Treatment for adults
Request for treatment
The request for treatment with proton therapy is proposed during a Multidisciplinary Consultation Meeting (MCM) with the medical team responsible for initial care of the patient.
This request must be sent, with a complete medical file, to the radiotherapy department of the François Baclesse Centre. In practical terms, the medical file may be sent electronically to a secure area via a link that will be sent to the requesting doctor.
The request is then submitted for notification to a specialized local or national MCM, which gives its opinion as to the appropriateness of the indication of proton therapy.
If the request is validated, an initial appointment is proposed to the patient at the François Baclesse Centre.
The requesting doctor is kept informed of the treatment and can have secure access to the patient’s medical record data updated in real time. For a request to access this service, contact the IT department of the François Baclesse Centre.
The consultation
Proton therapy treatment begins with a consultation with the specialist doctor in the Centre who will be the patient’s referent at the François Baclesse Centre.
He will inform the patient about the treatment and organize his/her care pathway with the help of the radiotherapy staff.
Simulation and dosimetry
To prepare for the treatment, imaging of the tumour must be made by scanner. This is known as simulation.
It is used to set the position on the apparatus and to simulate treatment.
This preparation takes place in the radiotherapy department of the François Baclesse Centre.
The best position for treatment is provided by personalized accessories known as “restraints”: headrest, mask, knee rest, etc. The same accessories must always be used for treatment sessions.
In order to guarantee the safety of the treatment, the patient is photographed (portrait and position). These photos are displayed on the screens at the treatment station during treatment sessions.
An identification sheet with the portrait photo is given to the patient at the end of the simulation. It must be brought each time he/she comes to the radiotherapy department.
The simulation lasts between 30 and 60 minutes.
The images collected during this scan are used to computer-model the best possible treatment: the one that will be the most effective against the tumour and the least damaging for the surrounding healthy tissue. This optimization work, known as dosimetry, can take up to 15 days.
Treatment sessions
The proton therapy sessions take place at a rate of one session per day, 5 days a week, for 3 to 7 weeks depending on the proposed treatment and validated in the Multidisciplinary Consultation Meetings.
The treatment sessions take place in the care unit located at the proton therapy centre, on the CYCLHAD site, 5 minutes away from the François Baclesse Centre.
Chemotherapy is sometimes prescribed at the same time as radiotherapy.
The sessions last between 20 and 40 minutes each.
The proton therapy treatment sessions on the CYCLHAD site are performed from 7am to 10pm.
During treatment, a consultation is scheduled weekly with a radiation therapist to monitor your tolerance of the treatment.
A doctor is also present every day on site if necessary.
After the end of treatment, follow-up consultations with a radiotherapist or the referring oncologist are planned to monitor the patient’s state of health over the long term.