Radiation oncologists from Princeton Radiology to offer expertise in proton therapy

Monroe Twp, NJ—Princeton Radiation Oncology has announced a partnership with ProCure treatment Centers, Inc. (ProCure), and CentraState Health System to establish the first proton cancer therapy center in the New York/ New Jersey region. Protons are an alternative to conventional radiation therapy that the National Cancer Institute reports can be used "to target high doses to a tumor while doing less damage to normal tissues in front of and behind the tumor," potentially improving the quality of care offered to many of the 48,000 patients diagnosed with cancer each year in New Jersey.

Groundbreaking for the facility located in Somerset, N.J. took place with the partners, who joined with cancer survivors, community residents and local, state and federal dignitaries. This inauguration marks historical advancement in the treatment of cancer giving access to more people in the metro New York/New Jersey area.

When the center begins treating patients in 2012, it will be one of only eight proton centers in the entire United States and the only center in the greater metropolitan New York area offering this advanced form of cancer treatment. With 60,000 square feet of space and four treatment rooms, the cancer center on Cedar Grove Lane will treat 1,500 patients a year.

Princeton Radiation Oncology, New Jersey's largest group of specialists in the treatment of cancer with radiation, will provide the clinical care at the Center in addition to treating patients at five other cancer centers throughout the region. “Many of our radiation oncologists already have experience treating cancer with proton therapy at Harvard, and they have seen firsthand how effective these treatments can be. We are eager to provide this proven treatment option to our patients,” said Brian Chon, M.D., a partner with Princeton Radiation Oncology. “We chose to align our group with ProCure because of their expertise in developing proton centers that offer cutting edge technology while providing an exceptional patient experience. This proton therapy center will offer residents of the NewYork / New Jersey region convenient access to some of the most advanced medical technology in the world."

Hadley Ford, CEO of ProCure, stated that “We were able to close financing on our third proton therapy center because of Princeton Radiation Oncology and CentraState health System, a passionate group of physicians and a hospital determined to provide the region with access to proton therapy. We are ready to start construction immediately, taking us a step closer to providing this important cancer treatment to more patients.”

To learn more about Princeton Radiation Oncology, visit www.princetonradiationoncology.com or call 609-655-5755.

About Princeton Radiation Oncology

Princeton Radiation Oncology (PRO), a division of Princeton Radiology Associates PA (PRA), is a ten physician group of board certified radiation oncologists who provide an array of advanced cancer treatments at five accredited cancer centers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. PRO physicians are respected leaders in their field. All have published literature in radiation oncology and many have been named as Top Doctors by their peers. A number of the PRO physicians have personal experience with advanced proton therapy from their training at Harvard’s Massachusetts General Hospital. For more information, visit www.princetonradiationoncology.com

PRA is a 33 physician group practice which provides diagnostic radiology services at five sites in central New Jersey and radiation oncology services through PRO. In addition to providing direct patient care, the physicians of PRA established a research division, Princeton Radiology Pharmaceutical Research (RadPharm), which is now an internationally recognized leader in the evaluation of the efficacy of novel pharmaceutical agents for the treatment of cancer and other diseases.

About ProCure Treatment Centers

ProCure Treatment Centers, Inc., based in Bloomington, Ind., was founded in 2005 to improve the lives of patients with cancer by increasing access to proton therapy. ProCure collaborates with leading radiation oncology practices and hospitals and provides management leadership and a comprehensive approach for the design, construction, financing, staffing, training and day-to-day operations of world-class proton therapy centers. ProCure's solution reduces the time, cost and effort necessary to create a facility. ProCure is the only company in the world with a center open and treating patients (Oklahoma City), another under construction in suburban Chicago (Warrenville) to open in early 2011, and four others in development (Seattle; Somerset, N.J.; South Florida; and Detroit). ProCure's Training and Development Center is the first facility in the world dedicated exclusively to proton therapy. For more information, visit www.procure.com

About CentraState Healthcare System

CentraState Healthcare System is a non-profit community health organization consisting of an acute-care hospital, an ambulatory care campus, three senior living communities, a Family Medicine Residency Program, and a charitable foundation. It is a member of the Robert Wood Johnson Health Network and a clinical research affiliate of The Cancer Institute of New Jersey, a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. For more information, visit http://www.centrastate.com">www.centrastate.com