WAVY-TV10 November 15, 2010 HU cancer center treats first patients Patients said they felt no side effects HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) - The first group of patients at the Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute (HUPTI)<http://www.hamptonproton.org/> completed their course of treatment for prostate cancer. The patients have expressed feeling no side effects from their course of treatment, according to a release from HUPTI. Proton therapy is able to target the tumor while sparing surrounding healthy tissue. The $225 million institute started seeing patients in August. It is the largest free-standing proton cancer treatment center in the world, according to Sarita Scott, Public Relations Director of HUPTI. "Being one of the first patients at HUPTI has changed my outlook on life," said Alfred Scott, of Hampton, who celebrated his 33rd wedding anniversary the day before his last treatment. "I have not experienced any side effects going through this treatment, which gave me a new lease on life," said Alfred Scott. "It's one thing to start up, and quite another to see our first group of patients walking out the door having finished their treatments," said scientific and technical director of HUPTI Cynthia Keppel, PhD. Keppel has worked on the project for over six years. HUPTI is expected to treat approximately 2,000 patients per year with prostate, breast, brain, lung, ocular, pediatric, and other cancers. HUPTI's 200-ton cyclotron originates and spins the protons at 60 percent of the speed of light. The actual treatment of protons lasts a mere minute. Patients are treated five days a week, for five to ten weeks. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Program Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 404.592.4820 1438 West Peachtree Street NW Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (Lyrasis) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.