The Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Health Network Breaks Ground on New Generation Radiation Therapy
The Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin health network broke ground today in preparation for the 2025 installation of the MEVION S250i Proton Therapy System® at the Froedtert & MCW Clinical Cancer Center at Froedtert Hospital campus.
Proton therapy delivers a precisely targeted dose of radiation directly to a tumor using high-energy beams of proton particles rather than X-rays. Proton-based treatment can deliver high-dose radiation that conforms to the shape of a tumor while avoiding healthy tissues and organs in very close proximity to the tumor. These capabilities translate to more effective cancer control and better quality of life for patients, including reduced side effects and fewer treatment-related second malignancies. Nearly one-third of Wisconsin patients with cancer will receive radiation therapy as part of their treatment at initial diagnosis or upon relapse.
Currently, proton therapy is not available in Wisconsin. The Froedtert & the MCW health network expects to start treating patients through its Cancer Network with this advanced radiation technology in 2025. The addition of proton therapy will make precision radiation therapy more accessible to adult cancer patients who currently have to travel out of state for this treatment. Additionally, the Froedtert & MCW health network will collaborate with Children’s Wisconsin to offer proton therapy to pediatric patients. This means patients can get this advanced therapy while receiving care at the MACC Fund Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at the Children’s Wisconsin Milwaukee Hospital.
“Today marks a milestone in the Froedtert & MCW Cancer Network’s evolution of radiation therapy treatment options for cancer patients,” said Christopher Schultz, MD, FACR, Medical College of Wisconsin Professor and Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Clinical Cancer Center. “We have been at the forefront of clinical, technical and administrative experience in developing clinical programs with the goal of providing more personalized treatments. Proton therapy supports our ongoing commitment to developing and offering world-class, innovative cancer care to all of the patients in the diverse communities we serve.”
The Froedtert & MCW health network is partnering with Legion Healthcare Partners to bring the MEVION S250i Proton Therapy System® to Wisconsin and aid the health network's plan to provide technologically-evolved proton therapy for cancer patients who require radiation therapy.
Mortenson Construction is building the proton vault. HGA is the architectural firm leading design of the vault’s interiors.
About the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin health network
The Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin health network is a partnership between Froedtert Health and the Medical College of Wisconsin supporting a shared mission of patient care, innovation, medical research and education. Our health network operates eastern Wisconsin's only academic medical center and adult Level I Trauma Center at Froedtert Hospital, Milwaukee, an internationally recognized training and research center engaged in thousands of clinical trials and studies. The Froedtert & MCW health network, which includes 10 hospital locations, more than 2,100 physicians and more than 45 health centers and clinics, draws patients from throughout the Midwest and the nation. In our most recent fiscal year, outpatient visits were more than 1.7 million, inpatient admissions to our hospitals exceeded 58,000 and visits to our network physicians totaled more than 1.17 million. For more information, visit the Froedtert Hospital website.