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UrduThe $45 million facility will be the first proton therapy center in South Jersey and among fewer than 50 in the United States. This suburban site, on the Virtua Voorhees Hospital campus, will provide local patients the added convenience of being nearer to home and loved ones while undergoing treatment and recovery.
The technology can seem like science fiction—involving the acceleration of sub-atomic, cancer-eliminating particles to about 450 million miles per hour. In reality, though, this leading-edge facility will bring a new pathway to care to people with cancer from across the region.
On October 11th, Penn Medicine and Virtua Health hosted a festive preview celebration, including behind-the-scenes tours of the massive machinery, and heartfelt remarks from a local cancer survivor. A colorful lighting ceremony illuminated the two-story structure in vibrant hues.
“Proton therapy offers new hope for people with complex or recurring cancers, and we are thrilled to bring this world-class care to our community,” said Stephanie Fendrick, FACHE, MBA, executive vice president and chief strategy officer at Virtua Health, southern New Jersey’s largest health system.
The 8,600-square-foot center, which started construction in June 2020, is expected to open to patients by early 2023. Prospective patients and their doctors can schedule consultation appointments by calling 888-847-8823.
“This is also a major milestone in Virtua’s longtime partnership with Penn Medicine, which is a global leader in proton therapy,” added Fendrick.
Penn is a pioneer in the field, starting with the 2010 opening of its Roberts Proton Therapy Center in Philadelphia. The Voorhees facility features the newest, most advanced proton therapy system in the world, the ProBeam 360° by Varian.
“We’re very proud to partner with Virtua to deliver this revolutionary treatment to South Jersey residents,” said James Metz, MD, chair of Radiation Oncology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. “As an international leader in cancer care, we’ve trained more than 70% of the clinicians using proton therapy around the world.”
A Patient’s Perspective
Voorhees resident Deb Harris—who received the life-saving treatment for a brain tumor in 2017 at the Roberts Proton Therapy Center—is thrilled to have the new facility in her own community.
“It brings me joy to know that, starting very soon, my South Jersey neighbors will have an easier, more accessible option should they need similar care,” said Harris who has been cancer-free for five years. “When you’re facing cancer, anything that makes life easier and simpler is a blessing.”
Since her recovery, Harris has gone skydiving, visited Europe, and made special memories with her loved ones. “Proton therapy made it all possible,” said the retired executive and math professor.
Advantages of Proton Therapy
Proton therapy is a painless, noninvasive treatment that uses a beam of high-energy protons to get rid of cancer cells.
Protons are positively charged particles within an atom. Doctors finely control the proton beam, so it precisely hits the cancer and then stops, preventing radiation from moving through healthy tissue and surrounding organs.
This advanced form of radiation therapy offers new potential for recovery, survival, and improved quality of life. In particular, it’s an important treatment option for tumors located near highly sensitive areas (such as the spinal cord, heart, and brain) or for those that cannot be fully removed by surgery.
The treatment can be used for many cancer types, including brain, spine, gastrointestinal (anal, colon, esophageal, liver, pancreatic, rectal), lung, breast, cervical, kidney, lymphoma, mesothelioma, oropharyngeal, and prostate.
About the Facility
The new Proton Therapy Center is connected to the existing Penn Medicine |Virtua Health Radiation Oncology suite, and part of the comprehensive Penn Medicine |Virtua Health Cancer Program.
The facility will offer a full range of services, including evaluation, treatment, and access to clinical trials, some involving proton therapy.
A 90-ton device called a cyclotron is the primary component in the delivery of proton therapy. The cyclotron accelerates protons to two-thirds the speed of light—about 450 million miles per hour.
“That creates the high energy needed to deliver targeted radiation to the desired depth in the body,” explained Metz.
At that speed, protons travel from the cyclotron to the patient in about 60 nanoseconds—or 60 billionths of a second! As part of this process, the cyclotron’s superconducting coils are cooled to 452 degrees below zero, Fahrenheit.
Patients don’t see the cyclotron, which sits in an underground vault, enclosed by concrete walls that are eight to 21 feet thick.
Another impressive piece of technology, the 90-ton gantry, is also hidden from sight. This massive cylinder-shaped structure rotates 360 degrees to direct the proton beam at the best angles to hit the tumor.
The center also contains a high-tech observation room for technicians to carefully monitor patients throughout the treatment. The average patient treatment visit will take about 30 minutes from arrival to departure.
“Our patients will find a warm, welcoming environment, where they can connect with their care team, receive treatment, and quickly return to their lives and their loved ones,” Fendrick said.
Partners in Caring for the Community
Penn Medicine and Virtua Health began their collaboration in 2015, providing South Jersey residents with access to comprehensive care closer to home from teams of Penn and Virtua clinicians. The partnership includes both cancer and neuroscience services.
The new Proton Therapy Center is part of the Penn Medicine | Virtua Health Cancer Program, which provides a full range of state-of-the-art cancer services in Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester counties.
“At the core of our partnership with Virtua is our commitment to making it convenient for patients to get the very best care, as close to their homes as possible,” said Kevin B. Mahoney, CEO of the University of Pennsylvania Health System. “When patients need advanced care, we’re focused on giving them options that keep them near their families and friends. Less time traveling means more time focusing on recovery and doing the things that are most important to them and their loved ones.”
“Together, Penn and Virtua have already made a huge impact on cancer care, and the new Proton Therapy Center will provide even greater access to world-class care,” said Virtua President and CEO Dennis W. Pullin, FACHE. “It’s an incredible source of hope to have right here in South Jersey.”
For more information, visit www.virtua.org/pennproton or call (888) 847-8823.
To learn more about Penn Medicine, visit pennmedicine.org. For more information about Virtua Health, visit virtua.org.
For photos and videos, click here.
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Penn Medicine is one of the world’s leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (founded in 1765 as the nation’s first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $9.9 billion enterprise.
The Perelman School of Medicine has been ranked among the top medical schools in the United States for more than 20 years, according to U.S. News & World Report’s survey of research-oriented medical schools. The School is consistently among the nation’s top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $546 million awarded in the 2021 fiscal year.
The University of Pennsylvania Health System’s patient care facilities include: the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center—which are recognized as one of the nation’s top “Honor Roll” hospitals by U.S. News & World Report—Chester County Hospital; Lancaster General Health; Penn Medicine Princeton Health; and Pennsylvania Hospital, the nation’s first hospital, founded in 1751. Additional facilities and enterprises include Good Shepherd Penn Partners, Penn Medicine at Home, Lancaster Behavioral Health Hospital, and Princeton House Behavioral Health, among others.
Penn Medicine is powered by a talented and dedicated workforce of more than 52,000 people. The organization also has alliances with top community health systems across both Southeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey, creating more options for patients no matter where they live.
Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2021, Penn Medicine provided more than $619 million to benefit our community.
