Mevion Medical Systems, which makes proton therapy systems for use in radiation therapy for cancer patients has had one of its systems perform the first ever proton therapy treatment in the state of Ohio.
Doctors at the new proton therapy center at University Hospitals in Cleveland used Mevion’s MEVION S250 proton therapy system to treat its first patient — a 24-year old woman with a rare form of sarcoma called rhabdomyosarcoma. The system, Mevion’s fifth that is clinically operational, will be used for clinical research on the advantages of proton therapy as a cancer treatment, according to an announcement from Mevion.
Proton therapy is an advanced form of radiation that can target tumors more precisely than conventional radiation, according to the company, meaning there’s less of a chance surrounding healthy tissue and organs could be damaged. Its precise nature makes it ideal for the treatment of tumors in sensitive areas, such as the brain, heart, lungs and near the eye.
Mevion invented compact proton therapy and installed the world’s first compact proton therapy system in 2013, according to the company.
The new proton therapy center at University Hospitals is one of the few in the world that is physically connected to a children’s hospital, so children and adults will both be able to benefit from proton therapy, according to a statement from Nathan Levitan, president of UH Seidman Cancer Center.
