Emory Proton Therapy Center Medical Director Mark McDonald, MD consults a proton therapy patient.
A new cancer research study at the Emory Proton Therapy Center will allow Winship Cancer Institute physicians to collaborate with other centers around the country to better understand the benefits and side effects of proton therapy treatment.
Information will be recorded and tracked in a patient registry that feeds into an integrated proton data base across several proton centers across the country. The data will allow clinical teams to develop additional evidence that supports the value of proton therapy in different conditions and help them make better decisions about the type of treatments used in the care of future patients.
"Participation in the registry allows us to better understand our treatment outcomes, contribute to a better understanding of the appropriate use of this treatment modality, and will serve as the backbone for many of our future clinical research efforts," says Mark McDonald, MD, medical director of the Emory Proton Therapy Center. "The proton registry study also will allow us to maintain periodic long-term contact with patients after their treatment ends and more easily collect patient-reported and quality of life outcomes data."
Patients may be consented and enrolled at the time of consultation at any Winship facility in Atlanta, even if they ultimately receive a form of treatment other than proton therapy.
