Construction has commenced on Connecticut's first Proton Therapy Cancer Center, a collaboration between Yale New Haven Health, Hartford HealthCare, and Proton International. The advanced radiation therapy will offer more precise cancer treatment with fewer side effects, benefiting patients when it opens in December 2026.
Rendering courtesy of Yale School of Medicine
A rendering of the proposed proton center.
A collaboration between two of the state's largest healthcare providers will bring an advanced form of cancer radiation therapy to patients at the Connecticut Proton Center in December 2026.
Officials with tri-venture partners Yale New Haven Health, Hartford HealthCare and Proton International, along with DPR Construction, broke ground on the new Proton Therapy Cancer Center in Wallingford, Conn., the state's first such facility, on Oct. 24.
Located between Hartford and New Haven, the new facility will be a standalone, two-story treatment center providing advanced radiation therapy, pencil beam scanning and the latest proton therapy technology.
With it, oncologists will be able to precisely target tumors and specific areas with proton-generated radiation, a technique that minimizes damage to surrounding healthy tissue and organs. The therapy is administered from a reinforced concrete bunker, employing a sophisticated system designed for safety and accuracy.
Yale New Haven Health System (YNHHS) and Hartford HealthCare (HHC) announced in April 2022 that final state approval had been granted to introduce proton beam therapy.
"Yale New Haven Health is proud and excited to bring this highly innovative technology to patients in Connecticut and beyond," Christopher O'Connor, YNHHS's chief executive officer, said when the state granted its approval of the plan. "Our unprecedented collaboration with HHC will allow us to care for patients with cancer in a new and effective way by bringing a life-changing therapy to our state. We are grateful that the state recognized the value of this technology … and the importance of this unique collaboration."
At the groundbreaking ceremony, HHC President and Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey A. Flaks called the Proton Center project "an historic moment" for cancer care in Connecticut.
The new facility will use highly targeted radiological proton therapy rather than X-rays to treat cancer and will be the only available facility in Connecticut when it opens. The 25,000-sq.-ft. Wallingford center will be one of a handful of such facilities in the Northeast and join about 45 other proton centers across the United States, the Yale School of Medicine noted in a news release.
The center is expected to include the latest technology and equipment and employ physicians and clinical staff from both YNHHS and HHC, as well as additional staff. They will have at their disposal a new treatment room, control room, examination areas and a clinical space.
Proton Therapy Offers More-Targeted Treatment
The chief advantage of using a high energy beam of protons to irradiate cancer cells over other types of radiotherapy is that the dose is more finely controlled. With a proton beam, the university said, there is less entry, exit and scattered radiation so that physicians can safely deliver higher doses of radiation to tumors with fewer side effects.
Proton therapy is appropriate for many solid cancer tumors, including tumors of the brain and central nervous system, eye, gastrointestinal tract, head and neck, liver, lung, prostate, spine and breast. It is particularly beneficial for children, as they are more vulnerable to damage to healthy tissue from radiation.
"We look forward to bringing proton beam therapy to patients diagnosed with cancer in Connecticut who may benefit from this advanced form of treatment. Access to this treatment, close to home, will be transformational for many patients," explained Peter M. Glazer, Yale School of Medicine's chair of the Department of Therapeutic Radiology.
Project Led By Team of Construction Specialists
Hartford Health Care and Yale New Haven Health are joined in their collaboration by Proton International, which is the project manager and operator. It has assisted with technology, financing and construction and will continue as project manager until the facility is finished, at which time it will become the operator of the Proton Therapy Cancer Center.
DPR Construction, a multi-national company, is a self-performing general contractor. On the new cancer center project, DPR is executing key scopes including drywall, waterproofing, firestopping, specialties and labor support to ensure quality and efficiency throughout the project.
In addition to its tri-venture partners, DPR has collaborated with Stantec, BR+A, Goldstein-Milano and Tighe & Bond through the new building's preconstruction and construction. The proton therapy equipment vendor is IBA, a Belgian company.
The first patient is scheduled to be treated at the new Proton Therapy Cancer Center in late 2026.
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