Hospital states its case for proton center

Central DuPage Hospital may not know until later this summer whether state regulators will change their minds and allow the Winfield hospital to build a second proton cancer therapy center in the Western suburbs.

Both Central DuPage and Procure Treatment Centers, the Bloomington, Ind.-based company tapped to construct and manage the cancer center, have filed an appeal to the state planning board's decision.

Hospital officials are still hoping to receive state approval to build a $140 million facility in Warrenville's Cantera development.

The Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board rejected the proposal last month because it says the center would be located too close to a similar proton center that's to be built by Northern Illinois University at the DuPage National Technology Park in West Chicago.

Only five such facilities, which use proton beams rather than standard radiation to treat a variety of cancers, exist in the country.

Among the arguments Central DuPage and Procure make in the 124-page rebuttal submitted May 5 is that five other cities, including San Diego, Seattle and Boston, also have two cancer centers planned in a proximity similar to the locations of the Central DuPage and NIU proton centers.

"Perhaps we haven't been crystal clear in a number of pieces of our analysis," said Hadley Ford, CEO of Procure Treatment Centers. "In the Chicago area, we probably need five or six centers. We can have two centers right on top of each other and both will be full."

While no date has yet been set for an appeal hearing, Ford said he hopes the state's health planning board will consider the matter in either July or August.

NIU officials are still opposed to the Central DuPage project, said John Lewis, an associate vice president of NIU and the cancer center's project manager.

"As we read through their appeal, we would still make the argument that now is not the time for two proton centers in such close proximity," Lewis said. "We're still concerned about the viability for two centers being built at the same time.

"We still welcome the opportunity at some time to talk with Central DuPage Hospital to see if there is a way for them to participate in our project," he said. "The offer has been made a couple times and is still open."

Lewis said school officials are expected to meet in the next week to 10 days with the planning committees of both West Chicago and the DuPage Airport Authority to receive the proper permit approvals for the NIU proton cancer center project.

A formal groundbreaking is expected for the NIU site in mid-June.