Fred Hutch - Proton Therapy

02/27/2026

The Cancer Action Plan of Washington (CAPOW) has a new 5-year plan with goals that include improved health literacy; better representation in cancer research; increased prevention and screening for LGBTQIA+ individuals; better use of community health workers and better use of transportation resources. All of the goals completely align with the mission and strategic aims of the Fred Hutch Office of Community Outreach & Engagement (OCOE).

Learn about the ways Fred Hutch meets these goals and how we can help you: https://bit.ly/4ag42Pi

The Cancer Action Plan of Washington, or CAPOW, a five-year strategic plan to reduce cancer rates — and cancer deaths — in Washington state just dropped. What action is Fred Hutch taking to drop cancer rates in our state? Read on.

02/26/2026

Katy Tenhulzen has been a Certified Child Life Specialist for 25 years. That's a pediatric professional who helps children and families understand and cope with procedures and treatment. Now, she’s bringing her expertise to Fred Hutch – Proton Therapy. Learn what Tenhulzen does at work and outside it: https://bit.ly/4alk3mS

02/25/2026

Join us tonight for an entire session dedicated to chatting and connecting with each other at . Register and join at 5:30 PM: https://bit.ly/4jo7muq

02/25/2026

Do you have a story about your treatment at Fred Hutch - Proton Therapy or to one of our staff you'd like to share? If so, send it to us and we'll post it on our social media page. Please email info.proton@fredhutch.org. We look forward to hearing from you!

02/23/2026

Treatments for , including radiation, can put you at greater risk for developing heart-related diseases. Diet and lifestyle can impact your risk. Learn what tips Fred Hutch dietitian, Laura Martinell, has to help reduce your risk of heart problems as much as possible in her The Beam newsletter column: https://bit.ly/49SaSu0

02/20/2026

Today is and we want to thank all the caregivers out there who make such a difference in the lives of others and especially our patients.

Thank you to all the families, friends and neighbors, healthcare and social workers, in-home care workers, teachers and everyone for your hard work and loving kindness.

Now, check out what services we can offer YOU that might help you take care of yourself as well: https://bit.ly/3SeAIhB

02/19/2026

Join us tomorrow at 3 PM for a class focused on ! Restful sleep provides the foundation for mental and physical well-being. Just like in nature, our physiology is dependent on cycles of activity and rest. Meditation during the day helps us release stress, which in turn helps us sleep better. Contact concierge.proton@fredhutch.org for details to join.

02/18/2026

Ten years after , esophageal patient, Keith Abbott, is still thriving. The ten-year anniversary inspired Abbott to write a thank you note to the staff at Fred Hutch. "I can honestly say that you guys saved my life," he wrote. "I remain eternally grateful to everyone at Fred Hutch that cared for me back then, and those that continue to do the great work that you do."
With a family history of esophageal cancer, he took precautions to catch any cancer early. Despite this, it wasn’t caught until stage III. However, proton therapy was part of a winning treatment strategy for him. Read his story: https://bit.ly/3M5ZVvH

02/16/2026

Happy Presidents Day! We are closed today. Enjoy your day off and see you tomorrow!

02/15/2026

Today is International Childhood Cancer Day. continues to advocate for access to care for every child with , everywhere.

Here at Fred Hutch - Proton Therapy we treat many children with , but our wish is for every child with solid tumors to be able to benefit from the precision of protons. Though centers are opening around the world, is still a relatively scarce resource. That's why we feel lucky to be offer it in the Pacific Northwest.

Let's beat childhood cancer together! https://bit.ly/3P52i0M

02/13/2026

A promising, multi-center, randomized study came out earlier this year that showed a lot of promise for in the use of treatment. Our expert in the field, Dr. Jay Liao, was part of the study:

"Radiation therapy combined with chemotherapy is a key treatment approach for cancers of the head and neck. Many patients are successfully cured, however, these treatments are very intensive and associated with significant short and long-term toxicities in many patients. Many current efforts are focused on strategies to reduce the side effects of treatment, including the potential for proton beam radiation to de-intensify treatment.

This landmark multicenter randomized trial is the largest trial that has been completed comparing conventional X-ray-based treatment to proton beam radiation in patients with head and neck cancers arising from the oropharynx (such as cancers of the base of tongue or tonsil).

The team at the University of Washington and Fred Hutch Cancer Center were important contributors and co-investigators and were fortunate to care for a number of patients who were enrolled on this study. This trial showed very high rates of cancer control and low risk of recurrence with proton beam radiation, which was comparable to X-ray based therapy. Notably, proton therapy significantly reduced the rates of severe side effects including dry mouth, immune suppression, swallowing problems and feeding tube dependence.

This reduction in toxicity with proton beam radiation may also be contributing to an improvement in long term survival at 5 years after treatment, which is an exciting finding. Additional analyses from this study will be coming out in the future, examining whether additional side effect measures are improved with proton beam therapy, as well as the impact on the quality of life of patients during and after treatment."

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41391462/

02/13/2026

Please be advised that we are currently unable to receive any phone calls at the facility. Our IT team is actively working on the issue.

You can still contact your care team via MyChart. For general inquiries, you can still email us at info.proton@fredhutch.org.