The Emory Proton Therapy Center, the first and only facility of its kind in the state of Georgia, officially opened its doors on December 6 in Midtown Atlanta. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Emory University President Claire E. Sterk, and Atlanta Braves Vice Chair Emeritus John Schuerholz were among the dignitaries who celebrated the opening and delivered remarks.
Proton therapy is a painless and non-invasive form of external beam radiation that can be used in the successful treatment of patients with a variety of types of cancer and benign tumors. With the opening of the Emory Proton Therapy Center, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University adds a powerful radiation therapy option to its broad array of cancer-fighting tools. The center will strengthen Winship’s continued emergence as a national leader in cancer research and care.
Located on Ponce de Leon Avenue within walking distance of Emory University Hospital Midtown, the Emory Proton Therapy Center expects to treat close to 400 patients, including children, in the first year of operation.
The state-of-the-art center features a 90-ton cyclotron that generates proton particles and four, 240-ton gantries, that rotate 360 degrees around the patient to precisely aim the proton beam at a tumor.
