1946
Proton beam treatment for medical purposes was proposed by Robert Rathbun Wilson, PhD. The late Dr. Wilson, who was later to become the first director and largely the creator of Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), had unusual breadth and depth of vision. His insights into the medical use of protons, while partly a legacy of his physics education at the University of California, Berkeley, under Ernest O. Lawrence, arose mainly from that vision. Dr. Wilson later became a strong supporter of the Loma Linda proton facility.

1954
The first patient was treated with protons, at Berkeley. The Berkeley investigators, notably Cornelius A. Tobias, PhD, were instrumental in helping to spread the practice of proton treatment in research laboratories such as Berkeley. Dr. Tobias advised and taught investigators at the University of Uppsala, in Sweden, and at Harvard Cyclotron Laboratory, USA. Uppsala (1957) and Harvard (1961) were the next laboratories to offer proton radiation therapy for treating human diseases. Dr. Tobias also was a strong supporter of the Loma Linda proton facility.

1970
Loma Linda University Medical Center researchers began studies of charged-particle treatment.

1971
Loma Linda investigators developed the world's first computer-assisted treatment planning system, using ultrasound digital images. This was done to overcome the deficiencies of focusing the invisible beam on an invisible target within a patient. Computer-assisted treatment planning allowed the physician to define the patient's anatomy more precisely and to demonstrate the actual distribution of radiation in the patient, both of which resulted in significant improvements in treatment with all forms of radiation and facilitated heavy-charged-particle radiation therapy.

1973
Loma Linda investigators improved their treatment planning system by incorporating CT images, the first radiation therapy planning system in the world to do so. CT scans provided tissue density (electron density) information, in turn allowing accurate calculations of radiation absorption, the "missing link" for accurate and precise planning of radiation treatments in humans. The technology was accepted immediately and spread throughout the world, being produced by many manufacturers and employed by many users within the subsequent decade.

1985
The Proton Therapy Co-operative Group was established to promote international collaboration in hospital-based proton beam therapy, as it does today.

1987
Loma Linda University Medical Center announced its intention to build the world's first hospital-based proton treatment facility.

1988
Ground was broken for the LLUMC proton facility.

1988
The US Congress appropriated $8.5 million for the LLUMC facility and, in another session, granted an additional $11.1 million through the Department of Energy.

1989
The LLUMC synchrotron was commissioned at Fermilab.

1990
Fermilab completed testing of the 250-million-electron-volt accelerator, which then was shipped to LLUMC in summer and autumn.

1990
The first patient was treated at LLUMC.

1991
The second beam line was commissioned. Treatments began for patients with brain tumors and tumors of the head and neck.

1991
The first gantry was commissioned at LLUMC. This marked the first time in history that a gantry was used to deliver a proton beam.

1991
The first proton treatment was delivered at LLUMC for a patient with prostate cancer. In subsequent years, prostate cancer patients comprised more than 60% of the patients coming to Loma Linda for proton radiation therapy.

1992
A ground-breaking ceremony was held to celebrate the $20.3 million building that would become Chan Shun Pavilion and the offices of Loma Linda University School of Medicine. Chan Shun Pavilion would contain much laboratory space dedicated to cancer research and treatment, and to the better understanding of the effects and capabilities of particle radiation.

1992
US Congressman Jerry Lewis was acknowledged for his dedicated work on behalf of proton radiation therapy at Loma Linda. A floor at the treatment facility was named in his honor.

1994
The second and third gantries began clinical operation.

1994
NASA and LLUMC officials signed a Memorandum of Agreement to study ways to protect astronauts from radiation in space. The ability of the LLUMC proton accelerator to simulate space radiation, of which protons are a major part, made such research possible. The basic work on the effects of particle radiation in living tissues also would benefit patient care.

1995
Dr. Robert Wilson attended a ceremony at which the first operational gantry was named in his honor. Dr. Wilson died in 2000; his remains were later interred at Fermilab.

1996
The 2,000^th patient was treated during the year. At a ceremony honoring Congressman Jerry Lewis, the new LLU cancer research facility/School of Medicine building was dedicated.

1997
The 3,000^th patient was treated. Radiobiology research, for both medical and space-travel applications, began in the new laboratory facilities.

1998
The department of radiation medicine reported treating 100< proton therapy patients and 100 photon (x-ray) therapy patients per day.

2000
The 5,000^th patient was treated during the year.

2001
The 6,000^th patient was treated. The department of radiation medicine was treating 140 patients daily with proton beams.

2002
The 7,500^th patient was treated by late summer. At that time, the department of radiation medicine was treating 150 patients per day with proton beams.  

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