Mayo Clinic has announced a groundbreaking milestone: the opening of the first Carbon Ion Therapy Center in the United States and the entire Western Hemisphere. This development introduces one of the world’s most advanced forms of radiation therapy to patients battling aggressive cancers.
While treatment with carbon ion therapy is expected to begin in 2028, and proton therapy in 2027, the new building, named the Duan Family Building, will begin offering a range of cancer therapies this summer. These include photon therapy, CAR-T cell therapy, immunotherapy, and advanced imaging techniques.
Mayo Clinic is building a better future where more cures are possible — giving new hope to patients with aggressive cancers.
The Duan Family Building
The newly opened 228,000-square-foot Duan Family Building in Jacksonville, Florida, has been developed as a long-term center for advanced and complex cancer care.
First envisioned in 2019 through a collaboration between Mayo Clinic and technology partner Hitachi, the project aims to bring carbon ion therapy to the Americas – a vision now coming to fruition.
Facility Highlights:
Total investment: $320 million
Size: 228,000 square feet
Treatment rooms: 6 in total
3 for photon therapy
2 for proton therapy
1 adaptable room for carbon ion therapy (also capable of delivering protons)
Advanced technologies included: CAR-T therapy suites, immunotherapy support, and precision imaging.
The facility is engineered for flexibility, with capacity to expand and integrate new technologies as they emerge.
Types of Radiation Therapies
Radiation therapy is used in approximately half of all cancer cases. There are several approaches, each with different biological effects:
1. Photon Therapy
The most widely used form of radiation, photon therapy directs X-rays or gamma rays to the tumor, destroying cancer cells while trying to spare surrounding healthy tissue.
2. Proton Beam Therapy
This particle therapy sends positively charged protons into cancer cells, minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue. It’s particularly useful in treating tumors located near vital organs or in pediatric cancer cases.
3. Carbon Ion Therapy
Carbon Ion Therapy is a form of heavy ion radiation that uses carbon atoms. This heavy particle therapy delivers high-energy carbon ions directly into tumors, destroying cells that are resistant to other radiation forms. Its precision makes it a promising solution for aggressive and difficult-to-treat cancers, with very little damage to surrounding tissue.
Carbon ion therapy and other heavy particle therapies are the advanced radiation therapies of our future.
International Patients
The launch of Carbon Ion therapy in the US is likely to attract interest from international patients seeking world class cancer treatment in America, particularly those seeking access to advanced cancer treatments not yet available in many parts of the world.
Mayo Clinic reports that patients from more than 130 countries travel to its facilities each year for specialized care. With the launch of Carbon Ion therapy, Mayo Clinic joins a small number of cancer centers worldwide delivering this radiation treatment modality.
This development further reinforces Mayo Clinic’s role as a leading destination for complex cancer care.
