Proton Therapy Offers Countless Benefits for Left-Sided Breast Cancer
No one knows exactly why left-sided breast cancer is slightly more common than right-sided breast cancer. Speculation of underlying reasons ranges from mothers favoring their right breast while nursing to lymph drainage to the inefficacy of self-examinations. According to a 2022 study in Nature, left-sided breast cancers also tend to be more aggressive and associated with poorer treatment outcomes and survival rates than their right-sided counterparts.
The Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation Proton Therapy Center at Speros FL is on schedule to open in early 2026.
Patients with left-sided breast cancer are also at a higher risk for heart disease five to 10 years following traditional radiation therapy because radiation often exposes the heart and surrounding coronary vessels to harmful doses.
But hope is on the horizon for patients with left-sided breast cancer at Moffitt Cancer Center. Scheduled to open in 2026, the center’s new medical campus, Speros FL, in Pasco County, Florida, is set to transform treatment for left-sided breast cancers and many other cancers with an upcoming ProteusONE machine, a proton therapy unit.
The state-of-the-art outpatient ambulatory center at Speros will provide proton therapy for breast cancer patients that offers a more precise and targeted form of radiation that spares healthy tissue while delivering an effective dose to cancer cells. This therapy has the potential to improve post-treatment quality of life by reducing the risk of secondary cancers and protecting heart and lung function.
“Proton therapy at Speros is set to bring life-changing benefits to breast cancer patients and beyond,” said Kosj Yamoah, MD, PhD chair of Moffitt’s Radiation Oncology Department. “With its ability to precisely target tumors while sparing healthy tissue, this treatment will improve outcomes and quality of life for many.”
“When a proton strikes its target, it’s able to deliver an entire dose of radiation to that specific point and nothing beyond that. That’s what makes proton therapy so powerful for treating these specific types of cancer that traditionally have had worse long-term outcomes due to that surrounding exposure of healthy structures,” Yamoah explained.
In addition to benefiting patients with left-sided breast cancer, proton therapy is particularly beneficial for women with early stage and locally advanced breast cancers, including ductal carcinoma in-situ, inflammatory breast cancer, triple-negative breast cancer and recurrent breast cancer. The specialized treatment minimizes the risk of long-term side effects, particularly heart disease.
For patients with breast cancer that require radiation targeting their lymph nodes or who have undergone previous radiation treatment, proton therapy can safely deliver additional radiation while minimizing cumulative damage. Additionally, Moffitt will expand proton therapy to select pediatric patients at Speros. This approach helps reduce the risk of long-term damage and provides better outcomes for young patients with many years ahead of them.
