The Cancer Institute at Tampa General Hospital (TGH) announced plans on January 13 to expand its radiation oncology program, and to collaborate with the Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute (FCS) to build the first proton therapy center in the Tampa Bay region.
The TGH Cancer Institute's expansion calls for a full complement of radiation oncology services to treat all types of cancers, including the Accuray CyberKnife system, the Varian TrueBeam system, high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy and radiopharmaceuticals.
"The expansion of the TGH Radiation Oncology program represents TGH Cancer Institute's latest investment in providing world-class care by leveraging technology to improve diagnoses, treatments, and outcomes," said Dr. Richard Tuli, professor and chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, deputy director of the TGH Cancer Institute, and director of Radiation Oncology at Tampa General Hospital.
"[TrueBeam] dramatically decreases treatment time from 30 minutes to two minutes while maintaining accuracy, precision and safety through enhanced low-dose imaging and motion compensation," Tuli said. Additionally, the CyberKnife S7 radiosurgery system — a noninvasive alternative to surgical treatment for cancerous and noncancerous tumors — will be installed at the TGH Cancer Institute on the main TGH campus in summer 2023.
Through the collaborative partnership with FCS, plans call for the proton therapy center to be located in the academic medical center's Medical and Research District adjacent to downtown Tampa and in a highly specialized and comprehensive three-story, 44,000-square-foot building at the intersection of W. Kennedy Boulevard and S. Fielding Avenue.
To help make cancer care more accessible, the TGH Cancer Institute recently opened an Infusion Center at the TGH Brandon Healthplex, where an additional TrueBeam linac will be available in July 2023.
