The Gantry, a medical device that directs a cancer-killing proton beam at tumors — used for the treatment of tumors of the brain, central nervous system, and lung, among other tumors — has arrived at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak. Beaumont’s new proton therapy building that will house the Gantry is expected to open next spring.
“Our center will offer the best technology available for this advanced treatment,” says Dr. Craig Stevens, health system chair for the department of radiology at Beaumont. “We will integrate intensity modulated proton therapy with daily imaging. This approach provides maximal dose to the tumor, while avoiding nearby healthy tissue. The long-term effect of this will be more cures with fewer side effects.”
The Gantry arrived at Beaumont Hospital from Belgium, where it was manufactured. Stevens says the Gantry is a compact alternative to three-story systems installed in some proton centers.
He says proton therapy is an alterative to X-ray radiation for treating certain cancers. Stevens says the treatment is particularly effective in treating solid tumors, including tumors of the eye, gastrointestinal tract, head and neck, liver, prostate, spine, and some breast tumors.
“We will be able to treat many primary tumors better with protons than with more conventional approaches, but perhaps most importantly we will have the ability to potentially cure patients that have failed conventional treatment from other centers,” he says.
There are 22 active proton therapy centers in the U.S. and about 36 worldwide.
Construction began on the $40 million Proton Therapy Center last February. The two-story building is more than 25,000 square feet and will include basement. The 10,000-square-foot first floor will house the Proton Therapy Center. The 8,000-square-foot second floor will be the future home of Beaumont Children’s pediatric oncology and hematology program.​
