Patients are traditionally treated with proton therapy in a supine position, but P-Cure is creating technology that may change that — at least for certain indications.

The company said its recently FDA-approved upright imaging solution for its gantry-less proton therapy system caught the attention of many radiation oncologists at the ASTRO 2016 annual meeting in Boston, Massachusetts.

"They are excited and are looking forward to seeing the results," Michael Marsh, CEO of P-Cure, told HCB News. "I feel that most of them are just sitting on the fence and waiting. The most visionary just take it and they will be the leaders."
The system leverages a diagnostic-quality CT scanner to assist with treatment planning, positioning and treatment delivery. The patient populations that will initially benefit from this technology are those with lung, breast, chest, head and neck and lower torso cancer.

In addition to being more comfortable, a seated position allows asthma patients to breathe better and leads to less internal organ movement and better saliva drainage. It might also deliver less collateral radiation to sensitive organs.

"The imaging is better and the treatment will be more accurate," said Marsh. "More accurate treatment means that the efficacy is better and the safety is better."

Even though proton therapy has so many benefits, less than one percent of patients who could benefit from it are able to receive the treatment due to the high capital costs.

P-Cure's system costs significantly less than traditional proton therapy systems since it doesn't require a gantry.

"Given the fact that the system is not only clinically better for critical indications, it's also cost effective," said Marsh. "It's just a little bit more expensive than X-ray."

The system is involved in a study that is investigating the difference in organ motion when treating patients in a seated and supine position as well as the safety profile for lung cancer patients who are treated in both positions.

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