Facility will be the only one if its kind in the Pacific Northwest
SEATTLE, Feb. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- The Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA)
and Northwest Hospital & Medical Center today announced the signing of a
letter of intent to explore the development of a new, state-of-the-art
cancer treatment facility offering proton beam radiation therapy.
SCCA originally announced its intention to develop a proton-therapy
facility in September 2006 and has since been working to secure financing,
develop supporting partnerships and determine a location. Under the letter
of intent, Northwest Hospital will house the new facility on its 33-acre,
north Seattle campus and will become an equity partner in the project.
The new center, featuring a proton-beam therapy system from Hitachi
America Ltd., will be the first of its kind in the region and one of seven
currently operating or under development in the United States. When
completed, the center is expected to draw patients from throughout the
Pacific Northwest and West Coast.
"We see this facility as a regional resource -- a new treatment option
for cancer patients throughout the Northwest," said Norm Hubbard, executive
vice president of the SCCA. "Proton therapy is an exciting and emerging
technology, but much more research needs to be done to determine all the
best and most appropriate uses.
"Making new therapies more widely available as they are developed in a
world-class research environment is a core mission of the SCCA, and it's a
key reason why Northwest Hospital was interested in joining us in this
endeavor."
Hubbard said it is also why, with the support of Sen. Patty Murray,
Rep. David Reichert and the rest of the Washington delegation, the SCCA
last year received a $2.1 million federal grant for the proton project.
Northwest Hospital has a long history of partnering with other health
care providers to bring expert care and services to the surrounding
community, including cancer care, cardiac surgery, and wound care among
others. With the proton-therapy project, the SCCA will join Northwest
Hospital's cancer-care partners, including Swedish Cancer Institute and
others.
"This project is a powerful representation of Northwest Hospital's
commitment to bringing the newest minimally invasive technologies to the
community and to providing the most comprehensive cancer care available to
anyone fighting this disease," said Bill Schneider, Northwest Hospital CEO.
"We are excited to partner with a world-class organization like SCCA to
build this facility and to enhance our cancer programs by offering access
to this breakthrough treatment."
Proton-beam therapy delivers precisely targeted doses of radiation to
tumors, destroying cancer cells while minimizing damage to surrounding
healthy tissue. In many cases, such therapy can deliver more radiation more
precisely than conventional, photon-based (X-ray) radiation treatment. It
is being used today to treat many cancers, including those of the eye, head
and neck and prostate.
Proton therapy is a particularly valuable option for treating children,
whose developing organs, bones and brains may suffer long-term damage from
incidental irradiation during conventional radiation treatment. The
pinpoint targeting
"Proton-beam therapy will allow more precise targeting of radiation,
sparing the normal, yet immature tissue around a tumor in young children,"
said Thomas N. Hansen, M.D., CEO at Children's Hospital & Regional Medical
Center. "Proton-beam therapy could reduce long-term growth and development
side effects. The combination of excellent cancer treatment with fewer side
effects makes proton beam therapy an exciting innovation."
About Seattle Cancer Care Alliance
Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, established in 1998, unites the adult and
pediatric cancer-care services of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center,
UW Medicine and Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center. A major
focus of SCCA is to speed the transfer of new diagnostic and treatment
techniques from the research setting to the patient bedside while providing
premier, patient-focused cancer care. Patients who come to SCCA receive the
latest research-based cancer therapies as well as cutting-edge treatments
for a number of non-malignant diseases under development by its partner
organizations. SCCA has three clinical-care sites: an outpatient clinic on
the Fred Hutchinson campus, a pediatric-inpatient unit at Children's and an
adult-inpatient unit at UW Medical Center. For more information about SCCA,
visit http://www.seattlecca.org.
About Northwest Hospital & Medical Center
Founded in 1960, Northwest Hospital & Medical Center is a full-service,
non-profit hospital located minutes north of downtown Seattle. With 281
licensed beds, more than 1,600 employees and all private rooms, it offers
some of the most innovative, technologically advanced medical care
available. Major clinical programs and services include: emergency
services; critical care; cardiac care; neurosciences; stroke center; cancer
care; childbirth services; bariatric surgery; sports medicine; medical
rehabilitation; geropsychiatric center; Gamma Knife(R) Center; diagnostic
imaging; laboratory services; and education and wellness programs, among
others. For more information about Northwest Hospital and its programs and
services, call (206) 364-0500 or (206) 633-4636 for the Physician Referral
Line, or visit http://www.nwhospital.org.
Media Contacts:
Dean Forbes, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, (206) 667-2896
Karen Peck, Northwest Hospital & Medical Center, (206) 368-1609
SOURCE The Seattle Cancer Care Alliance
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Related links:
http://www.seattlecca.org
http://www.nwhospital.org
CONTACT:
Dean Forbes of Seattle Cancer Care Alliance,
+1-206-667-2896; or Karen Peck of Northwest Hospital & Medical
Center, +1-206-368-1609
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