At Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Health System, patients are now being treated with proton therapy, an advanced type of radiation that is extremely precise.
The Dwoskin Proton Therapy Center, located behind UHealth Tower in Miami’s health district, opened September 15 and is named after Steven Dwoskin for his generous gift to support cancer research at Sylvester and the new cutting-edge facility.
This is the only proton treatment center in Florida located at an NCI-designated cancer center.
“Our team of experts and the clinical trials we are able to offer, because of our National Cancer Institute designation, give us unmatched opportunities to make a difference – the Sylvester difference,” said Stephen D. Nimer, M.D., director of Sylvester. “Proton therapy is an important component of the innovative treatments available to our adult and pediatric cancer patients.”
At two-thirds the speed of light, the proton beam enters the body with a low radiation dose that can be programmed to stop within the tumor. This can result in decreased intensity and frequency of adverse effects compared with radiation that uses x-rays, which are less precise and can penetrate normal structures as they exit the body.“Protons have unique attributes which in some cases will allow for less radiation dose to healthy tissues and organs surrounding the cancer being targeted,” said Alan Pollack, M.D., Ph.D., chair of radiation oncology and interim deputy director of Sylvester. “When the radiation dose to normal structures can be reduced, there can be meaningful reduction of side effects later.”
Sylvester has a renowned team of radiation oncologists, medical physicists, and radiation biologists led by Dr. Pollack. These experts have the knowledge and experience to determine which patients may benefit from treatment with protons. The Sylvester team approach is an essential part of the evaluation process and the generation of a treatment plan.
