Proton Therapy

About Proton Therapy

Proton therapy is an advanced cancer treatment that is used to treat tumors. This highly specialized form of radiation therapy is available at fewer than 50 proton centers nationwide.

Our Proton Therapy Center is part of The University of Kansas Cancer Center, the region’s only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and 1 of fewer than 60 nationwide. We established the first proton center in Kansas and in the Kansas City region, and our experienced team of proton experts was hand-selected from across the country.

What is proton therapy?

Proton therapy is a targeted form of radiation therapy that uses a precise, powerful beam of protons to deliver radiation directly to the tumor – destroying cancer cells while sparing healthy tissues. Proton therapy is often beneficial for adults and children with solid, well-defined tumors. Proton therapy can be used in combination with traditional X-ray or photon radiation therapy, chemotherapy and surgery.

Who can have proton therapy?

Most solid, localized tumors can be treated with proton therapy, including the following:

Bone cancer
Brain cancer
Breast cancer
Colorectal cancer
Esophageal cancer
Eye cancer
Head and neck cancer
Liver cancer
Lung cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Pediatric cancer
Prostate cancer
Many other cancers, including that which has returned after prior treatment

How does proton therapy work?

Proton therapy works by delivering highly targeted radiation to a tumor. During treatment, protons enter the body at a low radiation dose. Protons then stop at the tumor and match its shape and volume or depth and direct their cancer-fighting energy at the tumor, thereby sparing healthy tissue.

After receiving proton therapy, you can leave the treatment room without any risk of radiation exposure to others.

Benefits of proton therapy

One of the greatest benefits of proton therapy is that it conforms to the shape of your tumor. This allows for more effective treatment and also helps your surrounding organs and tissues avoid unnecessary radiation.

Additional benefits of proton therapy include:

Focused, precise radiation
Less damage to nearby healthy tissue
Fewer short- and long-term side effects
Lower risk of secondary cancers
Increased quality of life

Proton therapy is the most advanced form of radiation therapy for cancerous tumors currently available. More than 800 clinical studies have been published on proton therapy. Recent research published in the journal JAMA Oncology found that people who have proton therapy are two-thirds less likely to experience side effects requiring hospitalization than people who have traditional X-ray or photon radiation.

What happens during proton therapy?

Prior to your treatment, you will receive a thorough evaluation to ensure you are a good candidate for proton therapy. You will also work with your care team to plan and prepare for proton therapy. This helps ensure that the proton beam reaches the exact location in your body where it's needed most.

During proton therapy treatment, your radiation specialist will position you in a device that will help you stay still. Information from your proton therapy planning sessions is used to make sure that your prescribed proton therapy dose is delivered accurately.

The actual delivery of radiation treatment takes only a few minutes. However, your total appointment time may last 30-45 minutes or more depending on the size, number and location of your tumor(s). Once complete, you are able to return to your daily routine. You will not give off radiation after treatment and are not considered radioactive.

Proton therapy nurse navigator

The University of Kansas Cancer Center opened the region's first Proton Therapy Center in May 2022. Since that time, we have successfully treated hundreds of patients.

Our Proton Therapy Center provides an on-site nurse navigator to help guide patients, both young and old, through the treatment process. To learn more about the role of nurse navigator, we visited with Sara Grigery, RN, proton therapy nurse navigator at the cancer center.

As the nurse navigator for the Proton Therapy Center, I am the glue between the many parts that work together to get the patient through our doors and into proton treatment. My 17 years as a pediatric oncology nurse are invaluable as I work on-site at the Proton Therapy Center and am one of the first touchpoints for the patient and their family. I work behind the scenes to gather patient information and medical records, provide reassurance and comfort to the patient and their family and help the physicians understand what the patient needs. I cross multiple care settings to help connect patients to their treatment teams in a timely manner and link them with appropriate support services, such as social work and financial counselors, to help resolve barriers to care. Above all, my goal is to provide highly personalized and compassionate care to our patients and their families.
As one of the first touchpoints the patient and family meets, I try to reassure and comfort them because we understand that a cancer diagnosis–for anyone at any age–can be overwhelming. It’s an unfamiliar world of appointments, fears and questions, and my goal is to guide them through it all. I talk with patients and families and introduce them to The University of Kansas Cancer Center and Proton Therapy Center and the many resources we have available to ease this experience. If patients need lodging or travel assistance, we have a radiation oncology ambassador who helps coordinate that. If patients have questions about insurance or want to speak with a social worker, I help with all of that and more. I’m here to coordinate the patient’s care, setting up appointments and scheduling follow-ups, so they don’t have to. They may not see me at every visit, but I am a consistent presence for patients and families to rely on and turn to.
I am the single point of contact for coordination of care and collaboration between providers and teams for each patient receiving proton therapy or being considered for proton therapy. This helps ensure continuity of care, including a thorough understanding of how our patients are doing across all care areas, even if we see them through a telehealth visit.
For our referring physicians, I am a single point of contact who can provide information on our entire multidisciplinary team care approach. I can assess what their patient needs and help define how many providers and supportive service resources may be required. This ensures continuity of care and means our referring physician offices are not tasked with trying to reach out to inquire about individual resources. Within our cancer center, it’s team-specific, established and experienced. This is true for patients who are local or traveling from a distance or out of state. If the referral is a pediatric patient from outside the area, I help coordinate their chemotherapy care at Children’s Mercy, which is our pediatric cancer center partner. I make sure patients know when they need to return to see their physician and provide a care summary from Children’s Mercy and our cancer center. By closing this loop, I help ensure each patient receives the best and safest care.

Why choose The University of Kansas Cancer Center

As the region’s only NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center, we have renowned cancer experts who bring vast knowledge and experience to help patients conquer cancer. That expertise also exists in using proton therapy as a tool to help our patients fight cancer. Our powerhouse team of proton experts has more than 115 years of combined proton therapy experience all under 1 roof. These 30 proton experts include nationally and internationally renowned radiation oncologists, medical physicists, dosimetrists and therapists. Together, these specialists will ensure you receive the precise proton dose at the precise tumor location.

Start your path today.

Your journey to health starts here. Call 913-588-1227 or request an appointment at The University of Kansas Cancer Center.

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