ProCure Proton Therapy Center successfully treats first cancer patient

Bound Brook, N.J. resident Frank Mackinson became the first patient to complete treatment at the ProCure Proton Therapy Center in Somerset, N.J.— a milestone that was celebrated with family, friends and Mackinson's treatment team. The Somerset Center opened officially on March 20 (one month ahead of schedule), enabling Mackinson to begin treatment on March 28. Proton therapy is a precise form of radiation treatment for cancer without many of the short- and long-term side effects often experienced with standard X-ray radiation.

Mackinson, who owns and operates a contracting company in Bound Brook, responded very well to his treatment cycle. His therapy regimen was directed at a solitary plasmacytoma of the paranasal sinuses that had been eroding into the skull base and brain. "Two weeks into my treatment, I noticed a marked improvement in my peripheral vision, which I had been gradually losing over the past three years," Mackinson said. "Now that my treatment has concluded, I'm driving again - and also golfing. My wife and I are looking forward to a bright and active future."

"We are thrilled that our first N.J. patient experienced tangible clinical and lifestyle improvements," said Dr. Brian Chon, medical director of the ProCure Proton Therapy Center and Mackinson's treating radiation oncologist. "It is only recently that proton therapy has been widely available to patients. I look forward to bringing protons to thousands of other patients like Mr. Mackinson in N.J., N.Y. and the surrounding region."

Studies have shown proton therapy to be effective in treating many types of tumors, including brain, central nervous system, gastrointestinal, head and neck, lung and prostate as well as sarcomas and many pediatric cancers. The precision of proton therapy makes it especially effective for treating children and adults with anatomically complex tumors, such as tumors along the spinal cord, at the base of the skull and in the sinuses, like Mackinson's.

The ProCure Therapy Center in Somerset is the first proton treatment facility in N.J. and the N.Y. metro area. It is only the 10^th such center in the nation.

Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in N.J. It's estimated that approximately 49,000 N.J. residents will be diagnosed with cancer each year and more than 107,000 N.Y. residents will receive such a diagnosis.

"Proton therapy at ProCure has vastly improved my condition," Mackinson said. "I hope that by sharing my experience, I might open doors for others in N.J. and the N.Y. metro area who could be helped by protons."