It’s very likely that you have a relative, friend, neighbor or co-worker who has struggled with some kind of cancer. Perhaps you’ve experienced cancer yourself. On a visceral, gut level, we all “wish” that all forms of cancer would be eradicated quickly and permanently. While remarkable medical advances have been (and are being) made, and many people have modified their lifestyles to avoid certain cancers, the sobering reality is that cancers remain major life-threatening health challenges.
There are three basic ways to treat cancer: surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Within the realm of radiation, proton therapy is a growing field.
Past research indicates that a 50-mile radius is the primary service area for a proton therapy center. The proposed Danbury Proton treatment center in Danbury is close the Connecticut/New York border, about 60 miles from midtown Manhattan and Hartford. Given the high population density and transportation infrastructure within a 50-mile radius of the proposed center (15,055,234 people):
- The number of new cancer cases per year is estimated to be 37,500 people.
- Of that number, about 60% (22,500) would likely be eligible for radiation therapy.
- Of that number, about 20% (4,500) would likely be eligible for proton therapy.
The demographics of this 50-mile radius also lead us to believe that the effects of population aging will increase the annual number of cancer cases in the foreseeable future.
Currently, the closest proton therapy centers are located in Boston and New York City. Patient demand for proton therapy significantly exceeds the capacity of these existing centers. Add the fact that proton therapy is a growing trend in cancer care, and that there are many other medical applications for proton therapy, and it’s understandable why the Danbury Proton treatment center is being proposed.
Several years from now, when the Danbury Proton treatment center is completed and operational, we anticipate that many patients will experience the positive life-changing, and possibly life-saving, results. That’s what really gives us the vision, inspiration, enthusiasm, motivation and perseverance to pursue this exciting new project. Life is a precious gift; we want to perpetuate it and improve the quality of living.
