Proton Beam Therapy
Will your patient benefit from proton therapy?
At Atrium Health Levine Cancer, we provide world-class cancer care, close to home. As the first and only Proton & Advanced Radiation Center in the Carolinas, we offer the region’s most advanced radiation treatments available for adult and pediatric patients.
Proton beam therapy is an extremely precise form of radiation that can achieve high cure rates with reduced toxicity for select patients with cancer. Our goal is to help you match your patients with the most effective therapy – whether that’s proton beam therapy or another advanced modality.
Video: How proton beam therapy works
What is proton beam therapy?
Proton therapy uses strong, focused energy beams to deliver radiation to a tumor. The radiation destroys tumor cells so the tumor starts shrinking.
Other types of radiation therapy also work by damaging tumor cells, but can harm surrounding healthy tissue. Proton therapy is powerful because it is very precise. This means it can directly hit the tumor with radiation with a lower risk of damage to healthy tissue.
Proton therapy has many potential benefits, including:
- Fewer side effects: Because less radiation impacts healthy tissue, patients may experience fewer side effects like nausea and difficulty breathing.
- Lower risks for children: Proton therapy can treat pediatric cancer while minimizing long-term risks. Children are more prone to long-term damage from other types of radiation because their bodies are still developing.
- Tailored to you: Doctors can customize proton therapy to treat the size and shape of your tumor most effectively.
- Treating complex tumors: Proton therapy can effectively treat tumors near a vital organ, like your brain, heart or lungs, with a low risk of damaging these organs. It can also be a treatment option if you’ve received radiation in the same area in the past and cancer recurred.
- Painless: Like other types of radiation therapy, proton therapy is a painless, non-invasive procedure.
A closer look: who can benefit from proton beam therapy
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Atrium Health Levine Cancer is first in the Carolinas to add proton therapy - a highly-effective, innovative radiation treatment - to its cancer-fighting arsenal. Explore more about this powerful technology and who it can help.
Conditions we treat with proton beam therapy
Proton therapy can treat many different kinds of cancer. It’s most often used to treat tumors that are very close to a vital organ and haven’t metastasized or spread to other parts of your body. Sometimes proton therapy is the only treatment you need. It can also be used in combination with other therapies.
Some of the conditions we treat with proton therapy include:
- Brain tumors
- Breast cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Gastrointestinal tract cancer
- Gynecologic cancer
- Head and neck cancer
- Liver cancer
- Lung cancer
- Lymphoma
- Pediatric cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Sarcoma (bone cancer)
- Skin cancer
- Skull base tumors
- Spinal cord tumors
If you or your loved one has one of these conditions, our expert team can evaluate if proton therapy is right for you.
Why choose Levine Cancer for proton beam therapy?
- World-class care, closer to home: Less than 50 centers nationwide offer proton beam, and Levine Cancer is the only cancer center in the Carolinas with this advanced treatment option. We also offer the full range of cancer therapies, and our expert team tailors your treatment plan to help you achieve the best possible outcome.
- Expert team: Our patients are cared for by top experts across Levine Cancer and Levine Children’s. Depending on your diagnosis, your team may include radiation oncologists, oncologists, medical physicists, nurses and other providers who are highly specialized in every aspect of your care.
- Prioritizing your comfort: Everyone on our team – from the reception staff to nurses to doctors – is dedicated to providing you with the best possible experience. Our facility is designed to help you feel comfortable and supported throughout your journey.
- Integrated supportive services: Our many supportive therapies – like music, art and massage – are available in the same facility where you’ll receive proton therapy. This helps integrate these important therapies into your care to promote healing and wellness.
- Access to care: Our Global Healthcare Services team and nonprofit partners may be able to help you with travel, lodging and other logistics to make it easier for you to get the treatment you need.
What to expect from proton beam therapy
If your doctor recommends proton therapy, we’ll make sure you know what to expect at every step.
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Before treatment
Your first visit will be a consultation to decide if proton therapy is right for you. Doctors will then perform several advanced imaging tests to pinpoint the size, shape and location of the tumor. This information helps them plan the most effective treatment.
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During treatment
We’ll help you get into position on the treatment table so you’ll be comfortable and the proton beams can best reach the tumor. You’ll hear a clicking sound from the machine as it delivers proton radiation beams, but you won’t feel or see them.
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After treatment
Most patients come in for treatment 5 days a week for several weeks. The number of treatments you need will be determined with your doctor. You can typically go home after a session is complete and return to normal activities after each session.
For referring providers
Our experts will evaluate your patient for the full range of oncological therapies to determine if proton therapy or another treatment is best for them. We keep you informed and involved throughout their journey and transition them back to your care when treatment is complete.
For questions about referrals, please reach out to our proton beam coordinator at ProtonTherapy@AdvocateHealth.org or call 980-442-3400.
Request a consultation
Supporting patients and their families throughout their cancer care journey is our top priority. Whether you have questions about proton beam therapy or want to schedule a consultation, our dedicated team of experts is here to help with next steps.
To ensure we’re responding to requests as quickly as possible, we ask that the form below be used for consultation requests only. Patients must have results from a biopsy and an official pathology report, including diagnosis, to schedule a consultation.
Our proton coordinator will review the information and will reach out to you within 3 business days with next steps or to request additional details.
We understand that your privacy is important. Our privacy policy describes our practices.
Meet the team
Our team includes national leaders in radiation oncology who are experts in the full range of radiation therapies. Meet our proton therapy providers.
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Carolina Fasola, MD
Radiation Oncologist
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Amardeep Grewal, MD
Radiation Oncologist
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Stuart Burri, MD
Radiation Oncologist
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Matthew Ward, MD
Radiation Oncologist
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Roshan Prabhu, MD
Radiation Oncologist
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Benjamin Moeller, MD
Radiation Oncologist
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Derek McHaffie, MD
Radiation Oncologist
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John Heinzerling, MD
Radiation Oncologist
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Travis Thompson, RT
Chief Radiation Therapist
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Kimberly Browning, BSN, RN AMB-BC
Proton Beam Therapy Coordinator
Atrium Health Levine Cancer Proton & Advanced Radiation Center
1310 East Morehead St., Charlotte, NC 28204
Frequently asked questions from medical providers
Proton therapy is a type of radiation treatment that uses protons — tiny particles found in atoms — to target and destroy cancer cells. These protons are delivered through a machine that directs a focused beam of energy into the tumor.
What makes proton therapy unique is how the energy is released. The proton beam delivers most of its energy directly at the tumor and then stops, which helps protect nearby healthy tissues and organs. This precision allows for effective treatment while reducing the risk of side effects.
Before treatment begins, your care team uses imaging scans to create a detailed plan that guides the proton beam exactly where it’s needed.
Both proton therapy and traditional radiation therapy (also called photon or X-ray therapy) are used to treat cancer by damaging the DNA of cancer cells. The key difference is how the energy is delivered and where it goes in the body.
Traditional radiation uses X-rays (photons) that pass through the body, which means healthy tissues before and after the tumor can receive radiation. Proton therapy, on the other hand, uses protons that stop once they reach the tumor – delivering radiation exactly where it’s needed and no farther.
Because it’s so targeted, proton therapy may cause fewer side effects. It’s especially useful for treating tumors near sensitive areas – like the brain, spine or heart – or when combined with other treatments like chemotherapy or immunotherapy.
Every cancer – and every patient – is unique. Proton therapy is a highly precise form of radiation, but it isn’t always the best or only option.
Traditional radiation therapy (also called photon or X-ray therapy) is a well-established, effective treatment used safely for many types of cancer. It remains a trusted choice for many patients and may be more widely available depending on your diagnosis and care plan.
The best way to decide is by talking with your radiation oncologist. They’ll consider your type of cancer, its location, your overall health, and your treatment goals to help you choose the approach that offers the best possible outcome and quality of life.
Yes, proton therapy can be especially helpful for children with certain cancers.
Because children’s bodies are still growing, it’s important to limit radiation exposure to healthy tissues. Proton therapy allows doctors to precisely target the tumor while reducing radiation to nearby organs and developing areas of the body.
This can lower the risk of side effects during treatment and reduce the chance of long-term problems later in life.
Your child’s care team will help determine if proton therapy is the right option based on their specific diagnosis and needs.
The number of treatments varies greatly based on the type of cancer you have. Typically, patients receive proton therapy 5 days a week for several weeks. We customize your treatment plan to include the number of treatments recommended for your specific condition.
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