ProTom International

As one of the more precise methods of delivering radiation therapy for cancer treatment, proton therapy has grown at a rapid pace the last several  years. Considered experimental not too long ago and used primarily in research settings, clinicians across the globe are rapidly coming to accept the utility of proton therapy for numerous indications — a list that many expect to continue to grow rapidly.

The global proton therapy market hit a major milestone in 2015, eclipsing the billion-dollar mark for sales orders and more than doubling the previous year’s total, according to market intelligence firm Medraysintell. This boom was evidenced by new proton therapy centers springing up all over the world, including 11 just since November 2015 — eight in the United States and three abroad in Hong Kong, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Incidents of cancer are on the rise globally. According to a press release from the World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), “In 2012, the worldwide burden of cancer rose to an estimated 14 million new cases per year, a figure expected to rise to 22 million annually in the next decade.” As the numbers increase around the world, research continues to unveil unconventional options for cancer treatment. Over the past five years, proton therapy has emerged as one popular choice. Hailed by some as the Rolls Royce of radiation oncology, the technology’s precision and accuracy, along with its ability to prevent damage to critical structures and healthy tissues, has made it a technology that many vendors and healthcare facilities are actively investing in.

Initial acceptance test results of ProTom International Inc.'s Radiance 330 Proton Therapy System are exceeding expectations of medical physicists charged with clinical commissioning at the McLaren Proton Therapy Center (MPTC) in Flint, Michigan.

Testing of a compact cancer treatment technology from ProTom International Inc. has demonstrated that the system achieves its design specification: delivering high-energy protons to isocenter at a beam intensity sufficient for standard clinical practice.