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Hampton University Proton Therapy For Prostate Cancer

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Proton Therapy Can Treat Many Types Of Cancer

Proton Therapy for Prostate Cancer

The cancer treatment specialists at HUPTI can use proton therapy to treat:

  • Prostate Cancer
  • Pediatric Cancer

HUPTI is the brainchild of Hampton University President Dr. William R. Harvey. The facilitys team has treated more than 3,500 patients to date, and theyre ready to consult with you.

Dont let what your preconceived notions are stop you from going forth and asking questions with these people because these people made my life so simple with the process that I really didnt feel like I was going through anything difficult

Kevin Holmes

International patients who recently received a cancer diagnosis and are looking for less invasive and disruptive options can talk to SAH Care to arrange consultation and treatment at HUPTI.

Of All The Forms Of Inequality Injustice In Health Is The Most Shocking And Most Inhuman Because It Often Results In Physical Death Dr Martin Luther King Jr

HAMPTON, Va. According to the latest reports from the American Cancer Society, the rate of deaths caused by cancer in the United States is decreasing. Since its inception in 2010, the Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute has dramatically contributed to that reduction. HUPTI has served cancer patients in over 318 cities, towns, and counties in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute is a special place. It is a patient treatment facility for people with cancer. It is also a research and academic institution that builds upon Hamptons legacy of knowledge. More importantly, HUPTI is producing scientific discoveries and innovation, said Hampton University President, Dr. William R. Harvey. Our Institute demands the pursuit of excellence by achieving results that are actually easing human misery and saving lives.

Through advocacy, education and state-of-the-art precision medicine, HUPTI has been treating breast, lung, prostate, head and neck, ocular, GI, brain and spine and pediatric cancers since Dr. Harvey had the vision over 10 years ago to start what would become the largest free-standing proton therapy facility in the world.

For more information about HUPTI, please visit or call Cordereau Dye at 757-251-6814.

#HU#

Hu Celebrates The Opening Of The World’s Largest Proton Therapy Institute

Hampton University, along with the Honorable Gov. Bob McDonnell and hundredsof guests, celebrated the grand opening of the Hampton University Proton TherapyInstitute , the worlds largest free-standing proton center, onThursday.

“This is really a marvelous step forward in science and the merger ofacademia,” said McDonnell. McDonnell commented on the “marvelous economicimpact” that HUPTI has had and continues to have on the Commonwealth ofVirginia. “Two thousand temporary workers while building the center, overtens of millions of dollars pumped into the economy over the last couple ofyears to get us to todaytens of millions of dollars being pumped intothe local economy for restaurants, hotels, shopping and other amenities arethings that are going to have a tremendous impact for our community.”

HU President William R. Harvey, the visionary behind the project, explainedthat the journey from concept to opening to treat patients “has been themaking of a miracle.”

Despite the economy, Harvey raised the $225 million necessary to bring hisdream of making proton therapy available to residents in the Mid-Atlantic regionand beyond to fruition.

“We at Hampton measure our successes by the contributions and servicesthat we provide to our community, our nation, and the world,” said Harvey.

Patients are treated five days a week, from five to ten weeks.

– Sarita Scott

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Comppare Consortium Spotlight: The Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute

Recently celebrating ten years in operation, Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute has treated more than 3,100 patients to date and is the largest free-standing proton therapy cancer center in the world.

HUPTI has also led most COMPPARE partner sites in patient enrollment over the past year, with plans to continue to do so for several more: Patients have overwhelmingly agreed to join the study and staff members have actively worked to support these efforts.

According to Medical Director Christopher Sinesi, MD, the biggest initial challenge to patient accrual at HUPTI was the infrastructure allocation to begin the enrollment process.

All clinical trials require dedicated educated staff to adhere to the protocols as written, he explains. Once we developed and educated the staff and committed to 100% screening of all patients, the enrollment process was seamless. Making the COMPPARE trial part of our routine evaluation of all patients eliminated the risk of a missed opportunity.

He advises other partner sites to adopt the same approach. Up-front, real-time interaction will greatly impact your overall enrollment and your ability to contribute to the COMPPARE study.

This strategy also helps to overcome patient hesitancy by creating a sense of community and purpose, and promotes the idea that participants will be making a difference for future prostate cancer patients through COMPPARE.

What Happens During Proton Therapy Prostate Cancer Treatment

presentation â Hampton University Government

First, the radiation oncology team needs to plan the exact radiation dose, treatment duration and position of the proton beam. You will go to the proton center for a simulation appointment, during which you will lie on the treatment table while the care team does the following.

  • Takes images of your prostate
  • Uses computer software to map the location of the tumor and surrounding areas
  • Positions you for treatment
  • Fits you for positioning devices to keep your body still during treatment

Calculations and quality assurance tests will be complete about two weeks after the simulation. On the day of your first treatment, you will lie on the treatment table the same way you did during simulation. The care team will take images of the prostate to ensure you are in the right position and will then leave the room to operate the proton therapy machine.

Proton therapy treatment for prostate cancer usually takes place every weekday in regimens of four, 5.5 or seven to eight weeks, depending on the stage of the prostate cancer. Each treatment lasts about 20 minutes, and the entire visit to the treatment center takes about an hour.

You will not be under anesthesia and there are no immediate effects from the treatment, so you can drive to and from the appointments. Most people do not have any restrictions after the procedure, so you can continue normal daily activities.

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What Is Proton Beam Therapy For Prostate Cancer

Proton beam therapy for prostate cancer is a noninvasive external radiation treatment that targets and destroys cancer cells by disrupting their DNA. Proton therapy can precisely target prostate tumors, while better sparing surrounding tissues and organs from radiation exposure.

Proton therapy uses proton particles that can be set to travel a certain distance into the tumor and stop. This allows radiation oncologists to deliver the right dose of radiation to different parts of the tumor to effectively kill prostate cancer.

What Is Proton Therapy

Proton therapy is a much more targeted version of radiation therapy. Oncologists can use specific frequencies to narrowly direct a radiation beam into a tumor, increasing the strength of the treatment and sparing a larger portion of healthy cells around the tumor.

A secondary benefit of more accurately targeted radiation is the decreased risk of secondary malignancies developing as a result of radiation exposure. The reduced risk to healthy tissue also allows physicians to increase the radiation strength per session, resulting in the need for fewer procedures to deliver the same level of radiation treatment.

As a result, patients experience fewer side effects and suffer significantly less discomfort during and after the procedure. Some patients may experience minor skin irritation or hair loss at the treatment site, which is a small price to pay when compared to the side effects of other cancer treatment methods.

Proton therapy is not an all-day experience. Proton therapy sessions take minutes, not hours, and most patients are able to return to work or their daily routine immediately following their procedure.

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Hampton Universitys Proton Therapy Institute Uses Cutting

HAMPTON, Va. When several Hampton University alumni asked Hampton President William Harvey whether he was familiar with proton therapy for cancer patients, the veteran university chief said no, then took the alums friendly challenge to explore the topic. His initial readings sparked his interest.

Within a few months, Dr. Harvey was assigning widely respected Hampton nuclear physicist Dr. Cynthia Keppel to do more exploration. Soon, Harvey was more than up to speed. He had concluded his school should embrace proton therapy and began selling his board of trustees, then the lending community, on his ambitious idea of establishing a proton therapy treatment center at Hampton.

Today, the new $225 million Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute, one of eight therapy sites in the United States and the only one in the region, is open for business.

In operation for more than a year, the two-story, 98,000-square-foot facility is filled with state-of-the-art equipment and a professional staff of oncologists, nuclear physicists and engineerssome distinguished veterans and some ambitious rookiesrecruited from around the country for their expertise and interest in proton therapy.

Health Emergency

In Brewton my folks told me not to curse the darkness but to light a candle, says Harvey. Thats what Ive tried to do.

The up-front costs for the provider are also steep, they note, and this discourages many schools from making an investment in such a center.

radiation.

Proton Therapy Versus Prostatectomy

HU Proton Therapy Institute – Treating Cancer with Proton Therapy

Early-stage prostate cancer can sometimes be treated by removing all of the prostate gland along with some nearby tissues a surgery called radical prostatectomy. This comes with numerous risks and potential complications, including infertility, erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence.

Proton therapy, in comparison, is a noninvasive procedure that does not remove the prostate or the tumor. It precisely targets radiation at the tumor to disrupt its DNA, so that it cannot grow or spread, and eventually it is eliminated. Proton therapy for prostate cancer also carries risks of erectile dysfunction and bowel and urinary problems, but its less likely to cause urinary incontinence and complete impotence.

Your doctor will discuss pros and cons of proton therapy, prostatectomy and other treatments for your prostate cancer type and stage.

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Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute 2021

Take a virtual tour of Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute and listen to Dr Allan Thornton explaining this cutting-edge cancer treatment.

Because we use charged particles as our form of radiation, we can control the range of the beam. That results in treating about 70% less normal tissues than with any form of X-ray therapy currently practiced.

We treat a widening number of tumors. Essentially we treat any solid tumor that can be treated with conventional X-ray based therapy, but with significantly less side effects to normal tissue.

We treat essentially all solid tumors that we normally treat with radiation therapy with proton therapy. Those are specifically : brain tumors in particular brain tumors, posterior fossa tumors, medulloblastoma we also treat a significant number of prostate patients, rectal cancer patients, lung cancer, women with breast cancer particularly the left side of breast cancer where we can spare the heart -, and we even treat some skin tumors and lymph node tumors lymphomas more successfully and with much less side effects than with conventional therapy.

Dr Allan Thornton

What Types Of Prostate Cancer Can Be Treated With Proton Therapy

Almost anyone with prostate cancer may be a candidate for proton therapy, which can treat prostate tumors with complex shapes and prostate cancer in all stages when radiation treatment is indicated, even if the cancer has spread.

Types of prostate cancer treated by proton therapy include:

  • Early-stage prostate cancer
  • Late-stage prostate cancer
  • Prostate cancer that has spread to adjacent organs or tissues
  • Prostate cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes
  • Prostate cancer that returned after surgical removal and is detected through the prostate-specific antigen test, indicating biochemical recurrence

In some situations, another treatment or another type of radiation may offer better or faster results than proton therapy. These situations include:

  • Aggressive prostate cancer that causes symptoms: Proton therapy treatments take longer to plan than traditional radiation. Doctors may recommend traditional radiation therapy for aggressive prostate cancers so treatment can be started sooner.
  • Early-stage prostate cancer: Some early-stage prostate cancers require careful monitoring, not treatment. Others may need surgery to remove the tumor and not require radiation therapy.
  • Hip replacement implants, especially if they are in both hips, can affect the accuracy of CT imaging. Without clear images, it is difficult to plan precise proton beam delivery.
  • Pacemakers: Proton therapy can increase the risk of a pacemaker device failure.

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How Effective Is Proton Beam Therapy For Prostate Cancer

Studies show that success and survival rates of proton therapy for prostate cancer are similar to those of other types of radiation therapy. Some retrospective studies have shown that proton therapy has lower risk of prostate cancer returning and of secondary cancers developing after treatment. However, prospective studies are ongoing to compare results of proton therapy to those of other treatments among patients with different types and stages of prostate cancer.

History Of Proton Therapy

presentation â Hampton University Government

Though proton therapy may seem relatively new, the idea of utilizing energetic protons as a treatment for cancer was first published by scientist Robert R. Wilson in 1946. Early treatments were performed at nuclear physics facilities, such as the Harvard Cyclotron Laboratory, and eventually gave way to the first hospital-based proton therapy center in 1990. Since then, over 30 proton cancer treatment centers have been established in the United States. Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute was the eighth center to rise to prominence, and has evolved to become the largest free-standing facility of its kind in the world.

Based on its exacting treatment focus, proton radiation has continued to be used as an effective treatment for cancer. With the ability to target tumors with greater precision, proton therapy allows physicians to treat cancerous areas more aggressively with less risk to healthy tissue and organs. Because of this, patients often experience limited side effects and complications.3-4, 6-8, 15 Proton therapy is most popularly used in the treatment of head and neck, brain, and prostate cancer, but growing results from its application for other cancer types, including breast, lung, GI and more, have continued to prove positive.3-15, 17-24

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Proton Therapy For Prostate Cancer: Side Effects

Many patients experience fewer side effects from proton therapy for prostate cancer than from traditional radiation. When side effects do occur, they may be less severe but can last several weeks or months after treatment. They include:

  • Bladder irritation
  • Feeling of the need to urinate or have a bowel movement often or urgently
  • Skin irritation at the radiation beam entry point

Other side effects that can occur after proton therapy for prostate cancer may not show up right away. These long-term effects include:

  • Erectile dysfunction
  • Rectal bleeding

Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute Holds Press Conference To Bring Awareness To Historical Funding Disparities In The Virginia General Assembly

HAMPTON, Va. The Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute held a press conference on Wednesday, September 2nd in front of the historic Emancipation Oak to bring attention to funding that was promised to the proton cancer center by federal, state and local officials, but has yet to be fully supported.

Mr. Bill Thomas, Hampton University Associate Vice President of Government Relations, spoke on the reasoning behind this vital call to action to be treated equally.

Over the past 10 years, other private institutions have received funding from the state government, yet they have told us consistently that Hampton University could not receive funds from the Virginia General Assembly because we are a private institution. Yet they have already provided funds to other private entities in several instances. We gave the legislators the statistics of our patients, and once the Virginia Department of Health did their analysis, they determined that cancer is the leading cause of death in the Commonwealth of Virginia, Thomas said.

Fifteen years ago, Hampton University President, Dr. William R. Harvey had the dream and vision to build HUPTI, which has now treated over 3,000 patients with breast, lung, prostate, GI, brain, spine, pediatric cancers, and others. It is the largest free-standing proton therapy facility in the world. This month, HUPTI is celebrating its 10-year anniversary.

For additional information, please call 727-5310 or email .

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Kevins Proton Therapy Experience

Kevin Holmes received proton therapy prostate cancer treatments at Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute after being diagnosed at the age of 54.

I received the very best care ! The HUPTI staff became my Hampton Roads family while I was away from my own. My quality of life never changed, and I was routinely active morning to night. The only physical issue was sun burning on my hips, which should soon fade. I can now let others know cancer is NOT a death sentence. Kevin Holmes

The treatment was much easier than I could have ever possibly imagined. It was as simple as getting an X-ray, said Holmes. I was in and out within 30 minutes of when I pulled into the parking lot and when I left.

The Proton Therapy Cancer Treatment Experience

CONNECT with Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute 2/23

HAMPTON, Va. This content is sponsored by Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute .

One of the many scary aspects of a cancer diagnosis are the treatment options. Most adults know someone who has gone through chemotherapy, invasive surgery or radiation treatments. Those treatments can be arduous, and they take a toll on patients and their families.

Proton therapy is a revolutionary cancer treatment alternative that spares patients from the worst aspects of those traditional cancer treatments.

African American Men Lead the World in Prostate Cancer Incidences

One out of every six African American men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime. They are 1.8 times more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer, and 2.2 times more likely to die from it than white men.

Kevin Holmes received proton therapy prostate cancer treatments at Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute after being diagnosed at the age of 54. Holmes, who is from Washington DC, drove about two and a half hours just to receive treatment at HUPTI after receiving a consultation with Dr. Allan Thornton.

I believed so strongly in Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute that I passed on two treatment centers minutes from my home to go there. I received the very best care! The HUPTI staff became my Hampton Roads family while I was away from my own.

Why Does Proton Therapy Offer an Easier Treatment Experience?

Proton Therapy Can Treat Many Types of Cancer

  • Prostate Cancer

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