Pediatric and adult oncology patients at Atrium Health Levine Cancer and Atrium Health Levine Children’s will soon have access to a new cancer-fighting radiation treatment: proton beam therapy. Proton beam therapy is highly precise, effective for certain types of cancers and can lead to fewer side effects than traditional radiation therapy.
Proton beam therapy is available at fewer than 50 cancer centers nationwide. The new, state-of-the-art Atrium Health Levine Cancer Proton & Advanced Radiation Center in Charlotte will be the only location in North or South Carolina to offer this treatment.
Because there are so few cancer centers in the United States that offer proton beam therapy, a very small percentage of potential patients receive this treatment and their families often have to travel hours from home to get it, typically for weeks at a time.
“This is a big burden on an already complex situation, so being able to offer a very advanced treatment for our patients in North and South Carolina aligns with our goal of offering the best care locally,” says Dr. Roshan Prabhu, a radiation oncologist at Atrium Health Levine Cancer.
What is proton beam radiation therapy?
Proton beam radiation therapy is a highly precise, noninvasive cancer treatment that delivers a beam of protons that damage a tumor’s DNA and destroy cancer cells. It’s much more targeted than traditional radiation therapy and can achieve comparable or even better tumor control rates.
This means patients who are candidates for the treatment can receive the same or higher radiation dose with less toxicity, reduced risk of long-term side effects and less damage to surrounding healthy tissue. Fewer side effects can also improve quality of life for those undergoing cancer treatment.
How does proton beam therapy work?
Proton treatment uses charged particles that are delivered to and stop at the tumor.
“When charged particles enter the body, they go a certain distance based on their energy, then they essentially just stop, and there’s little to no exit dose, little to no radiation after the point where they stop,” says Prabhu. “We can use that to the patient’s advantage.”
Both traditional radiation therapy and proton beam therapy can take place over several weeks and can cause short-term side effects, though proton beam therapy can cause fewer severe side effects.
Who is a candidate for proton beam therapy?
While proton beam therapy has many benefits, it’s not the right treatment for every patient nor every form of cancer.
“It’s a case-by-case situation,” says Prabhu. “Proton therapy is a tool and you want the right tool for the job. There are many situations where proton therapy is not necessarily the right tool for the job because it either offers no additional benefit, it’s more complicated or insurance doesn’t always cover it. There are many cases where we wouldn’t recommend it; there are pros and cons.”
This more precise form of radiation therapy is especially beneficial for kids and teens because their risk of developing future malignancies from radiation exposure is higher than adult patients.
“Proton beam therapy can limit some long-term consequences of radiation therapy in pediatric patients by limiting exposure of this energy to healthy, adjacent tissues,” says Dr. Chad Jacobsen, a pediatric hematologist and oncologist at Atrium Health Levine Children’s.
Because proton beam therapy has long-term benefits for pediatric patients, Jacobsen says it should be discussed anytime a child or teen needs radiation therapy.
“Any child who requires radiation therapy should be evaluated for proton beam therapy by experts who can determine whether or not proton beam radiation makes more sense for them than traditional radiotherapy,” he says. “There may be patients who would be better served by more traditional therapy.”
Proton beam therapy can be beneficial for individuals who:
- Have localized (non-metastatic), solid tumors.
- Have tumors near critical organs and structures, like the heart, lungs, brain and gastrointestinal tract.
- Need radiation therapy in an area that was previously treated with radiation.
- Can’t receive the radiation dose they need from conventional radiation because of their risk of long-term side effects or severe toxicity.
It can be used to treat:
- Bone cancer
- Brain tumors
- Breast cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Eye cancer
- Gastrointestinal tract cancer
- Gynecologic cancer
- Head and neck cancer
- Liver cancer
- Lung cancer
- Lymphoma
- Skull base tumors
- Soft tissue sarcomas
- Spinal cord tumors
Learn more about proton beam therapy
Atrium Health Levine Cancer and Levine Children’s are committed to offering the region exceptional, leading-edge cancer care while working closely with referring providers.
“Our goal when treating patients, including those who aren’t receiving all of their therapy at Levine Children’s or Levine Cancer, is to give them the best quality cancer care we can while ensuring we provide timely feedback and updates to their primary oncology team,” says Jacobsen.
Learn more about proton beam therapy at Atrium Health and find out if it's something to discuss with your oncologist as an option for you.
