February 1, 2013 — Six clinical trials, including one evaluating the effectiveness of proton beam therapy in treating children with specific brain cancers and three proton therapy trials for men with prostate cancer, are being led by researchers at CDH Proton Center, A ProCure Center.
The trials are evaluating the effectiveness of proton therapy, both on its own and in comparison to – plus in combination with – other treatment options.
“We recently returned from a national medical meeting where more than 70 papers and posters were presented assessing the effectiveness of proton therapy, and the results continue to be impressive,” said William Hartsell, M.D., the center’s medical director. “Our clinical trials are part of a national effort to assess new, and what we anticipate will be better, ways to treat patients with proton therapy.”
One of the prostate cancer trials is exploring the effectiveness of treating patients using higher doses of proton therapy treatment over a much shorter time period (five treatments over one to two weeks) than current standards (44 treatments over as many as nine weeks). A second prostate cancer trial looks at the impact of combining hormone (androgen deprivation) therapy with proton therapy. Another clinical trial will assess the effectiveness of a combination of proton therapy and chemotherapy for infants born with tumors of the central nervous system, such as medulloblastoma and ependymoblastoma.
“We hope to learn more about the effectiveness and potential benefits of treating patients with proton therapy in new ways or combined with other important treatments,” Hartsell said.
Proton therapy is an advanced form of radiation treatment for many cancerous and non-cancerous tumors, including tumors of the brain, central nervous system, head and neck, lung, and prostate, as well as sarcomas and many pediatric cancers. The precision of proton therapy makes it especially effective for treating children and adults with anatomically complex tumors, such as base of skull and tumors along the spinal cord.
For more information: www.procure.com/il
May 06, 2024 
