First, he noted that MPTC will feature increased efficiencies to maximize the number of patients who can be treated daily. For example, MPTC will be the first in the country to employ a unique patient throughput process. With a total of 10 patient preparation rooms, two for each of its five treatment rooms, MPTC can efficiently plan and prepare multiple patients for their treatment simultaneously in a safe, efficient manner. In timed simulation studies, this creative patient workflow model has the potential to increase daily patient treatment capacity by 30 to 35 percent.

Second, from its inception, MPTC was designed to be a regional resource, providing the same training, privileges and clinical guidelines to physician groups across the region who will work side-by-side with MPTC faculty and staff. As a result, MPTC is projected to simultaneously improve efficiency and access, while maximizing its role as a regional, affordable resource.


Third, he said, the MPTC is fulfilling its original objective to make the facility cost-neutral for insurance providers. This approach is in line with pricing models established at proton treatment centers such as the Mayo Clinic. This model will enable patients to pay the same for proton treatment as they would for the more conventionally available intensity-modulated radiation (also known as IMRT) at the University of Maryland.

“Above all, we want to ensure that there are no obstacles for patients who can benefit from this treatment,” Dr. Regine said.

UM SOM has established an information line for patients who are interested in evaluation for radiation therapy, including proton treatment, at 410-328-7618.

About MPTC/Proton Therapy:

The Maryland Proton Treatment Center will soon offer proton therapy to the Baltimore/Washington region. Proton therapy is a highly advanced and precise form of radiation therapy that has the ability to maximize the radiation dose to a tumor while minimizing the damage to healthy surrounding tissue. It is a highly effective treatment for a wide range of localized tumors such as those found in the brain, base of the skull, head and neck area, eye tumors, tumors of the esophagus, lung, prostate, liver, breast, spinal cord, as well as gastrointestinal malignancies. It is also an important treatment option for children with cancer.

At MPTC, each treatment room will be equipped with the most advanced form of “pencil-beam scanning technology, which essentially paints the radiation onto the tumor while stopping precisely at the site of the tumor. Proton therapy is performed on an outpatient basis and is a well-tolerated, non-invasive treatment that has the potential to minimize short-term and long-term side effects. It can be used in conjunction with other modalities of cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and surgery. MPTC will offer a robust clinical trial program to all its patients to further evidence-based research.

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