnership shows how retrofitting proton therapy spaces can provide a superior patient and clinician experience, whilst also benefitting productivity and the bottom line. Projects like this will ensure that even more people have access to this lifesaving and life-extending treatment with fewer side effects and improved treatment accuracy compared to traditional photon radiotherapy treatments.

“Two treatment rooms double the patient throughput; it is great for the hospital and great for patients because it will deliver more patient capacity at the McLaren Proton Therapy Center”, stated Stephen Towe, CEO of Leo Cancer Care.