Pediatric Proton Responds To Bloomberg Article

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-03-26/prostate-cancer-therapy-too-good-to-be-true-explodes-health-cost.html

Pediatric Proton Response:

One thing I find common in articles such as this that bash proton therapy for prostate cancer is that the author agrees there is consensus regarding proton therapy for many pediatric cancer cases. There is consensus because you can see from any comparative pediatric treatment plan protons are pinpoint targeted, provide no exit dose to surrounding healthy areas and this results in better outcomes for children still growing and developing. There are also studies that show reduced risk of secondary malignancy for children when protons are used.  Yet in 2010 only 465 pediatric cases were treated in the U.S. partly because of access issues to protons with only 10 operating centers.  With the likes of Mayo Clinic and St Jude Children’s Research Hospital in process of building proton centers, it will be a true milestone for our children when protons become the standard of care for all pediatric cancer cases

Pediatric Proton Foundation Supports St. Jude Children's Proton Initiative

The Pediatric Proton Foundation was proud to be recently asked to provide a letter of support for St. Jude Children's Cancer Hospital as it makes a bid to build its own proton center. As many followers will know, St. Jude's announced an alliance with Univeristy of Florida Proton Center in the fall of 2009 to begin sending children suffering from brain tumors for proton treatment to Florida.


Before beginning construction, St. Jude Children's is required to obtain a certificate of need from the Tennessee Health Services and Development Agency.  This is where the Pediatric Proton Foundation came in to help by providing a letter of support. The hearing for this project is scheduled to occur in late August. If the project is approved, construction is expected to begin in spring 2012 and will hopefully begin treating pediatric patients by 2016.

In the Pediatric Proton's letter, emphasis was of course placed on children receiving protons.

"In a recent study conducted by the Pediatric Proton Foundation and the National Association for Proton Therapy, it was determined in 2010, less than 500 children received proton therapy treatment in the U.S. It is estimated that annually over 3,000 newly diagnosed pediatric cancer patients could potentially benefit from protons. St. Jude’s new proton center can help fill the need. By St. Jude’s adopting proton therapy it will help protons to become more widely known and accepted in pediatric cancer treatment."

We wish St. Jude's the best.