A decade of proton therapy success

The UF Health Proton Therapy Institute, the first of its kind in the Southeast, is celebrating its 10th anniversary with an eye on the future. Since opening in Jacksonville in August 2006, the institute has treated more than 6,400 patients from 30 countries and can treat more than 20 types of cancer. A $39 million, multiphase expansion now underway includes both an accelerator, used to speed up the protons, and a treatment gantry equipped with pencil beam scanning – an advanced proton therapy delivery technique for increased precision. “As avid believers in the power of proton therapy, we continually strive to advance the field through groundbreaking research and to deliver the highest standard of care to help all who come through our doors have the best possible experience throughout treatment and beyond,” said Stuart Klein, executive director of the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute.— Michael Hadden