CT Simulation (Treatment Planning Session)
After it is determined that you are a candidate for proton therapy, a Patient Navigator will contact you to schedule a CT Simulation (“sim” or planning session). In addition, your Nurse Navigator will call to explain what you can expect during the simulation. Parents of pediatric patients will typically receive a call from our Child Life Coordinator. On your CT Simulation day, you will meet one of the nurses who will guide you through your first appointment. During the simulation, you will lie in a CT scanner where you will be positioned the same way you will be during your actual proton therapy treatments. The CT scanner will take high-resolution, 3-D or 4-D images that will help your radiation oncologist and our medical physicists and dosimetrists develop your personalized treatment plan. Using these images, the team will determine how much radiation therapy will be delivered to your tumor and from which angles.
As part of your CT Simulation visit, we will make several invisible markings on your skin. These markings help us properly position you for your treatment sessions. Depending on the area to be treated, you may also receive a custom body mold or mask to help with precise targeting and positioning.
You will receive your first appointment date and time before you leave the simulation. You will also receive a welcome folder with important information about the center and your treatment, including contact numbers for relaying questions or concerns to your treatment team.
For Pediatric Patients
Pediatric patients and their parents or guardians will meet with our Child Life Coordinator prior to treatment. She will use developmentally appropriate language to explain the treatment process to your child using photos, 3-D models, stuffed animals, and other educational tools.
Children age 6 and under sometimes receive anesthesia so they can remain still during their treatments. Anesthesia is delivered by a board-certified anesthesiologist. Following treatment, children recover in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) under the supervision of registered nurses.
The Child Life Coordinator is available as a resource to children and their families throughout treatment. Learn more about the treatment of pediatric cancers at our center.
Scheduling Your Treatments
We treat patients Monday through Friday, from 6:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. The first treatment typically occurs two to three weeks after simulation. For most patients, treatment takes place daily. We will provide you with a schedule of upcoming treatments.
What to Expect During Treatment
ID Card for Daily Check-in
We will provide you with an ID card and/or wristband for identification in our center. The ID card will also be used to check in every day and give you access to the elevators to the treatment floor.
Patient Portal
We encourage you to create an account for our free patient portal. The portal provides access to treatment summaries, lab and imaging results, appointment times, and more. Parents and guardians of pediatric patients can create a patient portal account for their child.
First Day of Treatment
When you arrive at the proton center, you will check in on the first floor with our Patient Coordinator team. You will wait in the main lobby until a Patient Coordinator tells you that your treatment team is ready for you. When you arrive on the treatment floor, a member of your treatment team will show you the changing and waiting rooms. You will change into a gown and wait in one of the waiting rooms until we are ready to begin your treatment.
During Your Treatment Sessions
After you enter the treatment room, your radiation therapists will position you on the treatment table, precisely aligning you with the coordinates established in your treatment plan. Slight adjustments to your position may be made at this time. Positioning typically takes 10 to 20 minutes. If a mold or mask was made for you during simulation, it will be used daily for treatment.
The treatment itself will take 5 to 20 minutes, and you will need to remain still during this time. You will not feel anything as the proton beam is delivered to the area being treated. Your radiation therapists will be in a nearby control room where they will monitor you on closed circuit television and can speak with you via intercom. Let them know if you would like to listen to music during your treatment. Visit our virtual tour to learn more about your treatment experience.
On Treatment Visits (OTVs)
You will meet with your nurse and radiation oncologist weekly for the duration of your treatment. They will evaluate your overall well-being and assess you for treatment-related side effects. Feel free to ask questions and raise any concerns during these visits
Support Services
Our social workers and registered dietitian-nutritionist are available to meet with patients. Social workers can provide supportive counseling and assist with practical needs such as local housing and transportation to treatment, help with documents and paperwork, and connect patients with organizations that can provide financial assistance. The dietitian-nutritionist is available to meet with patients who are experiencing nutrition-related treatment side effects or wish to improve their overall health.
Your Last Day of Treatment
On your last day of treatment, you will be offered the opportunity to ring the end-of-treatment bell and celebrate with your family and treatment team. Photos and videos of your bell ringing ceremony are permitted. You will also receive an end-of-treatment folder with information about what to expect following treatment and post-radiation therapy care. At this time, you will be scheduled for a follow-up visit with your radiation oncologist and nurse.
New York’s Only Proton Center
Opened in 2019, the New York Proton Center is the first and only proton radiotherapy center in New York state. Our patients come from throughout the New York metropolitan area and around the world.
Planning Your Treatments
Our care team will guide you through all the details of your treatment plan and answer questions you have about your sessions. Take our virtual tour and see what to expect.
