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HAMPTON, Va. (AP) — The Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute has treated a fraction of the cancer patients it was expected to serve since it treated its first patient in September 2010.
The institute blames several reasons for the lower-than-anticipated number of patients, including increasing competition and decreasing insurance reimbursements, among other factors, The Daily Press (http://bit.ly/1XcYSpi) reports .
Billed as the largest of its kind in the world, the Hampton cancer treatment center has averaged less than one patient a day during its five years in operation.
By September 2015, its fifth anniversary, it had treated a total of 1,274 patients. That is less than one-tenth of initial projections. There is no indication that trend is reversing.
The state's only proton therapy center, for instance, completed treatment on only 52 cancer patients from mid-September 2014 to mid-June of this year.
Hampton University President William Harvey had projected treatment of 2,000 patients annually at the launch of the institute. He said he's still confident the treatment program will pick up steam.
"The baby isn't born full-grown. It's just like any other new business. I'm not discouraged at all," Harvey said.
Proton therapy is a highly targeted form of radiation. It is used to treat a variety of cancers with high doses of radiation even when tumors are close to sensitive organs, while sparing surrounding healthy tissue.
While it claims better quality-of-life outcomes, the treatment is almost double the cost of conventional radiation. No definitive studies support the claims that proton therapy produces better outcomes.
The Hampton institute was the fourth proton center to open in the U.S. Now there are 17 centers operating in the U.S. and a dozen more under construction, according to the National Association for Proton Therapy.
Hampton's not alone in struggling to attract patients. A similar center at Indiana University closed last year after 10 years in business.
The $225 million Hampton facility was funded primarily by bonds and built on 5.5 acres donated by the city of Hampton.
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