The $150 Million Zapper - Dr. Metz discusses proton therapy

Forbes

James Metz, MD, associate professor and Chief of Clinical Operations in the department of Radiation Oncology, is quoted in a Forbes magazine story about the increasing use of proton therapy to radiate tumors more precisely and with a minimum of damage to surrounding tissues. Penn’s Roberts Proton Therapy Center will open this fall in the Abramson Cancer Center. Metz says Penn’s doctors are committed to conducting proton therapy clinical trials and will work under less financial pressure than physicians treating patients in proton centers funded by private investors and not associated with academic medical centers. While other proton centers already in operation treat large numbers of prostate cancer patients – who have been drawn to the treatment because of its promise of less side effects than other therapies -- Metz notes that Penn plans to cap the number of prostate patients at 20 or 30 percent, leaving more capacity for children and others with harder-to-treat tumors... Read More