Posted on

Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute 2021

Dr. Allan Thornton

Take a virtual tour of Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute and listen to Dr Allan Thornton explaining this cutting-edge cancer treatment.

2021 Virtual Tour of HUPTI

Because we use charged particles as our form of radiation, we can control the range of the beam. That results in treating about 70% less normal tissues than with any form of X-ray therapy currently practiced.

We treat a widening number of tumors. Essentially we treat any solid tumor that can be treated with conventional X-ray based therapy, but  with significantly less side effects to normal tissue.

We treat essentially all solid tumors that we normally treat with radiation therapy with proton therapy. Those are specifically : brain tumors – in particular brain tumors, posterior fossa tumors, medulloblastoma – we also treat a significant number of prostate patients, rectal cancer patients, lung cancer, women with breast cancer – particularly the left side of breast cancer where we can spare the heart -, and we even treat some skin tumors and lymph node tumors – lymphomas – more successfully and with much less side effects than with conventional therapy.

— Dr Allan Thornton

International patients can contact SAH Care to see if Proton Therapy is right for them.

Contact us
Posted on

Advantage of proton-radiotherapy for pediatric patients and adolescents with Hodgkin’s disease

a Areas in which the VMAT / IMRT plans will deliver more dose to organs at risk or the body compartment. b Areas in which the proton plan delivers more dose to organs at risk or the body compartment compared to the VMAT / IMRT plant

“Proton therapy for mediastinal lymphoma reduces significantly the dose to organs at risk and the integral body dose. It might lead to reduced late toxicities and secondary malignancies. This is especially important for children and young adults. It should be considered for both sexes, as both male and female patients benefit from the unique features of particle irradiation. Whenever proton for mediastinal lymphoma is not available or technical not feasible the alternative photon concepts have to be chosen carefully. Depending on the used technique certain organs at risk, i.e. the breasts in young females, can be spared with higher priority. However, with all photon techniques that comes at the cost of higher doses to the other organs at risk. If available, proton therapy should be the standard pattern of care for mediastinal lymphoma for young adults below 30 years of age, no matter if male or female.”

S. Lautenschlaeger, G. Iancu, V. Flatten, K. Baumann, M. Thiemer, C. Dumke, K. Zink, H. Hauswald, D. Vordermark, C. Mauz-Körholz, R. Engenhart-Cabillic & F. Eberle
Radiation Oncology volume 14, Article number: 157 (2019) 

https://ro-journal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13014-019-1360-7

Posted on

Treatment of Early FL More Effective With PET-Staging and Contemporary RT

Andrea Blevins Primeau, PhD, MBA

The results of this study suggest that upfront, early-stage follicular lymphoma (FL) treatment with RT is safe and results in excellent outcomes. Importantly, these results are of “more than 500 patients, all of whom have been treated in a contemporary fashion with PET staging,” Dr Hoppe said, highlighting that it is typically challenging to evaluate a large number of patients because FL is so uncommon. 

Dr Hoppe recommends that oncologists and hematologists with a patient diagnosed with FL who has been PET-staged with stage I or stage II disease seek the opinion of a radiation oncologist. “That doesn’t commit the patient to being treated by a radiation oncologist, but you can properly inform the patient [of] the potential risks and benefits of treatment.” He further highlighted that “this gives the patient the best opportunity to participate in making an informed decision as to what the treatment should be.”

Treatment of Early FL More Effective With PET-Staging and Contemporary RT