Partnership to Advance Proton Therapy Training, Research, and Development

A recent agreement made by a group of proton therapy treatment centers and a U.S. university will provide advanced training programs and accredit medical professionals in proton therapy--an alternative to conventional radiation therapy that avoids many of the side effects inherent in the treatment. The agreement focuses on expanding research on the technology to be used for the delivery of proton therapy and developing new protocols using protons to treat a wider range of cancer tumors.

Protons are currently used primarily to treat base-of-skull tumors, ocular melanoma, sinus tumors, pediatric cancers, and prostate cancer. As more centers are developed and the capacity to handle patients increases, ProCure Treatment Centers, Inc. (Bloomington, IN, USA) and the University of Pennsylvania's (U-Penn) Roberts Proton Therapy Center (Philadelphia, PA, USA) agreed to establish new clinical studies to assess the use of protons in areas such as proton therapy in combination with chemotherapy and the improved results obtained from increasing the dose delivered to the tumor. ProCure's network of proton therapy centers will significantly increase the number of patients that can potentially be enrolled in studies. The U-Penn Center will provide oversight, establish data collection procedures, analyze data, and work through any necessary regulatory process.

It is anticipated that within the next five years, at least 10 new proton therapy facilities will open in the United States, including the Roberts Proton Therapy Center and several centers under development by ProCure, resulting in a significant need for trained staff at all levels. The U-Penn Center and ProCure intend to collaborate on setting standards for proton therapy education and training, and to offer accreditation in the field. Training programs are slated to be provided at the ProCure Training and Development Center (TDC), the world's first training center dedicated exclusively to proton therapy. The 1,858-square meter training facility is located in Bloomington, IN, USA. The TDC simulates a working proton therapy center and plans to provide training for radiation oncologists, medical physicists, dosimetrists, radiation therapists, and other staff.

ProCure is working with community hospitals and local radiation oncology practices to open proton centers across the United States. ProCure has a center under construction in Oklahoma and one planned for Illinois. When it opens in summer 2009, the Roberts Proton Therapy Center will be the largest and most comprehensive proton therapy facility in the world, and only the sixth operating proton therapy center in the United States.

Nearly 50,000 cancer patients worldwide have taken advantage of the technology to effectively treat most common types of solid tumor cancers, including head and neck, prostate, breast, lung, colorectal and brain tumors. Proton therapy's ability to precisely target tumors makes it suitable for treating tumors near vital organs, especially in children. It has been shown to reduce normal tissue damage, side effects, and to lessen the probability of secondary tumors later in life.

In the United States, proton therapy is currently only available in five major academic centers.


Related Links:
ProCure Treatment Centers
University of Pennsylvania's Roberts Proton Therapy Center