CDL Labs to build first-of-its-kind proton therapy cancer centre

MONTREAL | CDL Laboratories, a subsidiary of CDL Group, a diversified Montreal-based healthcare company, plans to invest $70 million in building a new cancer treatment centre.CDL Proton Therapy will be the first proton therapy centre of excellence in Canada. Preparatory work on the facility, located on the island of Montreal, is expected to begin by the end of 2018, and it will be ready to accept patients about two years after construction begins.Proton therapy is an advanced radiotherapy modality for many types of cancer. It uses a highly focused beam of protons to target tumours directly while sparing nearby healthy tissue.Described by CDL as a revolutionary treatment, proton therapy is especially effective for pediatric tumours as well as brain, head and neck cancers. It also dramatically reduces many of the potential late effects of radiation, including the risk of secondary cancers, making it especially appealing for treating pediatric cancers.The project will be undertaken in partnership with Proton Partners International, a U.K.-based global leader in the development of proton therapy centres, and will benefit from the most advanced technology from Ion Beam Applications S.A. (IBA) of Belgium, the leader in proton therapy technology.Under an agreement with Quebec’s Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (MSSS), Canadian patients who previously could only find the treatment abroad will be treated at the new Montreal facility.“Currently, Canadians must seek proton therapy treatment outside of the country, typically in the United States. This new agreement with the MSSS will allow them to be treated with the latest available technology closer to home, rather than enduring costly and time-consuming transfers out of country, said Dr. David Roberge, CDL Proton Therapy’s medical director and head of radio-oncology at the Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), one of the leading radio-oncology centres in Canada.“Not only will this life-changing treatment be more accessible to those who desperately need it, it will also have a significant positive impact on the family's quality of life as a whole,” Dr. Roberge said.Because of its high costs, current proton therapy treatment for Quebec patients in the United States is only reimbursed by the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) for specific clinical indications after evaluation by an expert committee. Treatment at the new centre will reduce public healthcare costs for proton therapy by more than 50% per patient, while making the treatment more accessible and convenient for patients.Read more about CDL Laboratories here.

CDL Labs to build first-of-its-kind proton therapy cancer centre

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