September 26, 2026 | Dana-Farber Cancer Institute | Boston, Massachusetts
On September 26, NAPT Member Center Dana-Farber Cancer Institute will bring together proton therapy experts for a focused morning to examine key questions facing proton therapy today. The symposium takes place on the opening day of the ASTRO 2026 Annual Meeting in Boston.
The morning opens with remarks from Dr. Benjamin Ebert, President and Chief Executive Officer of DanaFarber Cancer Institute, and Dr. William Hahn, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating and Transformation Officer. Dr. Peter Orio, Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology, will moderate the
panel discussions.
The Conversations Shaping Proton Therapy
At its core, the program asks how proton therapy can become more accessible, more integrated into multidisciplinary cancer care, and more relevant to the patients who may benefit from it. The morning begins with “The Elephant in the Room: Pros and Cons of Upright Proton Therapy”, a discussion led by Drs. Peter
Orio, Thomas Bortfeld, and Mike Makrigiorgos on what is ready today and where upright and fixed-beam workflows may create clinical and operational advantages. The program then broadens to access, compact proton therapy, program implementation, and the clinical priorities to grow proton therapy within
multidisciplinary cancer care.
Clinical Experience From Across the Proton Community
The symposium brings together perspectives from Dana-Farber, Stanford, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Northwestern Medicine, the University of Washington, the University of Miami, Boston Children’s Hospital, Southwest Florida Proton Center, and the National Association for Proton Therapy. Together, the faculty will
explore:
• Upright proton therapy: Clinical opportunity, workflow advantages, validation needs, and unresolved questions surrounding upright treatment.
• Access, value, and implementation: How compact proton therapy, program design, operations, reimbursement, and policy may expand access to proton therapy.
• Clinical implementation: Dr. Bill Loo of Stanford and Dr. Mark Pankuch of Northwestern bring experience with upright and seated treatment, including planning, imaging, immobilization, robustness, patient comfort, and workflow.
• Disease-site applications: Perspectives include Dr. Shannon MacDonald on breast proton therapy, Dr. Steven Frank on head and neck cancer, Dr. Ramesh Rengan on ocular tumors, and practical considerations in pediatrics, anesthesia, positioning, and patient experience.
• From evidence to scale: How multidisciplinary integration, staffing, operations, and technology validation can support responsible proton therapy growth.
Post-Symposium Experience
Following the symposium, attendees may separately register for Inside Proton Innovation at Mevion, an optional visit to Mevion Medical Systems headquarters to see the manufacturing of compact proton technology and experience innovations from Mevion, RaySearch, and Leo Cancer Care.
For anyone thinking about how proton therapy can become more accessible, more integrated, and more clinically relevant to cancer care, this is a conversation worth joining.
Industry Support
The Dana-Farber Proton Therapy Symposium is supported by Mevion Medical Systems, RaySearch Laboratories, and Leo Cancer Care.
Registration
Dana-Farber Proton Therapy Symposium — Early registration: $240 through September 4 | $300
thereafter
Register Here
Inside Proton Innovation at Mevion — separate registration
Register Here
