Indiana University (IU) announced that it plans to close its proton therapy center.
The university said in August that it was accepting the recommendation of an external review committee to close the IU Health Proton Therapy Center once the current roster of about 30 patients completed treatment. This should occur no later than January 1, 2015. As a result of the decision, the university will also close the IU Cyclotron.
The proton center opened in 2004 and was a joint venture between IU Health and IU Research and Technology. At the time, it was the third proton therapy facility in the U.S. and the only one in the Midwest.
The reasons for closure include a declining patient base and revenues, due in part to the facility's aging equipment and a significant increase in the number of new proton therapy sites in the country. The facility has operated at a deficit for most of its existence and is no longer financially sustainable, the university said.
