Colton Goodman of China Grove, North Carolina, was just 3 years old when he was referred to Duke after an MRI showed a growth behind his right eye. At Duke, he was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a life-threatening muscle tissue cancer that is most often seen in children.
The recommended treatment for this cancer is chemotherapy followed by surgery and/or radiation, but because the tumor’s location was not amenable to surgery, his doctor, Lars Wagner, MD, recommended chemotherapy and proton beam radiation. Proton therapy is a more precise type of radiation that has fewer side effects than conventional radiation therapy.
The only catch was that proton therapy was not available at Duke, nor was it available anywhere in North Carolina. Colton would have to travel out of state for proton care.
But thanks to a $50 million gift from an anonymous donor, children like Colton will soon be able to get proton therapy at Duke.
The gift is the largest philanthropic gift ever received by Duke University Health System.
“This is a historic gift, both for Duke and for the state of North Carolina,” said Vincent E. Price, PhD, president of Duke University. “The Duke Proton Center will have a profound impact on cancer care in our region, and we are very grateful for the generous donor support that is making these advances possible.”
Because proton therapy is more precise, it can be better directed and controlled so that the bulk of radiation is delivered to the tumor, sparing healthy tissue. This is especially important for children and for tumors located in sensitive areas like the head and neck.
“What makes proton therapy so desirable as a treatment is our ability to precisely target the radiation and then escalate the dose in increments to more effectively control and eradicate tumors,” said Chris Willett, MD, chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology. “As compared to standard x-ray radiation therapy, protons cause less damage to healthy tissue, less acute toxicity, and fewer follow-on complications. We want to reduce treatment side effects as much as possible to improve our patients’ quality of life and function. For brain tumor patients that means reducing toxicity that damages cognition and in breast cancer patients that means limiting damage to heart function.”
In adults, proton therapy is the preferred treatment for complicated head and neck malignancies, large base of skull tumors, esophageal cancer, localized recurrent cancer, and certain ocular tumors and is becoming the standard for adult patients with low-grade gliomas and meningiomas, and breast, GI, and prostate cancers.
“Proton therapy is increasingly becoming the treatment of choice for a variety of different cancers,” said Michael Kastan, MD, PhD, executive director of Duke Cancer Institute. “Having proton therapy at Duke will enable us to push those boundaries even further, improving current applications and developing new ones through innovative clinical trials.”
Many adult cancer patients come to Duke for surgery and consultation, but then must take on additional travel to receive proton therapy. With proton therapy at Duke, these patients will no longer lose access to Duke’s excellence across all the specialties that touch their care.
“Many patients come to Duke for the exceptional care our physicians and staff provide,” said Peter Allen, MD, vice president for cancer services at Duke Cancer Institute and chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology. “When proton therapy has been the recommended treatment, this has added tremendous stress for our families at an already difficult time. I am deeply thankful that we will be able to eliminate this added burden for our patients and be able to provide continuity of care here at Duke.”
Proton therapy is also an active area of cutting-edge research that builds on Duke’s expertise in medical physics and oncology.
“This is an exciting day for the university and School of Medicine. Research and clinical trials with proton therapy will drive innovations in cancer treatment and enhance Duke’s impact across multiple missions, including clinical care, research, and education,” said Mary E. Klotman, MD, executive vice president for health affairs at Duke University and dean of Duke University School of Medicine.
At capacity, Duke will be able to provide proton therapy to about 800 pediatric and adult patients each year.
“With only 46 centers scattered across the country, access to proton therapy is relatively rare. The addition of proton therapy to our clinical capabilities will make a huge difference in the lives of cancer patients across the region,” said Craig Albanese, MD, MBA, chief executive officer, Duke University Health System.
The facility is expected to open by 2029 with a total projected cost of $120 million.
By Wendy Graber
December 11, 2024