MADISON, Wis. – Today, UW Health officially began offering proton therapy at Eastpark Medical Center.
The new treatment gives patients with cancer access to a highly precise form of radiation therapy designed to target tumors while limiting radiation exposure to nearby healthy tissue.
This milestone is meaningful to patients and team members alike at UW Health, according to Dr. Zachary Morris, professor and chair of the Department of Radiation Medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, and radiation oncologist at the UW Health | Carbone Cancer Center.
“We are so excited to see this day arrive and to be able to offer proton therapy for the patients who need it,” he said. “This achievement is a culmination of tremendous planning and teamwork that has enabled us to bring forward one of the most precise forms of cancer therapy and a proton therapy center that is among the most technologically advanced anywhere.”
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Proton therapy uses charged particles to deliver radiation directly to a tumor, while minimizing radiation to nearby normal tissues and thereby reducing long-term toxicities, according to Dr. Ben Durkee, radiation oncologist and medical director of the Proton Therapy Program at the Carbone Cancer Center, and associate professor of radiation medicine, UW School of Medicine and Public Health.
“This technology allows us to personalize radiation treatment with remarkable precision,” he said. “Less radiation to normal tissue can mean fewer side effects.”
This approach can be especially helpful for patients who have previously received radiation and patients with tumors near sensitive areas such as the eyes, brainstem or spine. Not every patient will benefit from proton therapy, and care teams will work with each patient to determine whether it is the right treatment option.
The Proton Therapy Program at UW Health will begin by serving adult patients who are participating in a clinical trial.
“This is the first time this specific set of highly advanced technologies has been combined and used for patients,” Morris said. “Eligible patients will have the opportunity to receive treatment through a clinical trial during the initial launch of our proton therapy program.”
In the future, UW Health will also be home to one of the only proton therapy programs to offer treatment to patients who are either lying flat or seated in an upright position. The seated position, not yet available to patients, may be more comfortable for some, including those with health conditions that make it difficult to lie flat during treatment.
Patients interested in learning whether proton therapy may be appropriate for their care should talk with their cancer care team or visit uwhealth.org/proton-therapy.
UW Health is an integrated health system and academic medical center affiliated with the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. Dedicated to advancing patient care, research, education and community service, UW Health has more than 26,500 employees, including 2,000 physicians, in Wisconsin and Illinois. UW Health University Hospital has been rated the top hospital in Wisconsin 14 years in a row by U.S. News & World Report. For more information visit uwhealth.org.
UW Health | Carbone Cancer Center
UW Health | Carbone Cancer Center is Wisconsin’s only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center. Affiliated with the University of Wisconsin–Madison and UW Health, UW Carbone unites physicians and scientists to collaborate on cutting-edge research and translates the latest discoveries into new cancer treatments. UW Carbone has more than 250 ongoing clinical trials at any given time and serves more than 32,000 people annually with diagnosis, therapy, consultations and care. For more information, visit uwhealth.org/cancer.
