New York Proton Center Celebrates Record-Setting Treatment of 5,000th Patient
First Proton Center in New York State Marks Major Milestone, Growing Faster Than Any Proton Center in the World
New York, NY – September 16, 2024 — The New York Proton Center (NYPC), a world-class proton therapy treatment and research facility, today announced the treatment of its 5,000th patient in August. This significant milestone, achieved faster than any other proton center in the world, underscores NYPC’s rapid growth and its commitment to providing the latest advancements in targeted cancer care and improving outcomes for patients.
Since opening its doors in 2019, NYPC has been at the forefront of proton therapy, a highly advanced form of radiation treatment that precisely targets tumors while minimizing irradiation to surrounding healthy tissue and organs, enabling a reduction in short- and long-term side effects. The New York Proton Center is partnered with leading New York academic medical centers Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Montefiore Health System, and Mount Sinai Health System. Together, they are advancing proton therapy through clinical trials and research into its benefits for various cancer types.
“Reaching this 5,000-patient milestone is an incredible achievement and a testament to the skill and dedication of the entire New York Proton Center team and our hospital partners,” said Jonathan Weinbach, Chief Executive Officer of NYPC. “It is an honor to provide potentially lifesaving cancer treatment for so many adults and children, including those facing the most challenging and complex cancers.”
NYPC will formally celebrate its fifth anniversary on September 26 and is among the busiest proton centers in the world. The only proton therapy center in New York state, the NYPC treats patients at its state-of-the-art East Harlem campus.
“While celebrating this milestone, we reaffirm our mission to establish NYPC as the gold standard for proton therapy treatment, research, and supportive patient-centric care,” said Dr. Charles B. Simone II, FASTRO, FACRO, NYPC’s Chief Medical Officer. “To improve outcomes for our patients, we have optimized our advanced technology in ways never before achievable, and we will continue pushing boundaries in oncology to improve outcomes for the many more patients who will walk through our doors.”
“We are encouraged by those who have received and benefitted from the combined expertise of the field’s best radiation oncology experts,” said Dr. Simon Powell, FASTRO, Chair of Radiation Oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. “We are proud to work together to deliver the best possible care for patients at a critical time in their lives, and I look forward to many more years of advancing cancer treatment.”
“Proton therapy has proven to be a life-saving cancer treatment, and our growing research suggests that by sparing critical organs we’re preserving and enhancing the quality of life of everyone who comes through our doors,” said Dr. Shalom Kalnicki, FASTRO, Professor and Chair, Radiation Oncology, Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Associate Director, Clinical Affairs, Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center. “We are unique in that treatment at the New York Proton Center is exclusively based on medical necessity, with everyone receiving the same compassionate care, regardless of their socioeconomic status or where they come from.”
“We’re proud to have been part of the New York Proton Center from the very beginning, working in partnership to offer leading-edge cancer treatment for patients from the New York region and beyond,” said Dr. Kenneth Rosenzweig, FASTRO, Chair of Radiation Oncology for the Mount Sinai Health System. “This milestone isn’t just a logistical accomplishment; it represents thousands of lives transformed for the better.”
About the New York Proton Center
The New York Proton Center is creating the gold standard for proton therapy, giving new hope to patients living with cancer. In partnership with leading academic medical centers—Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Montefiore Health System, Mount Sinai Health System—the New York Proton Center brings together expert oncologists, clinical care teams, and researchers to improve cancer care and advance the clinical evidence for proton therapy.
For additional information, please visit www.nyproton.com.