Proton Therapy Center Nears Completion

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Southwest Florida Proton has selected a site in south Lee County for a cancer treatment center that will feature cutting-edge technology, innovative cancer care and world-class radiation oncologists reports Todd Pezzi, MD, a board-certified radiation oncologist.

“Southwest Florida Proton will house a proton machine, a traditional radiation machine, and diagnostic imaging equipment including PET and MRI scanners,” the doctor discloses. “Everything will be up and running, except for the proton machine, by the end of this year.

“The proton machine is very complex and requires extensive commissioning, testing and quality assurance. That work will begin this winter once the facility is completed.”

During the commissioning process, which should take nearly a year, multiple experts will ensure the machine is safe and effective.

Dr. Pezzi expects the first patients to undergo proton therapy by the end of 2025.

While traditional radiation is x-ray based, proton therapy uses high-speed subatomic particles derived from hydrogen atoms to irradiate cancer. When precisely directed in a strong beam at a tumor, the particles disrupt and damage cancer cells so they can no longer divide and spread.

“The main difference is that protons don’t pass through the body completely as x-rays do,” Dr. Pezzi observes. “As a result, there is typically less radiation to healthy cells in the region we’re treating. This generally translates to a more favorable toxicity profile and fewer side effects for the patient.”

According to Dr. Pezzi, there are certain cancers in which proton therapy is particularly advantageous. There are also numerous randomized clinical studies ongoing to determine the benefit of proton therapy for other disease sites.

“Proton therapy has become the standard of care for pediatric malignancies,” he says. “In those cases, the low-dose exposure to healthy tissue translates to a meaningful difference in long-term side effects such as learning problems, abnormal bone growth and hearing loss.

“In adults, proton therapy has demonstrated value in numerous cancer types. These include brain tumors, cancers of the head and neck, cancers of the thorax such as esophageal and lung cancers, some breast cancers, prostate cancer, and some other gastrointestinal cancers including liver cancer.”

Most proton therapy centers in the US are in large academic research centers or major cancer institutes. As such, patients are often forced to travel far from home for this therapy. Advocate Radiation Oncology is bringing the technology to Southwest Florida.

There are less than 50 proton therapy centers in the country, and only a handful in Florida. Among the factors is the size of the machine, which requires a three-story building to house and weighs more than 150 tons.

“There is a larger demand for proton therapy than there are machines in this country,” Dr. Pezzi asserts. “Some estimates suggest that more than 90 percent of patients eligible for proton therapy are not meeting a qualified proton therapy physician before beginning radiation treatment.

“Right now, we must send patients out of town. We are changing that for patients in Southwest Florida who need and deserve this therapy. It’ll be exciting to treat these cancer patients closer to home. We expect to treat patients from all over Florida and even other parts of the country.” 

Todd A Pezzi, MD

Radiology

Dr. Todd Pezzi first became interested in oncology at a young age after seeing cancer impact his own family. He Read more...

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