Proton Therapy Center and Radiation Treatment for Pediatric Patients
Proton Therapy Center and Radiation Treatment for Pediatric Patients
Welcome to the Proton Therapy Center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, the newest treatment in the fight against pediatric cancer. Our cancer specialists are experts and leaders in cancer treatment and research. We are working at the forefront of technological advancements to keep our patients healthy and on the path to recovery.
The Proton Therapy Center is central Ohio’s first and only proton therapy treatment facility. This is a partnership between Nationwide Children’s and The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James).
The center offers state-of-the-art radiation oncology treatment for pediatric and adult patients at one location. It is located in the outpatient cancer center on Ohio State’s west campus. Patients will be able receive this specialized treatment closer to home. It also will lead to research, clinical trials, and academic partnerships that will continue to find new ways to improve cancer care.
What Is Proton Therapy?
Proton therapy is an advanced type of radiation treatment that uses protons (positively charged subatomic particles) instead of X-rays to kill cancer cells. Our proton therapy center uses a technology called the ProBeam 360°. A machine, called a cyclotron, painlessly delivers a high-energy proton beam through the skin from outside the body. A system of magnets, paired with a highly advanced computer mapping and computed tomography (CT) imaging system, allows us to control the beam’s delivery with precision, matching the size and shape of the cancerous tissue. The protons stop when they reach their target, releasing most of their cancer-fighting energy right to the tumor.
The protons are accelerated to about two-thirds the speed of light, or more than 100,000 miles per second. They directly target cancerous tissue with extreme precision, while minimizing exposure of nearby healthy tissues. This is particularly important in children and young adults whose tissues are still growing. Sparing healthy tissues minimizes side effects of the cancer treatment, helping patients maintain a higher quality of life.
What Is FLASH Therapy?
FLASH therapy is a new form of proton therapy that is available only in clinical trials. FLASH treatment delivers a high-energy proton beam to cancerous tissue at ultra-high dose rate in a single burst in under one second. Patients may only have to undergo one to three sessions.
In preclinical studies, both conventional proton therapy and FLASH reduced the number of needed treatment sessions with no known additional side effects. Traditional radiation therapy based on X-rays, or photons, is commonly delivered in multiple treatment sessions and typically requires six to eight weeks to complete. FLASH therapy could reduce what is typically 30 days of treatments into a single treatment—delivered in less than one second.
The new multi-room proton therapy center is equipped with the ProBeam 360° treatment system. This makes it the first treatment center specifically built with a dual-capability system that can deliver both conventional proton therapy and FLASH in the United States.
FLASH is being actively investigated in preclinical models and not yet approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Conditions We Treat
Our radiation treatment facility brings the most advanced therapy options to patients at all stages of disease for a wide variety of cancers. Proton therapy can also be used alone or in combination with other therapies to treat several localized cancers in children.
Today, pediatric uses (applications) for proton therapy are focused on brain and spine tumors to minimize exposure to normal tissue in these areas. Nationwide Children’s will also use it to treat patients with other solid tumors when the tumor location makes proton therapy safer. Proton therapy may be considered safer than conventional photon therapy when there are risks of exposing nearby normal organs to radiation. Those could be tumors near the liver or heart. Your radiation oncologist and other clinical team members will weigh the risks and benefits of proton therapy for each unique situation and condition.
What To Expect During Proton Therapy
If your child will be receiving proton therapy as part of their cancer treatment, you may be wondering what to expect.
You and your child will work with a team of radiation oncology experts throughout your child’s treatment. The radiation oncology team will guide you every step of the way and answer any questions you have.
Here is a brief overview of what happens before, during and after pediatric proton therapy treatments.
Getting to The Proton Center
The Proton Center is located at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center – just minutes away from Nationwide Children’s main campus. All radiation for patients from Nationwide Children’s is done at this site, and our team works with the experts at The James Comprehensive Cancer Center to create the best experience for you and your family.
When you arrive, you will be guided to our specially designed waiting room built just for children to provide a calming atmosphere prior to treatment. We know familiar sights, sounds and activities can also help comfort our pediatric patients so the atmosphere mirrors everything at Nationwide Children’s.
Before Treatment
Prior to treatment, you will meet with several members of our team to help create the best plan for your child. This includes your pediatric oncologist, radiation technician and child life specialist.
Because we specialize in caring for kids, child life specialists will help explain the process and provide educational support to help your child cope with radiation treatments.
During Treatment
When your child is ready for treatment to begin, you can go with them to the treatment room to help make them comfortable. To avoid radiation exposure, only the patient can be in the room during treatment.
A specialized nurse may administer medicine (anesthesia) to help your child relax and stay still during treatment. A proton therapy technician will precisely position your child so treatment can begin. Throughout the procedure, the technician will monitor your child using an audio-visual system just outside the room.
Treatments typically take just 15 to 30 minutes, and they are completely painless. Most children return to normal activities immediately afterwards.
DID YOU KNOW?
Each of our treatment rooms is uniquely designed and features innovative technology – like the gantry beam. It weighs more than 110 tons and can perform a full 360-degree rotation to help treat some of our most complex cases! Here at the Proton Center, we also offer the world’s most advanced treatment option called FLASH therapy, which can deliver 30 days of precise treatment in just one second!
After Treatment
If no medicine (anesthesia) was given, then your visit is finished! Your radiation oncologist will work with you to decide how many visits to the Proton Center are needed for your child’s treatment plan.
If anesthesia was provided, patients would wake and recover in the post-treatment rooms with Nationwide Children’s staff.
Location and Directions
Nationwide Children’s radiation therapy is done at the Proton Center at The James Outpatient Care Center, just a short drive from Nationwide Children’s Hospital main campus. Radiation therapy is done while you’re out of the hospital. If you have problems with transportation or getting to the radiation center, talk to your cancer social worker about getting help. If you need to get radiation therapy while in the hospital:
- Nationwide Children’s will arrange for you to be transported by an ambulance.
- A nurse will go with you.
