Fred Hutch - Proton Therapy

09/02/2025

is an important option in treating children with because children are more sensitive to radiation than adults. The way protons, which are positively charged subatomic particles, lose energy is in a sudden peak which can be directed by physicians to occur within the tumor. That means there is less radiation to healthy parts of the body and therefore fewer side effects. Hear Dr. Ralph Ermoian speak about protons for in our video: https://bit.ly/47nrOaN

Dr. Ralph Ermoian discusses the importance of proton therapy in treating childhood cancers. Proton therapy at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center - Proton Therapy ...

09/01/2025

Happy Labor Day! We are closed. Enjoy a treatment-free day, and we will see you bright and early tomorrow!

08/30/2025

Let's take a moment to reflect on the history of ! Ernest Rutherford was born 154 years ago today. He was a physicist from New Zealand whose discovery was integral to the creation of what we now call proton therapy. Around the turn of the 20th century, a series of discoveries helped us understand the various components of atoms. First, JJ Thompson discovered the positive and negative charges in atoms, leading to the discovery of electrons. A few years later, Ernest Rutherford discovered the atomic nucleus and the positively-charged particles they contained – protons!

08/29/2025

Despite his age, Fred Hutch providers were able to treat Doug Hortin for so that it least impacted his good health. "I feel incredible in my 80s. My heart feels like I’m in my 60s," he said, after receiving , which spared radiation to his heart. https://bit.ly/4l2MbyA

08/28/2025

Read The Beam column on nutrition by Fred Hutch dietitian, Laura Martinell, RD. She explains why patients may experience , how it can affect the body and what patients can do to help regain energy despite other side-effects such as nausea. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4eSOBNm

08/27/2025

Join us tonight at 5:30 PM for . Jaime McCann, PT, DPT will talk about pelvic floor rehab options. Pelvic floor physical therapy can play an important role in recovering from prostate cancer treatment, helping patients manage urinary incontinence, improve sexual function, and enhance overall quality of life.
Followed by a chance to connect with other patients and graduates.
Register and join here: https://bit.ly/3DLn7L7

08/26/2025

Biomarkers, tumor markers and tumor boards: What patients need to know.

is changing — as are the clinical tools, tests and the terms used to diagnose and predict its path and treatment. In order to make informed decisions it helps to know what there is to know! Learn about biomarkers and more: https://bit.ly/41lP6dE

“It’s a very different world now in cancer,” said longtime patient advocate Ginny Mason. “Now you need to understand the subtype of your cancer. You need to know what your biomarkers are." Curious about how cancer care is transforming at Fred Hutch Cancer Center and beyond? Read on.

08/25/2025

Fred Hutch has a YouTube channel that contains many helpful resource videos for patients and families, including our "What to expect when having your mask made" video. https://bit.ly/44RuydT
Patients and physicians speak about protons as a tool for treating certain , especially ones located near critical or sensitive organs. Check out our channel here: https://bit.ly/3U62deZ

This video runs through the process of creating an immobilization mask for the precise treatment during proton therapy at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center - Pro...

08/22/2025

Join us today at 3 PM for with Linda! We experience life through our senses and the quality of these experiences can help us feel balanced, and promote mental and physical wellbeing. Mindful meditation can help reduce stress and increase your sense of wellbeing, Linda will lead several meditation exercises to help relax and center participants. Contact concierge.proton@fredhutch.org for details to join!

08/21/2025

Many children look forward to returning to school in the fall, even if it’s only to see their friends. Others might suffer from anxiety. But for kids who have been through or who are still in active treatment, going back to school can often trigger very different concerns, such as the fear of not being accepted because of the physical changes, or the pressure of keeping up or catching up with school while still recovering from treatment. Learn more about their concerns: https://bit.ly/4lQX1aq

08/20/2025

Bao-Ngoc Thi Nguyen, CMD, leads the excellent team at Fred Hutch who create treatment plans by calculating the dose and angle of beams to avoid healthy tissue as much as possible but delivering the highest dose we can to the tumor. She shared:
"On this National Dosimetry Day, we celebrate the precision, collaboration, and innovation that define our field. With every calculation, we shape proton beams to deliver safer, more effective treatments, minimizing harm and maximizing hope. Today, we honor the science behind the proton beam and the dedicated experts behind each carefully crafted plan."
You can learn more about our dosimetrists and what they do here: https://bit.ly/46kXtcH

08/19/2025

uses protons to target and kill cancer cells. But what is a ?

It's a subatomic particle within the nucleus of an atom and has a positive charge. Except for hydrogen, atoms also have a subatomic particle with a neutral charge called a neutron. The nucleus of the atom is orbited by negatively charged electrons.

Proton therapy uses an electrical charge on hydrogen gas, which has one proton and one electron, to separate the two subatomic particles. Once the electron is gone, the proton is sped up to two-thirds the speed of light and can - thanks to its positive charge - be guided by magnets directly into the treatment room and aimed at the tumor.

When a fast charged particle such as a proton moves through the body, it ionizes atoms and deposits a small dose of radiation along its path. A peak of radiation deposit occurs right before the proton loses all energy. Physicians calculate exactly where they want this peak to occur - within the tumor. Ionizing the atoms within the tumor kill the tumor cells.

Proton radiation cancer care depends on one tiny little subatomic particle!

Learn more about protons here: https://www.britannica.com/science/proton-subatomic-particle