Centrally located in Tampa at BayCare St. Joseph’s Hospital, the BayCare Proton Center offers the latest in advanced radiation therapy for adults and children. Proton therapy uses high-energy particles to precisely target and treat tumors while protecting surrounding healthy tissue, reducing side effects and helping you return to daily activities sooner. This next-generation technology also features an innovative upright positioning system that helps make your treatment experience more comfortable. As part of West Central Florida’s largest academic health system, our multidisciplinary team of experts work together to provide you with the most comprehensive, advanced cancer care close to home.
Proton therapy is an advanced form of radiation therapy that uses charged subatomic particles which are targeted to pinpoint locations in the body through a few millimeters-wide pencil beam. These protons release a confined burst of energy to destroy and halt cancer cells. This reduces exposure to nearby tissues. Proton therapy can treat a variety of cancers in adults and children and is especially beneficial for tumors located near organs or other sensitive areas of the body. By protecting healthy tissue, proton therapy may help reduce side effects and support your quality of life during and after treatment.
The more common photon radiation treatment that’s been used for decades, travels through the body like X-rays do and exposes healthy organs to low-dose radiation as it exits. Proton therapy is more precise, delivering radiation directly to the tumor site with little to no exit dose affecting surrounding tissue. This leads to fewer side effects and has been shown to improve patient outcomes in many cancer types. Some studies show that patients treated with proton therapy can return to daily activities or work sooner following treatment, and indicates better recovery times as well.
Fred J. Woods Radiation Therapy Center
4508 N. Habana Ave.
Tampa, FL 33607
If your cancer is near an important organ or sensitive area, proton therapy may offer a more precise treatment option. Your doctor will work with you to determine whether proton therapy is right for your needs. Examples of cancers that can benefit from proton therapy include:
With proton therapy, our team can precisely target your brain tumor while helping protect healthy brain tissue and important functions such as your speech, vision and memory. By limiting radiation exposure to healthy areas of your brain, proton therapy may lower the risk of long-term changes in your thinking and memory.
When your tumor is near sensitive areas such as your nerves, blood vessels or brain stem, proton therapy can target the cancer with precision. This may help you preserve swallowing, taste, speech and salivary function for greater quality of life after treatment.
Protecting the healthy organs near your tumor is an important consideration when you’re receiving treatment for cancer in the pelvic area. Proton therapy can help limit radiation exposure to your bladder, bowels and reproductive organs, which may help preserve important pelvic functions over time. It may also help reduce your risk of developing a secondary cancer related to radiation exposure.
Proton therapy may help protect your heart and lungs by limiting their exposure to radiation during breast cancer treatment. This can be beneficial if your cancer is on the left side, closer to your heart, especially if you have an existing heart condition. By treating breast cancer with pinpoint accuracy, our team can help minimize unnecessary strain on your heart and lungs and reduce the risk of long-term side effects and secondary cancers.
When you’re receiving treatment for lung cancer, proton therapy may help limit radiation exposure to nearby healthy tissue near your tumor including your heart, esophagus, spinal cord, major airways and large blood vessels. Protecting these areas may help preserve important functions such as breathing, swallowing, digestion and heart health, while reducing the risk of certain treatment-related side effects.
For tumors near or around your spine, protecting your spinal cord and nearby healthy tissue is important. Proton therapy precisely targets the tumor while helping limit radiation exposure to your spinal cord and the nerves controlling movement and sensation. It may also help protect nearby organs, including your esophagus, lungs and heart.
When your cancer is near organs such as your liver, kidneys, stomach or bowels, proton therapy may help limit their exposure to radiation. Protecting these areas may help them continue functioning properly throughout your treatment, especially if you’re also receiving chemotherapy or other cancer treatments as part of your personalized care plan. Proton therapy may also help preserve your digestive, bone marrow, heart and lung function in the long term.
If you’re being treated for a complex bone tumor, such as chordoma or chondrosarcoma, proton therapy may be an option for you. Its precision allows the strong dose of radiation needed for these types of tumors to be delivered directly to the tumor site while limiting exposure to the surrounding healthy tissue.
For children facing a cancer diagnosis, proton therapy is an effective treatment option that precisely targets their tumor while helping to protect healthy tissue that will be developing in the years ahead. Limiting unnecessary radiation exposure can help lower the risk for long-term effects on learning and thinking, hormones, growth and heart health. This can help support a better quality of life as your child grows. The BayCare Proton Center is located near BayCare St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House, helping keep support close by throughout your child’s cancer journey.
Unlike most proton centers, the BayCare Proton Center uses an upright positioning system. This innovative feature allows you to receive treatment while sitting upright instead of lying flat. This gives you a more comfortable treatment experience and it helps reduce unnecessary radiation exposure to the surrounding healthy tissue. By allowing gravity to naturally shift healthy organs away from the treatment area, upright positioning can support more precise treatment delivery.
Proton and photon (X-ray) therapy are two treatments for cancer. In this episode, Dr. John Greskovich, a radiation oncology specialist, explains the key differences, who benefits most from proton therapy, including patients with tumors near critical organs or those needing re-treatment after prior radiation, and how doctors determine the best approach for each individual. Learn more about Proton Therapy at BayCare.
Proton therapy is a specialized treatment that isn’t for everybody. Many times, traditional photon (X-ray) radiation provides the same or better treatment as proton therapy. Your doctor’s decision about using proton therapy will be based on the body area and type of cancer requiring treatment. Studies show only 10-15 percent of all patients receiving any type of radiation therapy showed a meaningful benefit from protons. BayCare’s multidisciplinary cancer care team will work with you to determine the best course of treatment for your unique needs and see if you’re one of the special cases in which protons may offer a benefit. If proton therapy is deemed appropriate for you, our team of experts will guide you through the process and work with you and your insurance company to ensure access to treatment.
Patients treated with proton therapy commonly experience mild skin pinkening (similar to sunburn) at the treatment site and fatigue. Both side effects resolve after treatment. Other side effects depend on the part of the body being treated and may include temporary difficulty eating or drinking, mild headaches, mild nausea, loose stools or other issues. Talk with your radiation oncologist about what to expect during and after treatment.
For a referral to a BayCare cancer expert, call (844) 370-4439 or fill out the form.
