Froedtert & MCW break ground on proton therapy project

The Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin health network has broken ground on a site where advanced radiation therapy will be delivered. 

The network recently announced it has begun preparations for installing a new proton therapy system at its cancer center campus in Milwaukee. This form of cancer therapy is not yet available in Wisconsin, and Froedtert and the MCW say they expect to begin offering it starting in 2025. 

Proton therapy relies on “high-energy beams of proton particles” rather than X-rays to deliver precise doses of radiation to cancerous tumors, the release shows. Because this treatment can send high levels of radiation in a targeted way, cancer can be affected while nearby healthy tissues and organs are spared. 

According to the health network, that means proton therapy can offer “more effective cancer control and better quality of life for patients,” with less severe side effects and fewer secondary cancers related to the treatment itself. 

Dr. Christopher Schultz, a professor with MCW and chairman of the Clinical Cancer Center’s radiation oncology department, says the groundbreaking marks a milestone in the networks’ radiation therapy development. 

“We have been at the forefront of clinical, technical and administrative experience in developing clinical programs with the goal of providing more personalized treatments,” Schultz said in a statement. “Proton therapy supports our ongoing commitment to developing and offering world-class, innovative cancer care to all of the patients in the diverse communities we serve.”

Once the therapy is available in Wisconsin, adult cancer patients won’t have to travel as far to access it, the release shows. That’s expected to benefit many patients, as nearly a third of all patients in the state with cancer will undergo radiation therapy at some point. 

The Froedtert & MCW health network says it will also offer proton therapy to pediatric patients through a partnership with Children’s Wisconsin. Once available, it will be offered to patients getting care at the MACC Fund Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at the Children’s Wisconsin Milwaukee Hospital. 

See more project details: https://www.wisbusiness.com/2023/the-froedtert-the-medical-college-of-wisconsin-health-network-breaks-ground-on-new-generation-radiation-therapy/