Fred Hutch - Proton Therapy

Dr. John Kang is one of our #LungCancer specialists who uses #ProtonTherapy for cancers in the chest area. Proton therapy is an important tool when treating lung and other tumors near sensitive and vital organs. Learn more about Dr. Kang's philosophy, schooling and more here: https://bit.ly/3ZdkRog

In 2022, Steve was diagnosed with stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after asking to be screened because he was a smoker. Although his tumor was small, it was close to his esophagus and heart, and several lymph nodes were also affected. Because the spot that showed up on hisT scan was so tiny, Steve was surprised that his diagnosis was stage III. Steve couldn’t help but feel that his cancer was the result of his decision to smoke, so he quit immediately. When he spoke to his doctors about treatment plans, they recommended surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Although he’d been seeing his doctors for many years and trusted them, Steve thought it would be prudent to get a second opinion, especially because a world-class cancer center was within driving distance of his home. He went to see someone at Fred Hutch. Dr. Santana-Davila encouraged Steve to take a different tack: chemotherapy coupled with proton therapy. Steve hadn’t heard about proton therapy before, but what he learned made sense. Standard X-ray therapy would have radiated most of his chest area, but proton therapy could better target the tumor and lymph nodes. Because the tumor was so close to his esophagus and heart, proton therapy could also help spare those organs from an excess radiation dose. “Steve was an excellent candidate for proton therapy given the location of his cancer near the center of his chest,” says Dr. John Kang. “Compared to standard photon (X-ray) treatment, proton therapy was able to significantly decrease the dose to his lungs and heart, which can be sensitive to even low doses of radiation. He received six weeks of treatment, and I could see on our interval quality assurance scans that his tumor was shrinking about half-way through. That let us adjust the plan to be even more focused on the cancer and further spare his nearby organs.” Steve was treated from two positions in the gantry. For most of his treatment, Steve had no side effects from proton therapy. But he did develop esophagitis during his final week, which was painful and made swallowing difficult. He says he also had a tough first week on chemotherapy. “But the staff at Fred Hutch were there for me 24/7, and they helped me feel better quickly. Now, a month out, I’m feeling great,” he says. Steve encourages everyone to get a second opinion, even when you trust your current provider. He believes it saved him from more pain. By choosing proton therapy at Fred Hutch, he avoided having a port placed or going through surgery. He highly recommends seeing someone at Fred Hutch, which is the only NCI-designated hospital in the region. Finally, Steve is adamant about not smoking. Like so many smokers, he quit before and relapsed, and he understands how hard it is to quit. In the past, he’s used patches, gum and hypnosis. This time, it was pure willpower. “I’m sure it helped my recovery to not be smoking,” he says. “I understand the struggle. But keep trying.”

Fred Hutch Cancer Center - Proton Therapy is open and operating as normal. We look forward to seeing you for your appointment. If you can not get to your appointment safely, please call us at 206-306-2800 as soon as you can. #ProtonTherapy

Meet Youssef Heddaya (here, with his pup, Dahab)! Proton therapy was a critical part of his treatment for a recurring tumor. Youssef has lived with thymoma, which required surgery and chemotherapy to keep it under control since age 25. But when his radiation oncologist found a tumor near his spine, he opted for proton therapy to treat this critical spot. While in Seattle for an extended time during COVID-19, he adopted Dahab for company! Read his story: https://bit.ly/3UPWTgi #Thymoma #Cancer

The holiday season can be challenging for cancer patients. You may not feel like you used to, or you may be unable to gather as you did in the past. Every aspect of life can be affected by a cancer diagnosis, from physical changes to our ability to connect spiritually. Fred Hutch has professionally trained spiritual health clinicians who understand and can help provide guidance, if necessary. They provide respectful, emotional care to people of all faiths and spiritualities, including those who identify themselves as nonreligious or nonspiritual, and will not impose a perspective on you. Find resources here: https://bit.ly/3Cj97HK

Check out the video of our patients and their parents speaking about their experience during the Nov. 2, 2024 launch event for the Mission: All Systems Go! program. The program was developed by NASA with collaboration from Fred Hutch Cancer Center - Proton Therapy to reduce anxiety in children and adults before they start treatment. The program will be available to facilities throughout the U.S. via NASA's website soon. https://lnkd.in/gb7vJHR9 #ProtonTherapy #NASA #CancerCare

Learn how Fred Hutch - Proton Therapy staff collaborated with NASA on a new program for patients aimed at reducing treatment anxiety by drawing parallels between cancer treatment and space flight! Check out the story: https://bit.ly/40AIw37 And a huge thank you to @protontherapy1 for their work in this. #ProtonTherapy #CancerCare #NASA #Cancer #RadiationOncology #Astronaut #ShoutOut

Art Chandler, 68, was enjoying his retirement when he received his fourth cancer diagnosis: lung cancer. When he suddenly started having breathing problems, Art’s general practitioner referred him to a pulmonologist, who performed “about a million” tests, according to Art, and determined that his diaphragm was elevated causing a partial collapse of his left lung. The collapse may have been caused by two small tumors on the phrenic nerve. Unfortunately, they were extremely close to his heart, and surgery to remove them was not an option. Not only that, but with his breathing issues, Art couldn’t afford to lose any of his healthy lung tissue. The diagnosis didn’t come as a complete surprise to Art. He had been a long-time smoker. His pulmonologist referred him to Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, where a tumor board agreed that Art should pursue proton therapy along with chemotherapy and followed by immunotherapy. Proton therapy was the only radiation option because it could precisely target the tumors and spare radiation dose to the heart. In addition, it would minimize damage to his healthy lung tissue. “Art’s tumors were abutting his left ventricle, which is the heart chamber responsible for pumping blood throughout the body, and close to the coronary arteries supplying blood to the left ventricle,” said his radiation oncologist, John Kang, MD, PhD. “We first performed a 4D simulation scan which allowed us to visualize the tumors as they moved when Art was breathing and his heart was pumping. The scan allowed us to plan to target the tumors accurately, even as they moved. Using protons, we were able to minimize the dose to the heart and arteries compared to a traditional radiation treatment plan.” Despite this complicated treatment, during proton therapy “the worst part was the drive back and forth from my home in Kent,” Art said. “The treatment caused a little bit of temporary ‘sunburn,’ too.” Art was treated from two different angles. His damaged phrenic nerve caused back back pain, so while waiting on his back on a hard surface as the machine repositioned between angles and the beam could be delivered was uncomfortable. “I would get very sore, but the radiation therapists were so helpful and would do anything they could to alleviate the situation. I can’t say enough good things about them,” he said. During his recent follow-up CT scan, Art received positive news. The images showed that his tumors have been reduced to less than half their original size and the damage to surrounding tissue was minimal. However, his breathing issues have not improved. It might take surgery in the future to “tack down” the diaphragm and create lung space. “I’ll do what needs to be done,” he said. “This is my fourth bout with cancer. Treatment has always helped. My advice for others is, ‘Go ahead and try and get better. Treatment might seem intimidating, but if it works, it’s worth it. You never know what will happen.’”

Under the leadership of Tony Wong, PhD, DABR, our medical physics team works tirelessly to make sure our patients receive the most accurate, most advanced and most precise care during #ProtonTherapy treatment. Today is #MedicalPhysicsDay, and we take a moment to thank our team for their hard work. #ShoutOut

The Beam proton therapy newsletter is out with exciting news about our new NASA collaboration to help reduce anxiety in patients! We also introduce you to thymoma patient, Youssef Heddaya, who came all the way from Egypt for proton therapy. We also introduce you to our new radiation oncologist Dr. Jaime Takayesu and tell you about the importance of adding healthy fats to your diet. https://bit.ly/3YWlpyQ #ProtonTherapy #Cancer #NASA #astronaut #CancerCare