Moffitt Cancer Center will begin treating patients with its new Proteus ONE machine at the Speros outpatient campus in Land O'Lakes on Monday, July 27.

Alex Shaffer, a Moffitt patient who has battled a brain tumor for 30 years, will be the first person treated on the machine. Surgeons previously removed a tumor the size of a "cutie orange" from his frontal lobe, his mother Cindy Shaffer told WFLA.

"For there to be less of a chance of killing off the healthy brain cells, yes! Yes, please. So, it's amazing," Cindy Shaffer said.

The Proteus ONE delivers proton beam radiation with sub-millimeter precision, targeting tumor cells while sparing surrounding healthy tissue. Dr. Kosj Yamoah, chair of Moffitt's Department of Radiation Oncology, told WFLA on July 17 that the technology is particularly suited for tumors in dangerous locations like the brain.

Moffitt says the machine is one of roughly 40 Proteus ONE systems in the world. The compact, single-room system is manufactured by Belgian company IBA and typically costs between $38 million and $49 million, according to IBA's published pricing for similar installations. Moffitt has not disclosed what it paid.

The Speros campus, at 16370 Wilton Way in Land O'Lakes, sits just off I-75 and already offers imaging, mammography, infusion and radiation oncology services. Moffitt is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center based in Florida, a status it has held since 2001.

Before this opening, the closest proton therapy centers for Tampa Bay-area patients were UF Health in Jacksonville and Miami Cancer Institute. BayCare Health System has also announced plans to open a proton therapy center at St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa sometime in 2026, though an exact date has not been confirmed.

Alex Shaffer, who has been a Moffitt patient for nine of his 30 years fighting the disease, said he hopes the treatment will shrink what remains of his brain tumor. His first session is scheduled for Monday, July 27.