FROM A LITTLE GIRL, ONE CHRISTMAS WISH

They reached out to NCC and shared Georgia’s health records. Evaluating Georgia’s medical progress over the summer, including the smaller-sized tumor and its sensitive location, the proton doctors at NCC figured her chances of survival would be 60 to 70 percent.

“We came to Korea in October for a look and see,” Nick recalled. “We flew in at 5 that morning and flew out at 8 that night. We were able to spend time with Dr. Kim to better understand how Georgia’s treatment would work.”It’s Christmas. Not at home in Manila. But 1,600 miles away in Seoul, Korea. And 3-year-old Georgia Halliwell-Paget has just one wish for Santa.

“She wants her owie to go away,” said her dad, Nick. “We told her it won’t happen this Christmas. But hopefully, next Christmas.”

Diagnosed with an aggressive tumor on her lower spine days after her birthday in June, Georgia is receiving proton beam treatments at Korea’s National Cancer Center (NCC) and undergoing chemotherapy across town at Severance Hospital.

Ordinarily, Nick and his wife, Becca, would have traveled to the United Kingdom for the holidays, their two kids in tow, to celebrate with their extended families. “This year is going to be a different Christmas from any other Christmas we have experienced,” Nick said, as a tall Christmas tree sparkles nearby.

It’s not just the setting. Or the circumstance. For Becca and Nick, this Christmas is special due to the immense generosity of people — many of them strangers — who have made Georgia’s cancer care possible. Read More:

Majority of prostate cancer patients happy with proton therapy choice

February 13, 2013

by Loren Bonner , DOTmed News Online Editor

A comprehensive study surveying prostate cancer patients treated with an advanced form of radiation therapy finds high overall satisfaction with the treatment.

The report, released today at the National Proton conference in Washington, D.C., surveyed 2,000 patients who were treated for prostate cancer with proton therapy from 1991 to 2010. When asked if they made the best treatment decision for themselves by choosing proton therapy, 99 percent of surveyed men said they had. Read More:

Proton Therapy Treatment Preserves Quality of Life for Men with Prostate Cancer

The first, a multi-institutional study, and one of the largest quality of life studies of its kind ever conducted in such a patient population, involved more than 1,000 patients treated with proton therapy for various stages of prostate cancer. The men had all received proton therapy, with or without hormone therapy, at one of five proton therapy centers across the country. All participants were at least one year to more than 10 years post-treatment. 

Two MD Anderson-led studies conclude that patients' urinary, bowel function safe-guarded

Newswise — BOSTON, MA - Two studies led by The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have found that proton therapy preserves the quality of life, specifically urinary and bowel function, in men treated with this targeted radiation modality for prostate cancer.

Both studies, led by Andrew K. Lee, M.D., M.P.H., associate professor in MD Anderson's Department of Radiation Oncology, will be presented in a poster session at the 54th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

"As oncologists, we obviously want good cancer control outcomes, but we also want to ensure that patients maintain a strong sense of continued quality of life after treatment, which can be very personal and subjective for each patient," said Lee.

"With this research, we looked at the well being of prostate cancer patients, post-treatment, and it was important that we obtain this information directly from men who actually underwent the therapy, rather than from their treatment providers," Lee continued. "In our own practice, we've observed that patients have done very well as measured by disease control and quality of life metrics. Our findings, both the wider-perspective multicenter study and the research conducted solely at MD Anderson, validate what we observe in our clinic."

Please Read on: http://www.newswise.com/articles/proton-therapy-treatment-preserves-quality-of-life-for-men-with-prostate-cancer

Traveling oversees for Proton Therapy

Please read recently published article in Proton Therapy Today:

TRAVELING OVERSEAS FOR PROTON THERAPY TREATMENT

• Proton Therapy Centers

Posted on December 28, 2012

Patients Travelling Overseas for Treatment

Traveling oversees for Proton Therapy treatment may seem daunting, but more cancer patients are doing so and are turning the treatment period into an adventure.

Curtis Poling, a former Proton Therapy patient and survivor of prostate cancer, was instrumental in getting the first foreign patients treated in Korea at the National Cancer Center (NCC). Poling still travels there about every two months to help foreign patients get acclimated.

The limited number of proton centers often necessitates travel for treatment. And when a patient does not have healthcare insurance, traveling overseas can be a more cost-effective solution, especially if that person would have to travel a long distance to a Proton Therapy center anyway.

While cost and the scarcity of centers may be the ultimate reasons for the decision to be treated abroad, Poling says the level of comfort one has while in treatment is crucial. “After being diagnosed with cancer, you may feel isolated, depressed and confused,” said Poling.

“So it’s important that from the moment a center approves a patient, staff members guide them all the way from picking them up at the airport to taking them to their accommodations, providing a tour of local shopping and staying with them through the whole treatment process.” says Poling. NCC helps orient new patients to public transit, currency, and other logistics. Patients are driven from the airport, taken to hospital on their first day, and are provided with transportation if public transit is not feasible.

“What am I going to do with all my free time?” is a common question patients have when considering overseas treatment and travel.

“Not that it’s going to be a ‘radiation vacation,’ but patients have to take into account what their free time will look like,” says Poling. “In a foreign country, patients are able to take advantage of museums, shows, shopping and tourist attractions. Some of the patients at theNCC Korea have become so busy, they’ve extended their stay.”

As a cancer patient overseas, it is important to remember that your culture, cuisine and customs may be different from the country you’ll be treated in.

“Don’t expect it to be like your own country,” he said. “If you go with that approach, you can really enjoy yourself. But if you expect everything to be the same, you’ll be sorely disappointed.”

Survival Rate of Cancer Patients in Korea Ranked in the Top in the World

The Korean government recently announced that the survival rate of Korean cancer patients had improved from 59.5% in 2008 to 62.0% in 2009, while the cancer mortality rate showed a 19% decrease in 2006 and a 21% decrease in 2008. In addition, the 2011 Health Care Quality Indicators released by OECD member countries indicated that Korea excelled in the treatment of uterine cancer and that its survival rate for stomach cancer, 65.3%, well surpassed those of the USA (26%), Europe (24.9%),Japan (62.1%) and Canada (22%). In addition, the survival rate from thyroid cancer in Korea is 99.7% while that of breast cancer is 90.6%. more:

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/survival-rate-of-cancer-patients-in-korea-ranked-in-the-top-in-the-world-138778674.html

2011 PBT NCC Seoul Family Members Reunion

Korea's medical breakthroughs drawing overseas patients

Another field of expertise where Korea is showing significant signs of improvement is in cancer research.

Curtis Poling, CEO and chief adviser to Korea's Proton Beam Radiation Therapy at the National Cancer Proton Center in Seoul, a subsidiary of the Korean Medical International Institute (KMII), was a victim himself. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer at 53.

He survived the ordeal thanks to Korea's proton therapy and for the last several years has been using his background in senior management and business development of Fortune 500 companies in creating global awareness for Korea's advanced cancer research.

"Proton therapy can use higher doses to kill cancerous cells than traditional radiation therapy (using X-ray technology), which kills many surrounding healthy cells and tissues, leading to potentially harmful and painful side effects," Poling said.

"The major advantage of proton treatment over conventional radiation is that the energy (due to the Bragg peak) distribution of protons can be directed and deposited in tissue volumes designated by the physicians, in a three-dimensional pattern from each beam used. This capability provides greater control and precision and, therefore, superior management of treatment with minimal or no side effects while killing the cancer."

Since March 2010, KMII has pioneered and created awareness in over 100 countries and 1764 cities about proton therapy in Korea. Already it has attracted a significant amount of interest from Canada, the U.K., U.S., South Africa, Argentina and the Philippines.

As of December 2010, 648 patients had been treated. Those numbers are expected to reach 900 by the end of the year.

It also helped that the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) has been getting the word out in an aggressive online campaign -- through sponsored reports in publications such as Forbes Asia together with a platform of blogs, online cancer groups and active membership with organizations such as the National Association for Proton Therapy (NAPT).

"The real future force in patients discovering Korea will be referrals by past patients," says Jin Soo-nam, executive director of medical tourism at the KTO. "Positive experience is the real driver to growth and we are seeing that with an annual patient reunion being held this month at the NCC proton center."

Hans An van Roijen from Holland and Robert Galea from Argentina were diagnosed with prostate cancer and came to Korea for proton therapy. Both had considered alternatives but were aware of the complications.

"I considered other forms of treatment," Galea recalls, "but they all had a high risk of side effects, including impotence, urine and colon damage."

Their daily visits were no longer than half-an-hour, prep time included. Roijen and Galea returned home without any side effects.

What's on the horizon is even more promising. Early next year, Korea will introduce a new technology called IMPT (intensely modulated proton therapy) designed specifically to target more complex tumor shapes, particularly in the head, neck and abdomen that are curved - and tumors that are aggressively wrapped around the spinal cord or brain stem.

IMPT will be able to shape complex fields with a limited number of radiation angles, which ultimately keeps the treatment time as short as possible and helps spare healthy tissue.

More appealing is that all these breakthroughs will soon be more cost efficient for patients.

Read More