Proton Therapy Center Technology
The Johns Hopkins Proton Therapy Center is one of the largest and most sophisticated proton therapy treatment centers in the U.S. This allows us to treat more patients and provide more advanced therapies.
High-Tech Space
Our 80,000-square-foot proton center contains three specially equipped treatment rooms to deliver proton therapy, plus an additional space dedicated to research.
Proton Power: The Synchrotron
At the Johns Hopkins Proton Therapy Center, the action starts in a huge particle accelerator known as a synchrotron, where protons spin at ultra-fast speeds before making their journey to treatment rooms. Here's a look at how the process unfolds.
Targeted Treatment
We use advanced pencil beam technology to “paint” tumors with cancer cell-killing proton energy layer by layer. This technology makes it possible to deliver varying degrees of energy targeted to the specific composition of each area of the tumor. There is virtually no exit dose compared with traditional radiation therapy, which allows us to spare surrounding tissues and vital organs.
Proton Power: Targeted Treatment
At the Johns Hopkins Proton Therapy Center, advanced pencil beam technology steers protons to the cancer, with virtually no exit dose, allowing tissues and vital organs to be spared.
Cutting-Edge Imaging
Our radiation treatments are guided by cutting-edge imaging techniques, including MR and CT imaging with dual-energy CT scans that provide detailed information on the specific makeup of a tumor.
The Proton Center will also feature the CT couch, an imaging device that allows our clinicians to visualize where tumors are located in the body. We can use this device in the same room and on the same day as treatment.
Real-Time Calibration
Respiratory gating helps us track the proton beam directly to the tumor, stopping if the tumor shifts with the patient’s breathing and starting up again when the beam and tumor are aligned.
Advanced Data Analysis
Oncospace, a data-mining system built by the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, continually informs our treatment approach by analyzing therapies that worked best for a particular cancer to improve the treatment of new patients.