Making cancer treatment better for patients. That’s our mission. Whether it’s discovering new ways to deliver treatment for better cure rates and lower side effects or creating ways to reduce fear and anxiety, our patients are the reason for the constant innovation you find at the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute. As a nonprofit, academic cancer center, we invest in the clinical research that produces meaningful evidence and leads to changes in care for the better.

Increasingly, our patients tell us they have been referred by their physician to have proton therapy. This is a good sign. It tells us that our colleagues in medicine see the evidence and the value of protons to treat many types of cancers effectively. Many more patients tell us they heard about proton therapy through a past patient, family member, friend or acquaintance. This is also a good sign. It tells us the experience during treatment and the quality of life following treatment give patients and caregivers the confidence to recommend proton therapy.

June is Cancer Survivor Month. According to the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), more than 16.9 million people in the United States are cancer survivors who are living with, through, and beyond their disease. Cancer survivorship is increasing as preventive screenings and modern treatments become readily available in most communities.