Pediatric Cancer Research

Roberts Proton Therapy Center

Roberts Proton Therapy Center brings advanced treatment to children

An advanced form of radiation therapy will become much more accessible for children in early 2010 when a dedicated Children's Hospital treatment space opens at the Roberts Proton Therapy Center, part of the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine, adjacent to CHOP'S Main Campus. Of the five proton beam treatment sites within the center, one will be reserved for CHOP patients. Patient families will also have their own child-friendly waiting area.

Proton therapy provides a highly precise form of radiation treatment, focusing on tumors while minimizing "scatter' of radiation to surrounding tissue. This makes it especially useful for treating cancers in hard-to-reach places, such as in the head, face and neck. Proton therapy also has special value to younger patients. "Children are more susceptible to the effects of radiation than adults," says Anne Reilly, M.D., medical director for the Cancer Center. Radiation scatter can, for example, cause irreparable damage to the developing brain.

Proton therapy also offers a vital learning opportunity for scientists. Currently there is little research on the long-term effects of radiation in small children. Now, says Reilly, "Every child we treat will be enrolled in a research study," providing the means to investigate issues from chronic side effects to neurodevelopmental outcomes. These studies will yield information to improve treatments for future generations.

Until now, CHOP oncologists had to send patients to centers in distant cities when proton therapy was indicated. Soon, families will simply cross the street from CHOP'S Main Building.

The facility, the world's most comprehensive proton therapy center, was made possible by a transformarive gift from the Roberts family: Ralph and Suzanne and Brian and Aileen. Aileen Roberts serves on CHOP'S Board of Trustees.

Source: Cause for Hope: CHOP Cancer Center Annual Report 2009