NIU seeks approval for new proton cancer treatment and research center

Northern Illinois University has named Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation as its expected provider of clinical services for a new $160 million proton therapy cancer treatment and research center to be built in the DuPage National Technology Park about 35 miles west of Chicago.

The announcement came as Northern Illinois University President John Peters presented formal testimony before the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board in Chicago seeking the final go ahead for the project.

"NIU is deeply saddened by recent events and yet so very proud of the way our student body, faculty and administrative team responded during this difficult time and came together with hope for the future," Dr. Peters said. "We are here today in that spirit of hope and with constant focus on our mission. We are pleased our application for the proton treatment center received an entirely positive report from the Illinois Department of Public Health. We look forward to final approval by the Planning Board so we can begin construction of this facility that will stand in testament to our mission as a world class educational, research and now, cancer treatment center."

NIU Board of Trustees Chair Cherilyn Murer hailed the collaboration with Northwestern saying that NIU's expertise in advanced accelerator physics and engineering coupled with the world class cancer treatment experience of doctors from the Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation in Chicago would make NIU's proton treatment center the best in the world.

"Our anticipated collaboration with Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation speaks to the high caliber of our endeavor," Murer said. "While patient focus will be our primary objective, the incredible by-products we will offer through education and research in the form of medical, scientific and technology protocols will work to advance the human condition across the globe. Ours will be far more than a community proton center to treat cancer. We envision the NIU facility as a regional and even national resource complimented through NIU's work with Fermilab and Argonne National Laboratories, both world leaders in accelerator physics, neutron and proton therapies."

Under the expected collaborative agreement between NIU and Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation, physicians who are full-time faculty members or researchers at the Feinberg School of Medicine and are on the attending physician staff at Northwestern Memorial Hospital will deliver clinical and related services at the new state-of-the-art cancer treatment center. Officials expect the agreement to be finalized within three months.

The Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board staff report issued earlier this month found the NIU application for a certificate of exemption (COE) complete and in full compliance with requirements.

"We have done all that has been asked of us and much more. We are ready and eager to begin our new endeavor and we look forward to fulfilling our mission of outreach and service to all the people of Illinois," said John Lewis, project director and associate vice president at NIU.

Currently there are only five proton therapy centers in the country. Patients often travel hundreds or thousands of miles to receive this form of specialized cancer treatment. Proton therapy is an advanced and highly effective form of radiation treatment utilizing proton beams created at extremely high speeds using a particle accelerator that is housed in a structure the size of a football field. It is non-invasive, extremely precise and painless. Unlike conventional radiation therapy, proton beam treatments destroy only the tumor leaving good tissues unaffected. It has been proven to be especially effective in treating prostate and head and neck cancers as well as pediatric cancer, where preservation of organs, systems and tissue during critical formative years is of utmost importance. The male African American population is at particular risk for prostate cancer and suffers a higher incidence of the disease than other groups.

In keeping with its mission of public service, NIU has also negotiated a payment schedule with the Illinois Department of Public Aid for treating Medicaid patients and expects to offer its services to a full spectrum of applicants.

The facility will be known as the Northern Illinois Proton Treatment and Research Center, LLC.

http://www.niu.edu