A non-profit advocacy group made up of eight of the 10 operating proton therapy centers in the United States is hosting its first national conference this winter in Washington, D.C.

The National Association for Proton Therapy said the National Proton Conference 2013 is the first national conference it's organizing since commercial proton therapy got its start in this country with the opening of Loma Linda University Medical Center's proton unit in 1990. The conference is co-organized with the Proton Therapy Consortium, a related non-profit.

The NAPT said the NPC2013, which runs Feb. 11 to 14 at the Washington Marriott Metro Center, will focus on the nitty-gritty of constructing and running a high-tech cancer treatment center. Leonard Arzt, executive director of the NAPT, said in a statement that participants from all operating U.S. proton therapy centers are expected to attend.
A full program, including a list of keynote speakers, will be available at the conference's website, NPC2013.com, in the near feature, NAPT said.

All proceeds from the event, after expenses, will go to proton outreach programs, the NAPT said.

DOTmed is an official media partner of the NPC2013.

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