Proton Therapy Center Expansion Will Significantly Boost Patient Capacity Across the Mountain West

Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah (the U) is excited to announce the expansion of its Senator Orrin G. Hatch Proton Therapy Center, doubling its treatment capacity and increasing access to innovative, life-saving cancer care for patients in the region, including Utah, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Wyoming.

The second proton unit will involve the construction of an approximately 9,000-square-foot, three-story cement building—known as a vault—which will house the treatment facility and the equipment necessary for proton therapy. This new vault will be built adjacent to Huntsman Cancer Institute’s existing proton unit, located on campus at the U as part of the University of Utah health care system. Opened in 2021, it is the first and only proton therapy center in the Mountain West.

“Since then, we’ve been able to offer this specialized radiation service to numerous pediatric and adult patients. Due to the success and rapid growth of our proton therapy service, we needed to limit this technology to only select types of cancer,” says Matthew Poppe, MD, Fellow of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (FASTRO), clinical director of the Proton Therapy Center, investigator at Huntsman Cancer Institute, and professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the U. “With this expansion, we will double our treatment capacity, allowing a greater proportion of our patients to use this innovative technology.”

Proton therapy is like traditional radiation therapy in that it uses invisible, high-energy beams to treat cancer. However, proton therapy is more precise. The radiation beam targets the cancer and stops at the tumor, causing less damage to healthy tissues. This makes it an especially appealing cancer treatment option for certain pediatric patients, who make up roughly one-third of Huntsman Cancer Institute’s proton therapy recipients. It’s also used to treat cancers of the brain and spinal cord, among others.

Construction of the second proton therapy unit will allow Huntsman Cancer Institute to achieve two key goals—treating more patients and expanding proton therapy to more cancer types.

“Building a new proton therapy vault is a game changer for Huntsman Cancer Institute. With only one vault, we’ve had to be highly selective—treating patients who we believe will benefit most from this advanced therapy,” says Amit Maity, MD, PhD, FASTRO, professor and chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Huntsman Cancer Institute and the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the U. “Adding a second unit will significantly expand our capacity, allowing us to treat more patients and explore partnerships with affiliates and other hospitals. It’s an exciting step toward making precision radiation therapy more accessible across our region.”

Huntsman Cancer Institute’s Proton Therapy Center is just one of 46 in the United States. The nearest alternative proton centers are located hundreds of miles from Salt Lake City—in Phoenix, Seattle, and San Diego. Poppe says these locations have served as overflow referral centers when Huntsman Cancer Institute has exceeded capacity.

“That places a huge additional travel burden on our patients,” says Poppe. “The construction of our second vault will allow all Mountain West patients who need proton therapy to receive it closer to home, without disrupting their coordinated multidisciplinary care.”

With the expansion, Huntsman Cancer Institute physicians hope to treat additional cancers, including head and neck cancers, and breast cancer. The construction project, funded by Huntsman Cancer Institute, is expected to be completed in two and a half years.

“This is a major investment in the future of leading-edge cancer care in Utah and the Mountain West. It is a powerful step forward to serve our patients and communities and meet the needs of a growing population,” says Mary Beckerle, PhD, chief executive officer of Huntsman Cancer Institute. “This project represents our unwavering commitment both to innovation, and to every person who walks through our doors seeking healing."