The Center for Biomedical Research is partnering with the world’s newest proton therapy center as part of a clinical meta-registry for clinical outcomes and long-term follow-up of cancer patients receiving proton therapy.

Ackerman Cancer Center has joined the registry study developed and managed by the  Center for Biomedical Research in collaboration with the Provision Center for Proton Therapy. The registry study meets all guidelines as outlined in the AHRQ’s guidelines for Registries for Evaluating Patient Outcomes.

“With the PRO 0425 study, we are collecting data that will allow us to compare information across disease sites and treatment modalities and provide a unique window into the long-term effectiveness of proton therapy,” said Marcio Fagundes, M.D., medical director for Provision Center for Proton Therapy and principal investigator.

Located in Jacksonville, Fla., Ackerman is the first private, physician-owned practice to offer proton therapy. The center began treating patients in late April.

“It is very important to me that Ackerman Cancer Center be involved in clinical research and contribute to producing evidence based data in support of proton therapy and its benefits for patients,” says Scot Ackerman, M.D., medical director of Ackerman Cancer Center.

The Center for Biomedical Research  (CBR) specializes in the management of clinical trials and has a lengthy history of managing groundbreaking clinical trials such as Herceptin, Avastin, and most recently Imbruvica of which CBR was the only clinical research site in the Southeastern United States. The Center for Biomedical Research has managed hundreds of clinical trials with a particular focus on medical oncology, proton therapy and PET imaging. CBR is regionally noted for its expertise in conducting pharmaceutical trials targeting smaller, rare cancers with specific tumor mutations. CBR and its oncology partners are often selected by major pharmaceutical sponsors and clinical research organizations (CROs) as a regional clinical research site for their most promising cancer therapeutics.  The Center for Biomedical Research is a member of the National Cancer Institute’s National Clinical Trial Network (NCTN) as well as the following NCI groups;

• NRG Oncology
• Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG)
• Children’s Oncology Group (COG)
• Cancer Trials Support Unit (CTSU)

These organizations bring decades of experience conducting practice defining, multi-institutional clinical trials resulting in improved survival and quality of life for cancer patients.

Provision Center for Proton Therapy is the first cancer treatment center of its kind in Tennessee and only the third in the Southeastern United States.  Open to all credentialed physicians and health systems in the region, the Provision Center for Proton Therapy has three treatment rooms and is able to treat up to 900 cancer patients annually. The center utilizes intensity modulated pencil beam scanning, the most accurate proton beam therapy in the world. This advanced cancer treatment capability is available in only a handful of cities. Provision Center for Proton Therapy is one of only 15 proton therapy centers in the nation and 50 in the world.

Ackerman Cancer Center’s mission is to deliver the highest quality personalized cancer care while remaining committed to the mission of service to those in need throughout the entire spectrum of society. In addition to offering the most advanced radiation oncology treatment available, Ackerman Cancer Center is focused on improving cancer outcomes and quality of life for patients. A patient-centric model ensures that care revolves around the needs of each individual patient.