University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute launches Web Site

The University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute today (April 12) launched its official Internet site, http://www.floridaproton.org, providing an authoritative online resource for people seeking information about the promise of proton therapy for cancer treatment. The site offers a detailed description of what proton therapy is and how it works, facts and updates about the Florida Proton institute, links to other cancer information sites, and more.

Florida Proton, located in Jacksonville on the campus of the UF Health Science Center and Shands Jacksonville, is on track to open with a limited patient load in July. Proton therapy is a precise radiation treatment that destroys cancer cells and minimizes damage to healthy tissue. That means patients experience reduced cancer treatment side effects and are at less risk of developing complications from the treatment later in life. This is especially beneficial for treating cancer in children and in adult cancers located in sensitive areas like the head, neck, lung, breast and prostate.

"The Internet is one of the first places people go for information when they hear a cancer diagnosis,” said Stuart Klein, executive director of the UF Proton Therapy Institute. “Our Web site offers patients and their families a reliable source for accurate information about this unique form of cancer treatment.”

Florida Proton is the only proton therapy center in the southeastern United States and only one of four nationwide. Florida Proton is affiliated with UF’s College of Medicine, a national leader in cancer treatment and research.

The 98,000-square-foot facility houses both conventional radiation and proton therapy, and when it is at capacity will deliver proton therapy to 150-200 patients a day. For more information about Florida Proton, please visit www.floridaproton.org.