Page 8 - October Impression
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The Johns Hopkins National Proton Center Opens
On October 1 , Johns Hopkins Medicine opened The Johns Hopkins National Proton Center is one
st
The Johns Hopkins National Proton Center at of the few in the world — and the only one in the
Sibley Memorial Hospital. The new 80,000- Washington, D.C., region — with a dedicated
square-foot facility houses state-of-the-art pediatric team that specializes in caring for young
proton therapy equipment, as well as next- oncology patients. It delivers care in
generation imaging technologies such as dual collaboration with Children’s National Hospital
energy CT-guided treatment that reduces the and the Johns Hopkins pediatric oncology
range of error, and the latest innovation in department.
biomatrix MRI designed to target moving
tumors in places like the lung and liver. While this type of treatment has been around for
decades, there are only about 30 hospitals
Proton Therapy is a form of targeted radiation nationwide that offer proton therapy. The Johns
treatment that very precisely zeros in on tumors, Hopkins National Proton Center is customized
increasing the damage to cancer cells while with the organizations own inventions to create
minimizing radiation exposure and damage to the most advanced pencil beam for increased
healthy tissue and organs. Because of its precision to address the individual needs of the
precision, proton therapy makes it possible to patient.
treat cancers near delicate organs, such as the
spinal cord and heart and offers a new treatment Combining the precision of proton therapy with
approach for recurrent cancers. This is the history of science and research discoveries of
particularly important in the treatment of Johns Hopkins Medicine is another step toward
children, who often suffer lasting side effects ultimately curing this complicated disease.
from toxic cancer treatments.
