Exploring the Possibilities of Proton Therapy
University of Florida Health Proton Therapy Institute

At the University of Florida Health Proton Therapy Institute, confidence doesn't just come from the cancer treatments we provide to our patients every day. We draw confidence from the unexplored possibilities of cancer treatment. What's more, we work every day to expand the power of proton therapy – for today's patients, and tomorrow's.

 ​Gantry Times

Proton therapy is delivered in one of three gantry rooms at University of Florida Health Proton Therapy Institute. Our attention to precise treatment for patients includes making sure that appointments are on time. We treat more than 100 patients each day, Monday through Friday, from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. The gantry time clock provides patients an up-to-the-minute status of their treatment rooms so they can plan their days.

The display below is a direct feed from the electronic screen in the lobby near the patient check-in station.

Gantry Times Example
Room 1: Delayed 35 minutes
Room 2: Delayed 15 minutes
Room 3: Delayed 25 minutes

https://www.floridaproton.org/gantry-times

Want to know what it's like to undergo cancer treatment with proton therapy? Ask one of our patients.

At University of Florida Health Proton Therapy Institute, we treat our patients with effective doses of proton radiation while minimizing damage to healthy tissue. As a result, many of our patients continue to participate in normal life activities during and after treatment.

But don't take our word for it – watch for yourself. 
Click here to watch Patients sharing their stories

Proton radiation therapy reduces side effects and lessens the risk of developing complications from treatment in later life.Protons can be directed to reach only the areas of the body that are affected by cancer. This leads to more accurate therapy, with less risk that healthy tissue will be exposed to radiation - and this can reduce the risk of complications and side effects.

Fewer treatment complications may enable physicians to deliver higher doses of proton radiation to cancer sites, and an increased dose of proton radiation can improve the chances for a successful outcome.

The Difference In Proton Therapy
As a rule, traditional X-ray therapy for cancer treatment deposits radiation in healthy tissues that surround a tumor, as well as in the tumor itself. As traditional radiation enters and leaves the body, it leaves a track of radiation damage, much like that left by a bullet.

Protons, on the other hand, do not travel through the body the same way that traditional radiation does. Instead, they stop in the tissue at a calculated distance. So, the majority of the radiation energy that comes from proton therapy is deposited in the cancer – not in the surrounding tissue. This means that important organs that surround the cancer may be protected from damage and, as a result, proton therapy side effects.

​Prostate Cancer Patient Bill Barbour Shares His Experience with Proton Therapy
NatAssnProtonTherapy
​Published on Apr 2, 2014

Published on Aug 29, 2016

​Ben is Cancer Free. UF Health Proton Therapy Institute delivers the most advanced radiation treatment available, bringing the hope of a cancer-free future to thousands of patients and their families.