Proton Treatment Facility Under Construction to Provide Therapy and Research

In addition to treating patients, a new proton therapy facility being built in the United States will serve as a research center for particle therapy.

Construction on the 9,476-square meter Scripps Proton Therapy Center building on a 28,328-square meter site in Mira Mesa area of San Diego (CA, USA), is approximately 80% complete. Major components of Varian’s ProBeam system for this site are already manufactured and en route to the new facility, where installation is scheduled to begin in the middle of October 2011. The center hopes to begin treating patients in 2013.

Varian Medical Systems, Inc. (Palo Alto, CA, USA) reported that it has logged a US$88 million order to provide its ProBeam system for the Scripps Proton Therapy Center, being developed through collaboration between Scripps Health, Scripps Clinic Medical Group, and Advanced Particle Therapy (Minden, NV, USA). The equipment order for the five-room center that will be operated by Scripps Health was issued by the California Proton Treatment Center (CPTC), a special purpose entity formed by Advanced Particle Therapy, which is acting as developer for the $225 million project. Concurrent with the order booking in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2011, Varian has also recorded revenue for this equipment under the “percentage of completion method.”

Varian has also signed a 10-year agreement valued at approximately $60 million to service its ProBeam system for the center. Service revenue will be recorded in the future over the life of the contract and has not been added to the company’s backlog.

“This is an exciting step forward for the Varian particle therapy business,” said Tim Guertin, president and CEO of Varian. “The Scripps Proton Therapy Center will be our first full installation for managing, planning, and delivering intensity-modulated proton therapy.”

Proton therapy makes it possible to treat certain types of cancer more accurately and with potentially fewer side effects than with traditional radiation therapy. With proton therapy, the risk of damage to healthy tissues is reduced. The method can be applied for many of the most common types of cancer and offers advantages when treating tumors close to radiosensitive tissues. In pediatric patients, the risk of developing a new, radiation-induced cancer later in life can be reduced.

Related Links:
Scripps Proton Therapy Center
Varian Medical Systems