LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Barely six months since opening in August of 2023, the Proton Center of Arkansas has become renowned as the only clinic in the state providing cutting-edge radiation therapy.
UAMS collaborated with Baptist Health, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, and Proton International to open the center and bring advanced treatment methods to cancer patients in the state.
What makes this form of therapy unique is that it kills cancer cells without causing harm to healthy cells and organs near the tumor.
One of the first patients to take advantage of the availability of this superior technology was Arkansas native Shannon Fleming.
Fleming works as a long-term care administrator currently and also spent many years working in higher education. His journey at the Proton Center came after he had been treated for prostate cancer.
He said he discovered the prostate cancer through a routine exam and encourages other men to remain vigilant about getting their annual PSA test for prostate cancer. It’s a cancer that doesn’t show symptoms until it’s potentially too late for a simple treatment.
“Your body, 99% of the time, is not going to alert you that you have prostate cancer. You won't have any physical symptoms. The only way you're going to find out is by frequent PSA testing," Fleming said.
Weeks after ending radiation treatment for a recurrence of his prostate cancer, Fleming said he's been feeling better.
Last summer, he learned from his doctor that the cancer had come back, this time in three of his lymph nodes. However, he chose to handle the news with hope and confidence.
“My first question was, what's the next step? What do we do,” he explained.
Fleming looks back on the experience as a chance opportunity that put him in the right place at the right time.
"Proton had just come onto the scene. I mean, the center wasn't even open yet, when I found out the diagnosis”, he described.
As he and his wife considered their options for treatment for the recurrence, the new proton center opened its doors. Fleming was placed in the care of Dr. Sanjay Maraboyina, MD, a radiation oncologist and the clinic director.
According to Dr. Maraboyina, having proton radiation available in Arkansas is easing the burden of issues such as travel for patients who need treatment, like Fleming.
“You can imagine getting the diagnosis of cancer, having to undergo surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. It really takes a toll on patients. So being able to do this treatment close to home makes a huge difference”, added Dr. Maraboyina.
Proton therapy is among the most advanced forms of cancer radiation treatment in the world today. Its pinpoint accuracy makes it effective for a variety of tumors, in virtually all age groups, including babies.
Tumor-killing proton technology can be targeted within millimeters of accuracy, and is so precise that it leaves little to no damage to the healthy cells and organs around it.
Dr. Maraboyina said that the virtually painless treatment allows patients to receive powerful doses without the discomfort of older therapies.
“We see that with proton therapy, patients, because they have reduced side effects, are more likely to complete their long courses of treatment," he added.
For Shannon Fleming, the technology is a gift that came at just the right time, to deliver to him, new hope for a long and healthy journey ahead.
“The good Lord works in mysterious ways, and sometimes not so mysterious. We just don't blink. We move forward, we lean on our spiritual foundation. We lean on family and friends, and we move forward," Fleming said.