Proton Therapy

15-year old MD Anderson Proton Therapy Center patient Korbin Perkey wanted to spice up his proton therapy graduation ceremony. Joined by his kid brother, radiation therapists, other PTC staff, and his mother acting as videographer on her iPad, Korbin orchestrated (to our knowledge) the first ever Harlem Shake at the Proton Center to celebrate the conclusion of his treatment.

For about five years, Kate Mathis from Greenville, Kentucky, noticed that every time the weather changed her ears would begin to hurt. Then, she noticed some jaw pain followed by a bit of numbness in her face. “I didn’t think too much about it,” Kate said. “I had TMJ as a teenager so it felt similar to that.” However, it wasn’t until September 2016 while on a trip with her mom in Spain when Kate Mathis noticed a difference in her face. As Kate went over the pictures she took during the trip, she noticed that only her left side of her face was sunken in and not smiling. Kate was soon after diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer, a rare type of head and neck cancer that starts in the upper part of the throat, behind the nose. Her doctors decided that proton therapy would be the best approach because proton therapy would not damage her tissue in the brain, eyes and ears because of how precise it is. “Because of how precise proton therapy was, I knew standard radiation was not an option,” Ka

Hear proton therapy radiation therapist Chris Sanders explain the process of what takes place when coming for treatment at the Proton Therapy Center. Our therapists are here to help us end cancer. Learn more about proton therapy treatment: Request an appointment at MD Anderson by calling 1-877-632-6789 or online at:

Head and neck cancer survivor Chris Williams shares his experience through the discovery of nasopharyngeal cancer (nasal cancer) and treatment process with proton therapy. “Proton therapy was able to protect my ‘high-end real estate.’ It was able to protect my optic nerves, brain stem, teeth and jaw. Also, proton therapy has fewer side effects such as fatigue, loss of appetite and dry mouth compared to traditional radiation. Knowing that proton therapy would help cut down the side effects helped lift my spirits,” Chris shared. He distinctly remembers ringing the gong on his last day of treatment. “It was one of the best days of my entire life.” Besides receiving innovative treatment, Chris was amazed by the personable staff at the Proton Therapy Center. “The staff was very nice and inviting. From the second I walked in the door, they would say, ‘Hi, Chris!’” Learn more about proton therapy treatment for head and neck cancers: Request an appointment at MD Anderson by calling 1-877-632-6

Breast cancer survivor Julie Martin discusses the importance of yearly mammograms and being diagnosed early. After hearing that her sister was diagnosed with breast cancer, Julie, who was 67, felt she was at higher risk for the disease. She contacted her doctor to request further testing. After ordering a new ultrasound, her doctor soon discovered that Julie had stage I ductal breast cancer. The first part of her treatment required a partial mastectomy. To follow up the procedure, her doctor recommended she receive proton therapy rather than conventional radiation. Proton therapy was able to precisely target Julie’s tumor while sparing nearby organs, such as her heart and lungs. Julie received proton therapy twice a day, Monday through Friday, at the MD Anderson Proton Therapy Center. She was amazed by the lack of side effects. After her week of treatments, she was able to take on a game of golf without any difficulty. When being diagnosed early, you have more treatment options availab

While serving in the U. S. Army during the Vietnam War, Curtis Courington became exposed to the chemical herbicide — Agent Orange. This herbicide caused numerous health problems that are affecting veterans today. Some of these health problems include Hodgkin’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, heart disease, diabetes and even prostate cancer. As a result, Curtis was at a higher risk of developing prostate cancer so he had to closely monitor his health by visiting the doctor every six months to complete blood work. In 2015, his PSA (Prostate-specific Antigen) levels began to elevate and his doctors completed a biopsy that confirmed Curtis had prostate cancer. After doing his own research, Curtis decided he would choose proton therapy rather than conventional radiation. Proton therapy would be able to precisely target his tumor and spare nearby organs such as his bladder. Additionally, proton therapy would have fewer side effects. “There was no downtime which was a better fit for me. Proton

Medical dosimetrists have a very important role in the proton therapy treatment of our patients. Dosimetrists design and optimize radiation plans for patients in collaboration with medical physicists and radiation oncologists. Some of the responsibilities of a dosimetrist are to develop computerized radiation treatment plans and ensure the prescribed radiation is being given to a defined tumor volume as prescribed by the radiation oncologist while sparing the adjacent normal tissues. Having to collaborate with different individuals on the team can be challenging in certain situations. Our skilled and passionate group at the MD Anderson Proton Therapy Center is able to smoothly and successfully create a customized treatment plan for each patient on a daily basis. Request an appointment at MD Anderson by calling 1-877-632-6789 or online: my.mdanderson.org/requestappointment

When Chuck Martinez came to MD Anderson Cancer Center, our experts discovered a cancerous tumor near his lung. The hard-to-reach tumor was treated by the nation’s largest team of thoracic subspecialists using an advanced form of radiation called proton therapy. This precise approach was succesful and allowed Chuck to conquer new challenges, like running his first marathon. Follow us on social media: Facebook – /mdanderson Instagram – /mdandersoncancercenter Twitter – @MDAndersonNews Request an appointment at MD Anderson by calling 1-877-632-6789 or online: