The Benefits of Proton Therapy

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MedStar Georgetown University Hospital is proud to be the first and most experienced facility in the Washington, D.C. region to offer proton therapy with HYPERSCAN™. Our team of physicians at MedStar Georgetown is made up of the D.C. area’s leading experts, who have specialized knowledge in numerous cancer types and are at the forefront of the latest advances in treatment. We are committed to seeing patients within 48 hours, providing you and your loved ones care as quickly as possible. Dr. Matthew Witek, director of Proton Therapy at MedStar Georgetown, and a leading expert in radiation oncology, specializes in treating patients with cancers of the central nervous systems, base of skull, head and neck, and skin. He has a special interest in advanced radiation technologies and treatment approaches that minimize treatment side effects and improve patient outcomes. For an interview with Dr. Matthew Witek, or for more information about this podcast, contact MedStar Georgetown University Hospital Manager Media Relations, [e-mail]. Learn more about Dr. Witek.

 To learn more or to make an appointment call [phone], or visit: MedStarHealth/ProtonTherapy.

MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Doctor Matthew Witek, DocTalk, Proton Therapy, Cancer  ---

For more episodes of MedStar Health DocTalk, go to medstarhealth.org/doctalk.

Episode Transcript

(00:06):
Comprehensive,relevant and insightful conversations
about health and medicine happen here onMedStar Health Doc talk.
Real conversations with physician expertsfrom around the largest healthcare
system in the Maryland DC region. MedStar,Georgetown University Hospital is proud
to be the first and most experiencedfacility in the Washington DC region to
offer proton therapy with hyper scan.

(00:26):
Our team of physicians at MedStarGeorgetown is made up of the DC area's,
leading experts who have specializedknowledge in numerous cancer types and are
at the forefront of thelatest advances in treatment.
We are committed to seeing patients within48 hours providing you and your loved
ones care as quickly as possible.
Proton therapy is one of the mostadvanced cancer treatments available,
and precisely targets tumors,which results in fewer side

(00:48):
effects than traditional radiation,so you can get back to your
life sooner. In addition,through our research engine, Georgetown
Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center,the only NCI designated Comprehensive
Cancer Center in the Washington DC area,we offer patients access to clinical
trials and breakthrough cancer treatments.
Welcome to MedStar Health Doc Talk.

(01:08):
I'm Ryan Miller and I'll be your hostfor today's episode. I'm joined by Dr.
Matthew Wittick, director of protontherapy at MedStar Georgetown,
and a leading expert in radiationoncology specializing in treating patients
with cancers of the centralnervous systems base of the skull,
head and neck and skin.
He has a special interest in advancedradiation technologies and treatment
approaches that minimize treatment sideeffects and improve patient outcomes.

(01:31):
Thanks for joining us onMedStar Health Doc talk.
Thanks, Ryan. Thank youfor that introduction.
I'm glad to be here and Iappreciate the invitation to talk.
For those who are completely unaware,can you give us a general overview
of what is proton therapy?
I think you nailed it in the introduction,but I'll review one more time.
So proton therapy is an advancedform of radiation therapy.
It uses protons instead of x-rays todeliver precise radiation to the tumor

(01:56):
and limit the amount ofradiation to the normal tissue,
leaving you with less side effects,and as you mentioned before,
able to get back toyour daily life faster.
Dr. Whittick,what are the other types of radiation
treatment options that are out there,and why do you think proton
therapy is different from those?
As a radiation oncologist,we have different tools in our tool belt
to cure your cancer, we use electrons,photons, which are just

(02:18):
x-rays and protons.
Protons are slightly different thanx-rays and electrons in that it's a large
particle that delivers dosedifferently in the body.
We're able to use somethingcalled the brag peak,
which means that the protons stopat a certain distance in the body,
and by using this do symmetric advantage,we're able to stop the proton in your
tumor and not allow it to go through yournormal tissue.

(02:41):
This is slightly different than x-rayswhich go in and out of the body,
hitting all the tissues in its way.
Can you walk us through some ofthe benefits of proton therapy?
One of the major benefits of protontherapy is the decrease in toxicities,
both in the acute or the upfront immediatesetting and the long-term setting.
Patients who receive radiation therapygo through weeks of treatment and they
want to get back to their normallife after proton therapy.

(03:03):
By reducing the amount ofradiation your normal tissue sees,
you should be able to be back on yourfeet faster and back to your regular life.
In the long term,reducing the amount of radiation to
the normal tissues also decreases yourchance of having long-term side effects
Compared to traditional radiationtherapy.
How is it able to hone inon such a specific area?
Like all radiation,we use highly sophisticated imaging and
computer software systems that allow usto precisely deliver radiation where we

(03:26):
want it to go. Unlike x-rays, however,protons allow us to stop the dose in
a different manner, and by doing this,we can spare a lot of the normal
tissues surrounding your tumor.
What types of cancer can betreated with proton therapy?
Nearly all tumors are treatable withproton therapy. There are some cancers,
for example, like leukemias,which require total body irradiation

(03:48):
that may be better served with x-rays.
However,proton therapy has been shown to be useful
in nearly all cancers and adults andchildren. Example,
from CNS tumors to lungcancers to prostate tumors.
Is there a certain type of cancerthat you'd say we treat the most?
Here at MedStar Georgetownwith proton therapy?

(04:09):
In the initial days of proton therapy,prostate was the most commonly
treated cancer. However,as our technology has improved over time,
we've been able to use proton therapyfor a number of disease sites.
Here at MedStar Georgetown,we pride ourself in using proton therapy
to treat almost all cancers equally.
What makes a good candidate for protontherapy and would you say it's safe for

(04:30):
children?
It's absolutely safe for children, andin most centers around the United States,
proton therapy is favoredfor pediatric patients.
Every patient could be acandidate for proton therapy.
Here at MedStar Georgetown, we havethe ability to use photons or x-rays,
traditional radiation or proton therapy.
Each one of our skilled physicians willuse their personal experience as well as
data from the literature to decide whetheror not proton therapy would be right

(04:53):
for you.
Dr. Whittick, if I need tocome in to see a clinician,
how soon can I get an appointment?
And would you mind walking our listenersthrough what the evaluation process
looks like?
Sure. We would rather you fightyour cancer than fight scheduling,
and we appreciate the desirefor all patients and their
timely appointment with a physicianwho can evaluate you and to determine

(05:15):
whether or not protons are right for you.
Here at the Proton Center at MedStar,Georgetown, we see our cancer
patients within 48 hours.
We work with a multidisciplinary teamto create a tailored treatment plan to
each of our patient's needs basedon where they are in their journey.
Our team is committed to providing thebest possible care for our patients to
ensure the best possible outcome.
Starting with that initial appointment.

(05:38):
Treatment doesn't start in theinitial visit, right? Yeah. So yeah.
Maybe just walk us throughwhat that looks like.
After that visit. If you're deemed anappropriate candidate for proton therapy,
you go through somethingcalled a CT stimulation.
That's the first appointment where a CATscan is performed at our center that we
use for the radiation planning purposes.
Approximately two tothree weeks after that,
you'll come back for your first treatment.

(05:59):
Treatments last anywherefrom 20 to 40 minutes,
and generally they're givenMonday through Friday.
Do those needing treatment, will theyneed a ride to and from the hospital?
The majority of patients receivingproton therapy are outpatients,
which means that they'renot in the hospital.
They come from home into our center.
The majority of treatments lastanywhere from 20 to 40 minutes,

(06:20):
and then you're on your way.
Oh, that's great that they come in,get their treatment and
go on with their day.
Your bio states that you treat headand neck cancers and skin cancers.
Can you tell us more about that?
My clinical practice focuseson tumors above the collarbone.
If you want to start at the top,I treat a lot of brain tumors.
That's the CNS portionof my clinical practice,
and then a lot of head and neckcancers, which includes throat cancer,

(06:43):
tonsil cancer, and even skin cancer.
Your bio also states that you have arobust research program and head and neck
cancer,and you also participate in numerous
national and international head and neckcommittees. How does all this
research you're involved in,how do you think it
will help your patients?
As an academic physician,one of the goals that I think we all have
is to improve the care that we deliverto our patients,

(07:07):
and that's really only done throughrobust basic science and clinical research
programs. I've been fortunate towork here at MedStar Georgetown,
as well as other high level academicinstitutions where we have performed
clinical trials that have changedsome of the ways that our patients are
treated,and I'm proud to say I think they are
reducing a lot of the side effects withoutminimizing the chance of

(07:27):
cure for these patients.
We have a number of ongoingclinical trials that, again,
hope to continue improving onthe outcome of our patients,
and we look for patientsthat are interested in those
talk to some of our physicians to seeif they can be a part of the research
program here at MedStar Georgetown.
Wonderful. So with allthat research going on,

(07:48):
it sounds like you're optimistic aboutthe future of radiation technologies and
treatment. Would you say that's the case?
That is the case. I think protonsare the tip of the iceberg.
We are doing things called flash radiationwhere we're delivering the radiation
in milliseconds, which has the benefitof reducing side effects even further.
Here at MedStar Georgetown, we'redoing grid and lattice therapy,

(08:08):
which also are ways of delivering highdoses of radiation with minimal side
effects, and even with ourmedical oncology colleagues.
I think radiation plays a great role inimproving the role of systemic therapy
by combining radiation with radiationtherapy in clever ways to improve their
outcomes.
Dr. Whittick, why should someone chooseMedStar Georgetown for proton therapy?

(08:29):
At MedStar Georgetown?
We're proud to be the first and mostexperienced proton therapy center in the
Washington DC region. Ithink beyond our technology,
our physicians are extremely experiencedwith the technology as well as with
your cancer.
Our team is dedicated to gettingyou through your journey as quickly,
safely as possible, and back onyour feet before you know it.

(08:50):
If proton therapy is not right for you.
We also have many different types ofradiation therapy that we can offer you,
and we're here to guide you in yourdecision-making processes and being a part
of your fight against cancer.
It sounds like safe to say,MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
is a one-stop shop for cancer care.
That we are.
Well, I've been talking with Dr.
Matthew Whittick at MedStar GeorgetownUniversity Hospital in Washington,

(09:13):
DC Thank you so much for sharing yourexpertise with us today on MedStar Health
Doc Doc.
Alright. Thanks for having me.
To learn more or to make an appointment,call 2 0 2 4 4 4 4 2 5 5 or visit
MedStar health.org/proton therapy.