FACTS HOW PROTON THERAPY IS HELPING BREAST CANCER PATIENTS

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The breast cancer tumor usually occurs in the lobules and ducts of the breast used in the production and delivery of breast milk. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women aside from skin cancer. Although the disease is rare among males, men are also susceptible to breast cancer.
As with other cancers, the best possible outcomes for breast cancer come with early treatment.

Advantages of proton therapy for breast cancer:
Although proton radiation treatment is relatively new, clinical trials for breast cancer have already shown excellent signs of disease control and minimal side effects compared with traditional forms of treatment. ??Proton therapy also offers a number of other compelling benefits:
Treatment is noninvasive and painless
Proton therapy is effective for treating early stage breast cancer
Treatment offers quicker recovery times with minimal side effects
Causes less cosmetic damage compared with the burn marks caused by regular radiation
It is more accurate and precise than other kinds of radiation
Treatment is provided in an outpatient setting
Proton radiation has little to no impact on patient energy level

Breast Cancer Center
The Breast Health Center at LLUCC offers a comprehensive, interdisciplinary and patient focused approach to patient care. By bringing together state-of-the-art diagnostic tools and a team of physicians in one location, patients receive timely, efficient and high quality care.
Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer and affects millions of women each year. Cancer in the breast occurs when cells in the breast become abnormal and divide without control or order.

Screening and Treatment
LLUCC’s strong commitment to research in breast cancer assures patients access to the latest advances in the prevention, detection and treatment of breast cancer. Our facility offers the latest cancer treatment options and diagnostic tools, including the only breast MRI in the region.

Support and Resources
At LLUCC we pride ourselves in treating the whole person including mind, body and spirit. We offer support groups, nutritional support and a dedicated breast cancer suvivorship clinic.

Physicians
The physicians at our Breast Health Center are committed to providing you with the best care possible. From diagnosis through treatment our physicians are here to guide you every step of the way. An insider’s unique perspective Vicky Ramirez, of Redlands, California,  works at the Breast Health Center at Loma Linda University Medical Center  (LLUMC). She relates, “I had worked there six months when I was diagnosed. I was the initial contact for women coming  into the center; now I was one of them.”
Even though Ms. Ramirez works in the  field and is familiar with the disease, it was devastating when her doctor gave
her the news. “It was December 22, 2005, at 9:45 a.m. I even know what I was wearing,” she says. Diligent self examination led to an early diagnosis, identifying a disease treatable with lumpectomy and proton therapy. “I didn’t need chemotherapy and I had no ill effects from the treatment, so I was very lucky.” She went on, “Early detection is so important. We’ve had a number of women in their twenties recently come in, so you can never assume you’re immune.” In addition to the friends and family who supported and prayed for her, Ms. Ramirez is also grateful to those who supported research and took part in clinical trials. “There are so many options now and so many resources. We have the patients, the researchers and the doctors to thank,” she says.
Ms. Ramirez was one of the 50 women  in the first LLUMC trial who received proton  treatment. She had no side effects and has  been free of cancer since completing her  treatments in April 2005. “I’m doing very  well,” she says. Dr. David A. Bush, of the department of radiation medicine, was her radiation oncologist. Commenting on the  trial, Dr. Bush said, “The recurrence rates are low and the survival rates have been  excellent. But most importantly, we found that the side effect profile was very good.”
The ability to spare so much tissue and  thus reduce side effects was especially important in Ms. Ramirez’s case. One
potential side effect of X-ray treatment is heart attacks later in life because some of the radiation dose reaches the heart. Ms. Ramirez’s cardiologist feared that standard radiation would affect her heart valve transplant. But proton beams are different from the X-rays most people are familiar with. Protons are particles that can be stopped within the boundaries at the designated tumor volume. “It’s important .

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