Little Rock, Arkansas – The first proton therapy clinic in Arkansas has opened, giving medical professionals there a new technique to treat cancer patients.
A collaboration between UAMS, Baptist Health, Arkansas Children’s, and Proton International led to the creation of the Proton Center of Arkansas.
As one of only 43 such clinics in the United States, it will offer the most cutting-edge cancer radiation treatment available worldwide. In order to prevent developmental issues in children, proton therapy is the chosen treatment option because it has fewer side effects than conventional radiation.
Although the center is located at UAMS in the Radiation Oncology Center, Chancellor Dr. Cam Patterson stated that it will have long-term benefits for the entire state.
“The opening of the Proton Center of Arkansas takes cancer care in our state to a new level and ensures cancer patients who need proton therapy no longer need to leave the state to get state-of-the-art care,” Patterson said. “The alliances forged, some old, some new, are a testament to local and state support for better health and healthcare for all Arkansans.”
To add even more special touches to the opening, the traditional way that a cancer patient’s treatment ends was marked by the ringing of bells, thus the celebration began with that sound rather than with a ribbon cutting.
According to facility officials, up to 40 patients can be treated each day when they open for business in October.