Penn Spearheads
World's Largest Proton Therapy Center
March/April 2007
A subject of considerable interest in
radiation oncology, proton
beam therapy uses protons as opposed to standard
x-ray radiation techniques to treat a wide
variety of disease. Standard radiation
and protons work on the principle of
selective cell destruction.
However, proton beams can be
directed and deposited in specific tissues
as directed by radiation oncologists, which
provides greater control and precision
than other forms of radiation. The radiation
oncologist can then increase the dose to
the targeted area and reduce the dose to
nearby critical structures and healthy tissue.
Integrated Radiation and
Proton Treatment
The University of Pennsylvania
Health System will soon house the largest
proton therapy center in the world and
one of only six such centers in the country.
Expected to be open to patients in 2009,
the Roberts Proton Therapy Center will
be located in the Perelman Center for
Advanced Medicine. It will also be the
world's most comprehensive proton
therapy center, offering the unique ability
to fully integrate conventional radiation
treatment with proton radiation. The
center will have strong ties to Walter
Reed Army Hospital in Washington, D.C.
“We have a strong relationship with
the U.S. Department of Defense, which
has provided us with important funding for
the new center,” says Stephen
Hahn, MD,
chair of the Department of Radiation
Oncology at the Hospital of the University
of Pennsylvania. “We will have seamless
IT technology integration with Walter
Reed, which will enable us to perform
joint treatment planning. In this way,
proton therapy can be part of an overall
treatment plan for those military patients
and their family members who need it.”
Patients Who
May Benefit
Determining which patients are
appropriate for proton therapy is,
in fact, an area of this field that is still
in its infancy. However, studies have
shown that it can offer improved
outcomes for patients with:
Proton beam therapy can also be
beneficial in pediatric cancer and Penn
physicians are already partnering with
oncologists and physicians from The
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia to
offer proton beam therapy as part of
treatment planning for those children
who need it. “Radiation treatment can
have some late effects in children,”
says Dr. Hahn. “Proton beam therapy
reduces their exposure and therefore
may reduce this risk, which may make
it a good alternative for some patients.
Therapy for Microscopic
Spread
“Admittedly, proton therapy isn't
for every patient,” continues Dr. Hahn.“For now, we are focusing
on those areas that make the most sense medically,
such as the brain or spinal cord among
other sites, where we can prevent
radiation of critical healthy tissue and
still effectively treat the tumor.” For
some patients, proton therapy may be
appropriate as primary treatment, while for others it may make sense as
a part of an overarching treatment plan
to treat the tumor with another form of
therapy first and then use proton beam
therapy to treat microscopic spread.
“We have a responsibility to
society and to our physician partners
and their patients to give them an array
of treatment options. Physicians are
likely to hear a lot about proton therapy
as people start to learn more about
it,” says Dr. Hahn. “We want to give
these physicians as much information
as we can to help them guide their
patients through decisions regarding
their treatment options. It probably
won’t be right for all patients, but it
could make a world of difference to
some of them. We hope to partner
with these physicians to help them
determine which treatments are right
for their patients.”
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