When a delegation of organizational leaders and press from the U.S. and Canada were invited to Seoul earlier this month, many were surprised by the South Korean government's laser focus: They want to attract U.S. prostate cancer patients to Seoul for treatment with proton therapy, an advanced form of radiation therapy.

But why prostate cancer patients and not pediatric patients?



While many of the seven U.S. proton centers provide treatment to children
(notably Massachusetts General Hospital, MD Anderson, and the University of Pennsylvania), the U.S. still has a huge unmet need for proton therapy facilities for children.

"My first reaction was taking a child to South Korea for proton treatment
would be impractical and extremely difficult," said Susan Ralston,
executive director of the Pediatric Proton Foundation who was among the
guests invited to tour Korea's National Cancer Center. "I decided to make
the trip since in 2009, only approximately 380 cancer-stricken children
were treated in U.S. proton centers while over 3,000 children could
potentially have benefited."

Ralston now feels that South Korea is indeed a viable option for pediatric
cancer patients whose parents seek proton beam therapy for them. Proton therapy is known to target particle beam radiation very precisely on tumors, reducing radiation exposure to surrounding healthy tissue, a particularly important factor in treating children. Korea's NCC has two rotating and one fixed beam proton rooms. And NCC officials told DOTmed News that their facility is underutilized.

"I know most parents would go to the ends of the earth to ensure their child receives proton radiation which spares their child the devastating effects of traditional (x-ray/photon) radiation and drastically reduces the chance of radiation-induced secondary malignancy," said Ralston. "I am glad Korea is opening its arms to the U.S. and the world's children," she said.

The challenge is not just travel but also treatment protocol since
children would likely be undergoing a long course of chemotherapy as well
as radiation therapy. However, it's possible that, depending on the case
in question, young patients could go to Korea for protons, a course of
treatment that would take several weeks, then begin or renew their
chemotherapy at home for several months, Ralston suggested.

"Seoul's proton center opened its doors in March 2007, and recruited
experienced doctors from the United States to offer treatment. The NCC
proton facility was impressive and the doctors and staff were top-notch.
In my opinion, Seoul is a viable alternative for those unable to gain
access to a U.S. proton center," Ralston said.

About the Foundation:

The Pediatric Proton Foundation is uniquely positioned as an independent, nonprofit charity that relies on voluntary funding from a variety of sources to be able to provide the most objective information available about pediatric proton cancer treatment. Its mission is to provide education, advocacy and assistance to families in need of pediatric proton treatment. It's a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Contributors may be able to deduct some or the entire amount of their donations for tax purposes. For more information, visit the Pediatric Proton Foundation's website at: www.pediatricprotonfoundation.org

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