The world's first single-room proton therapy facility: Two-year experience.

Area of Science:

• Radiation Oncology
• Medical Physics
• Cancer Treatment

Background:

• Proton therapy (PT) offers advanced radiation treatment capabilities.
• Single-gantry systems represent a significant technological advancement in PT delivery.
• Evaluating early clinical experience is crucial for understanding system impact.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the initial 2-year clinical experience with the first single-gantry proton therapy system.
• To assess patient demographics, diagnoses, and treatment rationales for PT utilization.
• To evaluate the impact of the PT system on overall patient treatment volumes.

Main Methods:

• Prospective patient registry with IRB approval from December 2013 to December 2015.
• Data collection included demographics, diagnosis, treatment modality, and clinical trial involvement.
• Photon patient volume data was collected for comparison from 2011-2015.

Main Results:

• 278 patients received PT, with 82% adults and 18% pediatric cases.
• Common indications included reirradiation (20%), clinical trials (14%), and sparing critical structures (66%).
• Photon patient volume increased, while PT constituted 4% of total external beam radiation patients.

Conclusions:

• The single-gantry proton facility expanded treatment options and increased patient numbers.
• Patients traveled significantly farther for PT, indicating its specialized role.
• PT is utilized for complex cases, pediatrics, and clinical trial participation.