A new type of cancer treatment technology is coming to Utah’s Huntsman Cancer Institute.
The institute announced Thursday its plans to add a proton therapy center at Huntsman Cancer Hospital in Salt Lake City, funded by the hospital, institute and Huntsman Cancer Foundation.
“Bringing proton therapy to Utah is completely in keeping with the vision we had when we founded HCI over two decades ago” institute founder Jon M. Huntsman Sr. said in a written statement. “I remain absolutely committed to ensure that our patients have access to the very best equipment and expertise to fight their cancer. Proton therapy is yet another tool we will bring to our patients to give them the best possible outcomes against this dreadful disease.”
The planned Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy Center will be located at the south end of the Huntsman Cancer Hospital, on the University of Utah campus. The center is expected to open in 2020 and serve roughly 200 patients each year, according to the institute.
Proton therapy is a type of radiation treatment that uses thin beams of protons to precisely target cancerous tumors, minimizing radiation damage to healthy tissue.
Dennis Shrieve, chair of radiation oncology at the U. and an HCI investigator, said in a written statement that proton therapy will add a “critical tool” to the technology and research at the cancer institute.
“This new technology will allow patients who will most benefit from proton therapy to avoid disruptive travel far from home,” Shrieve, a U.professor and chair of radiation oncology, said in a prepared statement. “Further, HCI will be able to contribute to research in the most effective uses of intensity modulated proton therapy in the treatment of cancer.”
The institute said it will launch a public bidding process to select a supplier, with final details subject to state and university approval.
Editor’s note: Paul Huntsman, a son of Jon M. Huntsman Sr., is owner and publisher of The Salt Lake Tribune.
