Optimizing throughput of a multi-room proton therapy treatment center via simulation

More than half of all cancer patients in the United States receive radiation therapy during the course of their treatment. The main goal of radiation therapy is to optimize the trade-off between delivering a high and conformal dose to the target and limiting the doses to critical structures. The rationale for using proton beams instead of photon beams is the feasibility of delivering higher doses to the tumor while maintaining the total dose to critical structures or maintaining the target dose while reducing the total dose to critical structures. Despite its promise as a treatment, adoption of proton therapy (PT) is limited by the high cost of building the required facilities. New facilities should be built with layouts that are designed to treat more patients to recoup the initial investment. We examine several facility layouts and scheduling plans to minimize idle equipment and maximize total patient throughput.