An increasing number of children who need radiation to treat their cancers are being treated at the University of Florida Health Proton Therapy Institute. Since opening in 2006, the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute has treated over 1,000 pediatric patients, a milestone it reached this month. It is currently the world’s largest pediatric proton therapy program, serving 25-30 children each day.

Proton therapy is a specialized form of radiation treatment that minimizes damage to healthy tissue surrounding a tumor. It is especially important to limit radiation exposure in the rapidly growing bodies of children since their cells are more susceptible to radiation damage. The long-term benefit for survivors of childhood cancer treated with proton therapy is a reduced risk of developing radiation induced chronic illness, low growth hormone production, secondary cancer or impaired IQ.

The most common tumors in children treated with proton therapy at UF Health Proton Therapy Institute are ependymoma, craniopharyngioma, low-grade glioma, rhabdomyosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma and medulloblastoma. Over 200 of these children will be treated in 2015. “Since the majority of our pediatric patients are treated for sarcomas and brain tumors near critical healthy tissue, it is paramount to avoid unnecessary radiation exposure which can compromise growth and development,” said Daniel J. Indelicato, M.D., associate professor and director of pediatric radiotherapy at the University of Florida. “Our goal is to cure children with high-dose radiation but still avoid side effects.”

“The advantages for children who have tumors treated with protons are quite significant,” said Nancy P. Mendenhall, M.D., medical director of UF Health Proton Therapy Institute and associate chair and professor of radiation oncology at UF. “Survivorship for our youngest patients will mean both a longer life and a healthy life free from the late effects of conventional radiation treatment.”

The pediatric radiotherapy program at UF Health Proton Therapy Institute is unique in its multidimensional scope of care, which includes dedicated pediatric radiation oncologists, specialized pediatric nurses, pediatric anesthesiologists, experienced radiation therapists, a pediatric social worker, and a full-time child life specialist. This comprehensive approach has become a model within the field and draws pediatric patients from 36 states and 20 countries. Since many pediatric tumors are treated with a combination of radiation, surgery and chemotherapy, the University of Florida partners with Nemours Children’s Specialty Clinic and Wolfson Children’s Hospital to provide the full-spectrum pediatric oncology care. Together, these institutions offer over 20 advanced clinical trials for children with cancer. In 2015, over 95% of pediatric patients treated at the University of Florida Health Proton Therapy Institute were enrolled on a clinical study.

As part of an academic health center, a fundamental component of the University of Florida pediatric program is education. The doctors at the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute are training the next generation of pediatric radiation oncologists. This includes residents from UF, the Moffitt Cancer Center, and the Mayo Clinic. In addition, UF began the first radiation oncology fellowship dedicated to the subspeciality of pediatric proton therapy in 2011.

Join in the fellowship and fun at the one-of-a-kind World Golf Hall of Fame & Museum and the championship golf courses King & Bear and Slammer & Squire for the 11th Annual Play Golf. Fight Cancer.® Classic in St. Augustine, Fla., October 11-12. The charity event, presented by IBA and .decimal with additional support from Shepherd, will benefit the research programs at UF Health Proton Therapy Institute, a nonprofit, 501 (c) 3 organization.

The event kicks off on Sunday, October 11, at 6 p.m. in the World Golf Hall of Fame & Museum. Guests will explore the museum honoring the greatest golfers with exhibits of their most significant trophies, equipment and history-making wins. For those who want to get in a few practice swings, they can try out the new Golfzon golf simulator and its up-to-date sensor technology, one of only two in the U.S. with 150 worldwide courses to choose from.

A dinner and silent auction will be held in Shell Hall where each hall of fame member is enshrined. An exciting live auction includes the chance to bid on a one-week stay in a North Carolina cabin, a river excursion for six people on a luxury 46-foot cruiser, a dinner for six prepared by celebrity chef Robert Tulko, and a dinner for six prepared by Dr. Nancy Mendenhall. Other chances to win in the silent auction include a range of items from unique collectible and dinner and spa gift cards to golf foursomes, The PLAYERS Championship tickets and vacation getaways. Whether shopping for yourself or a gift for someone else, it’s a great way to buy something you want or need, and you can feel good knowing that 100 percent of the proceeds go to the life-saving research at UF Health Proton Therapy Institute.

Golf begins on Monday, October 12, with registration at 7 a.m. and a shotgun start at 9 a.m. Players will be assigned to one of two championship courses designed by legendary World Golf Hall of Fame members: the King & Bear or the Slammer & Squire. Trophies will be awarded to the best-scoring teams, closest to the pin and longest drive.

The awards reception will include an inspiring keynote talk by our honorary chair Shannon Miller, the most decorated gymnast in U.S. history. As a 7-time Olympic medalist and cancer survivor, she is an advocate for early detection and health and fitness. She will be available for a meet and greet and autograph signing at the reception.

To register for the event and/ or attend the dinner, click through to register on the www.playgolffightcancer.org website.

To donate or support the cause in some other way, if you are not available for the event, contact tournament chair Michael McPhillips at mcpforegolf@gmail.com (904) 910-7098 or Judy Taylor Holland jholland@floridaproton.org (904) 588-1401.

The UF Health Proton Therapy Institute marked its ninth year in operation on August 14. With nearly 6,000 patients treated and 190,000 treatments delivered, we are among the most experienced proton therapy centers worldwide, ranking in the top five for number of treatments. We have treated significant numbers of prostate, head and neck, lung, breast, pancreas, and brain/CNS cancers as well as sarcoma and Hodgkin lymphoma. Our pediatric program is the largest in the world with an average of 20 children on treatment each day.

We have tracked patient satisfaction of the treatment and our service since opening. Over time, the satisfaction rates are consistently high with 94 percent of patients rating our service "excellent" and 98 percent of patients saying they would recommend our services to others. Our commitment to patient-centered care is one of the reasons we were one of the first four organizations designated by the Florida Department of Health as a Florida Cancer Center of Excellence in 2015, the first year of the awards program.

This combination of technology, experience and compassion gives patients the confidence that proton therapy at the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute is the right choice for treating their cancer and going on to live life to the fullest.

Sincerely,
Stuart Klein

Proton therapy is a powerful tool to eliminate malignancies, but it is no match for a family of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles supporting their loved one. Congratulations, Landon!