From the September 2017 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine

HCB News: There are a few heavy ion facilities in the world, but currently none in the U.S. Will the National Center for Heavy Ion Radiation Therapy offer a more advanced version of the treatment than those existing facilities?
AP: Yes. We planned for the most advanced technology to be housed in our planned system. A lot of technological advancements and developments have happened since the last heavy ion therapy structure was built. We collaborated with Japanese and European researchers and vendors to clearly specify the technological requirements on the system that would satisfy the clinical and research needs we identified for our system. This includes the option to use multiple ion species, very fast energy delivery, a rotating beam line capable of irradiating a tumor from different directions to avoid healthy tissue exposure, just to mention a few.

HCB News: What goals does UT Southwestern have with taking on this project?
AP: The goal is very clear: to offer the most advanced radiation therapy on American soil and to conduct the necessary research to uncover the full potential of heavy ions. This means conducting myriad clinical trials, including combinations with the other cancer treatment modalities, such as chemotherapy, surgery, immune therapy, you name it.


HCB News: Is there any sense that one day heavy ion will be the standard of care for treating cancer? If so, how far away is that and what needs to happen to get there?
AP: As with any new form of therapy, one always hopes that you have found the magic bullet. We know this is not it. But we know the theoretical benefits heavy ion therapy offers from cell line and small animal experiments. We also know the real clinical benefits heavy ion offers from the experience of more than 10,000 patients irradiated worldwide. Some tumor types are X-ray resistant, and conventional radiation simply cannot help those patients. Heavy ions are already [the] standard of care for those tumor types, but unfortunately, only [in] regions of the world where heavy ion therapy exists. Conducting thorough clinical trials to uncover the full benefit to patients is the way to make this form of therapy [the] standard of care. The first step: bring heavy ion therapy to the U.S.

HCB News: Is there anything else you want to mention about the project?
AP: Yes, its large, non-clinical impact. The machine capable of producing therapeutic heavy ions has many other applications, such as simulating radiation conditions an astronaut, or computer chip, or any vital electronics in spaceships would experience during their space journeys. Experiments conducted at a heavy ion center like this would allow us to understand extraterrestrial effects here in [a] terrestrial environment.
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