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Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) Proton Center
The SCCA Proton Center is the Northwest's regional leader in proton therapy for cancer treatment. It participates in partnership with Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, UW Medicine, and Seattle Children's to form the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA). Proton therapy precisely focuses on tumors, minimizing radiation to the surrounding healthy tissue, thereby reducing the risk of short and long-term side effects of radiation damage associated with cancer treatment.

The SCCA Proton Center is a 60,000-square-foot-facility located in the Northgate neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. It is the only proton therapy treatment center within a seven-state region serving Washington, Oregon, Hawaii, Alaska, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. It was the fourth such proton therapy facility nationally and the 12 location overall to provide Proton Therapy for cancer treatment within the United States

Mission
The SCCA Proton Therapy Center is committed to helping patients live healthy, fulfillling lives by providin the best treatment and care possible.

Facility
Occupying a 60,000 square-foot-space on the UW Medicine's Northwest Hospital & Medical Center's campus at 115th St. Seattle, Washington. The SCCA Proton Therapy Center was designed to accommodate up to 1,400 patients per year and expected to welcome patients from across the country and from around the globe, similar to the other proton therapy treatment centers.

The facility provides playrooms for children, that offers books, board games, movies, as well as art therapy and support groups. In addition, the facility provides four treatment rooms that house special equipment for cancer treatment such as an Inclined-Beam, Fixed Beam, and Gantry.

Inclined-Beam
An inclined-beam can be adjusted into two positions: horizontally to be parallel to the floor and inclined at a 60% angle. This mobility allows physicians to treat approximately 80% of tumors that would traditionally require a gantry and at a lower cost.

Fixed Beam
A fixed horizontal proton beam that can target and treat tumors.

Gantry
A gantry revolves 360 degrees around a patient to precisely target a tumor from various angles.

Cyclotron
A Cyclotron is the core piece of equipment in proton therapy for cancer treatment. It is a particle accelerator that allows for the acceleration of proton particles to nearly the speed of light. The beam emitted by the cyclotron is shaped to conform specifically to each tumor size and shape. The SCCA Proton Therapy Center's cyclotron weighs 220 tons and was manufactured in Belgium and arrived in Seattle on March 17th, 2012.

Types of Cancers Treated
Not all types of tumors are candidates for proton therapy. The SCCA Proton Therapy Center can treat many cancers, as well as non-cancerous tumors and arteriovenous malformations.

Candidates for proton therapy include: base of skull cancers, Prostate Cancer , Breast Cancer  , lung cancer , Brain Cancer and central nervous system tumors  , Gastrointestinal Cancers , head and neck cancers , Ocular (Uveal) Melanoma , sarcomas , Gynecologic Cancers , Bladder Cancer, Testicular Cancer , Thymoma, Mesothelioma, orbital and eye tumors, Lymphoma, and most childhood cancers.

Proton therapy is not an option for blood or systemic cancers such as Leukemia.

Treatment Team
Radiation oncologists at SCCA Proton Therapy Center bring expertise from all over the country. The center's physicians consist of faculty from the University of Washington Department of Radiation Oncology.

The treatment team includes Radiation Therapists, Nurses, Assistants, Intake Team, Childlife Services, Social Workers, Financial Counselors, Patient Services Team, Medical Physicists, Dosimetrists, Machinists, and Engineers.

History
Originating as a result of the partnership between the ProCure Treatment Center, Inc and the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA), the SCCA Proton Therapy Center opened on March 8th, 2013 as the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance Proton Therapy, A ProCure Center. It was the fourth center in a nationwide network of proton therapy centers developed by ProCure, and the first proton therapy center within 1,000 miles of Seattle, Washington.

In December 2015, the SCCA Proton Therapy Center went through a financial restructuring and is now an independent entity: Seattle Proton Center, LLC doing business ass the SCCA Proton Therapy Center. The SCCA Proton Therapy Center is no longer affiliated with ProCure's remaining locations through remains involved with the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and partnerships with the University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle Children's, and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

Affiliations
The SCCA Proton Therapy Center supports a multidisciplinary and integrated approach to cancer treatment. In their alliance with the SCCA, they are partnered with UW Medicine, Seattle Children's, and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.