History of the Proton

HISTORY OF PROTON BEAM THERAPY

1929 Cyclotron invented by Ernest O. Lawrence as a way to accelerate nuclear particles to very high speeds. 1930s 60-inch cyclotron built at Berkeley Radiation Laboratory with financing from the late William H. Crocker, a University of California regent. Machine is used in creation of seven new elements. 1939 Lawrence wins Nobel Prize in physics for invention of cylotron. 1946 Lawrence protégée Robert R. Wilson, a professor of physics at Harvard and designer of Harvard's cyclotron, first proposes using protons for the treatment of cancer. 1948 Berkeley Radiation Laboratory conducts extensive studies on protons and confirms predictions made by Wilson. 1954 First patient treated with protons at Berkeley Radiation Laboratory. 1957 Treatment successfully duplicated on patients in Uppsala, Sweden. 1950s Lawrence offers 60-inch cyclotron to John Jungerman, who would become the founding director of the Crocker Nuclear Laboratory at UC Davis. In collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C., the Berkeley machine is modified to a 76-inch cyclotron. 1961 Harvard treats first patient in its cyclotron. 1964 Magnets built at Berkeley Radiation Laboratory (renamed the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory) move to Davis. The Crocker Nuclear Laboratory at UC Davis is dedicated in 1966. 1970s Atomic Energy Commission cuts off funding for nuclear facilities at universities. UC Davis cyclotron survives by finding new applications for cyclotron science in areas such as air quality, testing historical documents, food safety and cancer treatment. 1972 UC Davis cyclotron team develops the first method for making pure iodine-123, employed in thyroid imaging and to detect tumors. 1974 Los Alamos National Laboratory cyclotron treats first patient with pi-meson beam. 1975 Use of ionized particle beams to treat eye cancers pioneered by team of scientists using the Harvard cyclotron. 1978 UCSF and Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory team begins clinical trials of choroidal melanoma treatment with ionized helium beam. 1980s UC Davis cyclotron used by historians and archaeologists to analyze chemistry of ink and paper without damaging documents, dates a copy of Gutenberg Bible to within three days. 1988 Proton therapy approved by FDA as radiation-treatment option for certain tumors. 1990 Loma Linda University opens first hospital-based proton-beam clinic. The 250 MeV machine is designed and built by Fermilab, where Wilson was the founding director, with $19.6 million in federal funding. 1992 Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory's clinical treatment program ends with closure of its Bevatron cyclotron. More than 2,500 patients had been treated at the lab since 1954. 1994 Timothy R. Renner, Ph.D., Proton Eye Treatment Facility established at Crocker Nuclear Laboratory at UC Davis. 1999 UC Davis Cancer Center and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory establish formal research partnership to apply defense technology to cancer research — the first such agreement between a major cancer center and a national laboratory. 2000 UC Davis Cancer Center and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory begin work on a compact proton-beam therapy system. The two institutions eventually contribute $3 million in funding to support George Caporaso's work. 2001 Northeast Proton Therapy Center at Massachusetts General Hospital treats first patient. 2006 June: $125 million, 94,000-squarefoot Proton Therapy Center at MD Anderson in Houston opens to patients. August: Caporaso reports on compact proton-beam therapy system at the 19th International Conference on the Application of Accelerators in Research and Industry in Fort Worth.

Ghostbusters

So Thursday, Beau and I decided to rest in the late afternoon before we headed to Bricktown (fantastic place by the way) to watch the Omaha Stormchasers (Royals) vs Oklahoma City Dodgers play a Triple AAA baseball game, by watching Ghostbusters 1.  So I'm about half asleep and there on the screen are the 3 (there it is again) Ghostbusters discussing nuclear molecular energy and out of Dr. Venkman's mouth comes the word 'PROTON'.  This is a movie that came to the theatre in about the year 1984.

All I can say is if Dr. Venkman knows about Protons then it must be true.  I trust this face.  No kidding, they talk about protons in this movie and the others as well.  Could not believe my ears.

In the Ghostbusters universe[edit]

The proton pack, designed by Dr. Egon Spengler, is a man-portable particle accelerator system that is used to create a charged particle beam - composed of protons - that is fired by the proton gun (also referred to as the "neutrona wand"^{[citation needed]}). Described in the first movie as a "positron collider", it functions by colliding high-energy positrons to generate its proton beam. The beam allows a Ghostbuster to contain and hold "negatively charged ectoplasmic entities". This containment ability allows the wielder to position a ghost above a trap for capture.^[3] The name proton pack is not used in the original movie at all,^[4] and is not used until the subway tunnel scene in Ghostbusters II, when Egon says that they should get their proton packs. The doorman to the Mayor's mansion also uses the term proton pack, asking the Ghostbusters if he can buy one from them for his little brother. Egon replies that "A proton pack is not a toy".

While the Ghostbusters' dialogue indicates that the accelerator system operates similarly to a cyclotron (and indeed Dr. Peter Venkman refers to the proton packs in one scene as "unlicensed nuclear accelerators"),^[3] modern particle accelerators produce well collimated particle beams.^[5] This is far different from the beam from a proton pack, which tends to undulate wildly (though it still stays within the general area at which the user is aiming). The proton stream is quite destructive to physical objects, and can cause extensive property damage.^[3]

First Pitch

 First Pitch of the baseball game, Oklahoma City vs. Omaha

 Beau and Pop, great seats, row 4, great game

Oklahoma City bombing site at 10:00 pm

Week 3

Short week, only four treatments, I'm currently in double figures at 13 only have 31 more to go. Hmm, did I transpose something here.  13 down 31 to go, I get to use the 1 and the 3 here a lot.

Anyhow, survived week three (there it is again).  The treatments were a breeze this week and oh what a week, it flew by.  I knew having a 7 year old boy (Beau) would make the week go fast and it flew by.  Below are some of the highlights of the 4 days:

• Tuesday
• Left Marysville at 7:00 am and made it to ProCure in time for my treatment
• Checked my emails after the treatment and handled some work items
• Beau and I went swimming, pool was great but oh man was it hot in Oklahoma City
• Free beer at the hotel
• Wednesday
• Graduation for 10 Proton patients
• All types of cancer and all ages
• Scarlet, from England, bone cancer, young girl maybe 11 years old, very strong girl and very strong family, here with her twin brother, another brother and mom and dad
• Young boy 3 or 4 years old, brain tumor
• Several prostate patients, one lung cancer and one breast cancer
• Our good friend (Staybridge) Tom graduated on Wednesday, Patty and I really got to know him over the past three weeks, his wife drove in for the graduation, his scenario is so much like mine, prostate cancer, he investigated Proton therapy, his insurance company did not pay and he is only 55 years old
• Beau was in awe during the graduation ceremony, this is a 7 year boy, I was impressed by his attention during the ceremony, the young children have videos of pictures before and during their stay along with music, it is so great to see their smiles, again 'mine is nothing'
• Science museum and Zootopia in the evening, I was almost worn out by that 7 year old
• Oh yea, free beer at the hotel
• Thursday
• About forgot, treatment and doctor appointment
• Doing great, my urgency to urinate seems to have increased during the night, doctor told me everyone is different, it's your body informing you something is happening, like yea, proton radiation, doc says everything will be fine, some have it early some have it later during treatment, take an ibuprofen before going to sleep, seems easy
• Actually, I have had very few symptoms before this:
• Strong stream
• Able to empty
• No burning
• Urgency has been normal
• Seldom up during my sleep
• Hope this all continues
• Afternoon free to work on some work items and a quick nap
• Minor league baseball game in the evening, Omaha vs Oklahoma City
• The bombing site at 10:00 pm is so surreal, wow, say a prayer
• Friday
• Another shooting, is it just common now?
• Treatment and the drive home
• Oh yea, you might like to know, didn't even get up during the night, YEA!!

America's Birthday, July 4th

Well the weather sure did cooperate for the 4th of July.  This week I will only be able to have four treatments as America's Birthday is celebrated and ProCure is closed on Monday.  No matter how bad we have it, this is still the greatest country on earth.  The United States of America.

If we could just somehow all live together in Peace.  Do you think it will ever happen?  No probably not but it still is a great thought and something that we all need pray for.

Patty, Beau and I are headed out Tuesday morning at 7:00 am, my treatment on Tuesday is at 2:00 pm and with all the people heading home after a great 4th of July traffic will be heavy.  Beau, our 7 year old grandson is going with us this week to Oklahoma City.  It's short week and this is about the only week he has free from wrestling, baseball, swim lessons and other summer activities so we asked him to come along.  Plus he loves hotel breakfast.

It should be an interesting week living in a home away from home with a seven year old.  He's a great kid and I'm sure it will make the week go fast.  I've had nine treatments so far so after this week I will be in double figures.  Yea.

On with Proton Therapy!!

The Cyclotron 'Wow Factor'

They allow visitors one day a year to tour the cyclotron room.  

Fact Sheet Along with Picture

PROTON THERAPY FACT SHEET

• Most precise form of radiation treatment available today. Destroys primary tumor site, leaves surrounding healthy tissue and organs intact and unharmed.
  
• Is non-invasive and painless. Maintains a patient’s quality-of life during treatment process as an out-patient. Patients continue with normal activities during treatment. Play golf, tennis, swim, walk, run, workout in a gym, or go on a “radiation vacation.”
  
• Avoids the usual side effects of standard x-ray radiation. Minimum to no side effects with protons. Highly effective treatment for wide range of localized tumors in head and neck area, lung, prostate, bladder, spinal cord, gastro malignancies,
  and ocular tumors, among others. Working on treating breast cancer with small protocols utilizing a new scanning technique. Women with breast cancer can avoid damage to lungs and surrounding breast tissue.
  
• Protons can be used in conjunction with other cancer treatment modalities such as chemotherapy.
  
• Treatment time can take from one day for certain conditions or up to eight weeks (prostate cancer) depending on tumor sites.
  
• Highly preferred radiation treatment modality option for pediatric cases because children are susceptible to injury from standard x-ray radiation as their tissues and organs are growing rapidly. Children don’t have to be subjected to needless exposure from damaging radiation. 

This is exactly how they do my therapy every day, one side then the next day the other.