Center in Development

The Michigan Department of Community Health has given approval to ProCure and Beaumont Hospitals to develop the state's first proton center. Beaumont is the leader in radiation oncology in Michigan and plans to become a national center for treatment of recurrent cancer with proton therapy through the research at its center.

The need for a center in Michigan is great, as it is elsewhere in the country. The American Cancer Society estimates that there were more than 51,000 new cases of cancer in Michigan in 2008. About 60% (30,000) of cancer patients will receive radiation therapy at some point in their treatment and, using conservative estimates, about 30% (9,000) of those patients could benefit from protons. Most centers are able to treat only about 1,500 patients a year, underscoring the need for more centers.

Check back for updates on the progress of the center.

• BUILDING THE CENTER
• BEAUMONT HOSPITALS