UAMS opens new radiation oncology center to provide advanced cancer treatment

LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute opened a new Radiation Oncology Center Tuesday with expanded capabilities to provide advanced radiation treatments for children and adults with cancer, including the state’s first Proton Center.

The $65 million, 58,000-square-foot structure at 3900 W. Capitol Ave, in Little Rock was built to accommodate three new linear accelerators that customize radiation delivery based the type and stage of a patient’s cancer.

“The opening of this facility marks an unprecedented commitment to the future of cancer treatment in Arkansas and the region,” said UAMS Chancellor Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA. “The innovative therapies and advanced technology available here place UAMS among the top centers worldwide at the forefront of cancer treatment.”

The UAMS Radiation Oncology Center is the only cancer center in Arkansas to offer Ethos Adaptive Therapy, a unique form of X-ray radiation that adapts to daily changes in a tumor’s shape and position over the course of treatment.

Two other linear accelerators deliver Edge Radiosurgery, a specialized nonsurgical technique used to destroy tumors in the brain and spine with end-to-end accuracy of less than one millimeter, and radiotherapy with motion management, which controls radiation directed at tumors that move as patients breathe.

The second floor of the new center will house the 9,000-square-foot Proton Center of Arkansas, which is a collaboration between UAMS, Baptist Health, Arkansas Children’s and Proton International. It is set to open in October and will also support the UAMS-Baptist Health Cancer Network. Proton therapy is an innovative form of radiation treatment that harnesses proton particles that can be precisely targeted to destroy solid tumors in hard-to-reach areas. Proton radiation reduces the amount of healthy tissue exposed to radiation and minimizes side effects.

The Radiation Oncology Center is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Appointments for new patients are available by calling 501-664-4568.

The center will open for adult and pediatric patients needing X-ray radiation on July 24.