Proton center closure doesn't slow new construction

Proton beam radiation therapy has been touted as the next big thing in cancer care. The idea, enthusiasts say, is that doctors can deliver higher, more focused doses of radiation than they can in traditional therapy, with a lower risk of side effects. The massive machines, housed in facilities the size of football fields, have been sprouting up across the country for a decade. There are already 14 proton therapy centers in the U.S., and a dozen more facilities are under construction, even though each can cost $200 million to build. But Indiana University last month announced that it plans to close down its center in Bloomington, as reported by Modern Healthcare.