The Willis-Knighton Cancer Center has added cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) to its ProteusONE compact proton therapy solution. This is the first FDA approved CBCT for compact proton therapy to be used for treatment of a breast cancer patient.

CBCT offers the ability to improve treatment quality by enhancing the precision of patient positioning. Clinical staff at the Willis-¬Knighton Cancer Center selected a breast cancer patient to be the first for this newly¬ commissioned imaging modality. It allows for a very easy patient setup, adding no more than a couple of minutes to the time spent by the patient in the treatment room. Radiation oncologists at Willis¬-Knighton believe that this superior verification tool will be an asset to improve and expand proton therapy treatment for head and neck, pancreatic and breast cancer patients in particular.

“Nobody doubts proton therapy’s potential for ultimate precision and healthy tissue sparing", said Lane R. Rosen, MD, “but on the spot verification further enhances this accuracy. Now that our ProteusONE installation features CBCT imaging, we can expand proton therapy treatment for indications demanding the utmost precision.” Rosen is director of radiation oncology at the cancer center.