The Need
It’s very likely that you have a relative, friend, neighbor or co-worker who has struggled with some kind of cancer. Perhaps you’ve experienced cancer yourself. On a visceral, gut level, we all “wish” that all forms of cancer would be eradicated quickly and permanently.
There are three basic ways to treat tumor based cancers:
Surgery
Systemic Therapies (Chemotherapy & Immunotherapy)
Radiation
Often times all three of these modalities are used to beat your cancer. Proton therapy offers the best radiation option available.
While remarkable medical advances have been (and are being) made, and many people have modified their lifestyles to avoid certain cancers, the sobering reality is that cancers remain major life-threatening health challenges.
PATIENTS SERVED
Patient populations within 25, 50, 75-mile radii and beyond are closely evaluated, serving as the primary service areas for a proton therapy center. The proposed Hollister Proton treatment center is a 5.5 hour drive to the closest proton therapy center at Loma Linda University Medical Center. As shown on the map, the population density within a 75-mile radius of the proposed Hollister Proton center is 5,330,653 people.
The demographics of the surrounding region also indicate that the effects of population aging will increase the annual number of cancer cases in the foreseeable future.
The number of new cancer cases per year in California is estimated by the American Cancer Society to be 192,770 people.
Of that number, about 60% (115,662) are projected to utilize radiation therapy as part of their cancer battle treatment.
Though all patients would benefit by the use of Proton Therapy, reducing the excess radiation on average by 60%, it is typically reserved for more difficult cases, about 20% of all radiation cases or (23,132) of those requiring radiation in the state of California. A single treatment room PT center operating 16 hours a day can only see around 350 to 400 patients a year.
There are only five Proton Therapy centers located between a 6 and 14 hour drive from Hollister California.
These facilities are :
Loma Linda, CA- 366 miles - Driving duration: 5 hours & 23 minutes
San Diego, CA - 424 miles - Driving duration: 6 hours & 47 minutes
Phoenix, AZ - 677 miles - Driving duration: 10 hours & 45 minutes
Salt Lake City, Utah - 806 miles - Driving duration: 11 hours & 59 minutes
Seattle, WA - 885 miles - Driving duration: 14 hours & 6 minutes
Patient demand for proton therapy significantly exceeds the capacity of these existing centers. Add the fact that proton therapy is a growing trend in cancer care, and that there are many other medical applications for proton therapy, and it’s understandable why the Hollister Proton treatment center is being proposed.
California Population
Regional Demographics
Interactive Map of Hollister, California
Several years from now, when the Hollister Proton treatment center is completed and operational, we anticipate that many patients will experience the positive life-changing, and possibly life-saving, results. That’s what really gives us the vision, inspiration, enthusiasm, motivation and perseverance to pursue this exciting new project. Life is a precious gift; we want to perpetuate it and improve the quality of living.