Revised M.I. cancer center plans may move at faster pace

Revised M.I. cancer center plans may move at faster pace
By JESSICA A. YORK/Times-Herald staff writer
Posted: 01/21/2009

The cancer treatment center planned for Mare Island may arrive in sooner than planned, due to changes in technology.

The Touro University project may be split in two after receiving public and city scrutiny.

The project, whose center will use accelerated heavy ion particles, or pencil laser beams, for treatment, is a bright spot in an economically struggling city.

The Vallejo Planning Commission will get first crack at the proposed project adjustments, which call for the cancer center's separation into two buildings instead of one, a smaller parking garage and a surface parking lot.

The commission holds a public hearing on the matter at 7 tonight at 555 Santa Clara St.

"In a sense, this has accelerated the schedule in being able to start treating patients sooner," said city-hired planning consultant Dina Tasini.

The overall Touro project is alreadytwo phases, the first being the cancer center and the second a university village extending the school's campus.

Part of the impetus for the proposed cancer center project change, Tasini said, is the new technology the center plans to use. With last year's announced withdrawal of support from medical equipment supplier Siemens, a former project partner, the center will no longer use a huge piece of machinery known as a synchrotron.

Siemens' promise of cutting- edge technology for the center disappeared when the company, based in Germany, pulled out of the world market.

In some ways, the removal of the Siemens machinery has opened new doors for the university, officials have said. Confidential talks with an unnamed Northern California clinical partner could ensure the center obtains "the next generation of the same technology Siemens was going to use," said Touro University Vice President Dick Hassel in an earlier interview.

Touro Public Relations Director Jim Mitchell said the more advanced technology would also come with real-time imaging, allowing doctors to see their progress live. Plus, the new technology is expected to be available earlier than Siemens would have provided it, university officials have said. A first proton machine may arrive as early as 2011, when the center could start treating patients in four separate rooms. The cutting-edge technology, a carbon-heavy ion machine, might arrive as early as 2013, Mitchell said.

If the project is given an eventual City Council go-ahead to split the cancer center into two smaller buildings, the first building would contain treatment rooms and doctors' offices, mainly, while the second building would focus on conference rooms and extra doctors' offices, Mitchell said.

The surface parking lot is planned for the first phase and the parking garage for the second phase, Tasini said.

The number of patients seen or doctors employed will not be changed to adjust to the new project plans, Tasini said.

Contact reporter Jessica A. York at jyork@thnewsnet.com or 553-6834.