As the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in Georgia, Winship is a at the forefront in lymphoma cancer treatments, conducting innovative research and clinical trials that are transforming how these cancers are identified, treated, and survived.
The radiation oncologists at Emory Proton Therapy Center work with the multidisciplinary Lymphoma radiation therapy team at Winship, which includes experts in hematology, transplant, radiology, pathology, supportive oncology, speech- language pathology, dieticians, social workers, physical therapy, and cancer rehabilitation. Your lymphoma radiation therapy oncologist will work closely with these other specialists to customize your treatment plan and coordinate your care. We can also partner with a patient’s existing care team, whether they are across town or around the world.
Proton Therapy for Lymphoma
A lymphoma diagnosis can be one of the biggest challenges you and your family will ever face. Our team is dedicated to helping you meet that challenge through supportive care using the most advanced lymphoma treatment options available. Proton therapy may be a more precise radiation option for treating lymphoma. By limiting radiation exposure to nearby organs such as the heart and lungs, it may help reduce the risk of long-term complications and secondary cancers.
Our cancer specialists will work with you to develop a personalized lymphoma cancer treatment plan which aims for fewer side effects and improved quality of life.
What We Treat
- Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
- Anaplastic large-cell lymphoma
- Burkitt lymphoma
- Mantle cell lymphoma
- Marginal zone B-cell lymphoma
- MALT lymphoma
- Follicular lymphoma
- Natural killer (NK) cell lymphoma
Why Choose Emory Proton Therapy Center for Your Lymphoma Treatment
When facing a lymphoma diagnosis, choosing the right treatment center can make a significant difference in your outcomes and experience. Emory Proton Therapy Center combines cutting-edge technology with the comprehensive cancer care expertise of Winship Cancer Institute, Georgia’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Our lymphoma program brings together specialists from multiple disciplines who meet regularly to discuss cases and coordinate care. This team approach means you benefit from collective expertise spanning hematology, radiation oncology, medical oncology, and supportive care. We participate in national research initiatives and clinical trials, giving you access to the latest advances in lymphoma treatment.
The Emory Proton Therapy Center features state-of-the-art pencil beam scanning technology, which allows for even more precise radiation delivery than older proton therapy systems. Our radiation therapists and physicists have extensive experience treating lymphoma patients, and they work meticulously to create treatment plans that maximize tumor control while protecting your healthy tissue.
Beyond the technology, our patients consistently tell us that the compassionate, personalized care they receive makes their treatment journey more manageable. From your first consultation through your final follow-up appointment, you’ll have a dedicated care team supporting you every step of the way.
Patient Stories
“I’ve been through it, and I can’t say enough about the amazing care I received. The team who handled my treatments was absolutely wonderful, making a difficult time so much easier to navigate.”
My experience at Emory was incredible—it was as easy as drinking water! The therapy sessions only took about 5 to 10 minutes, and right after, I’d go for a 4-mile walk every single day. I had no side effects whatsoever—I can’t even tell that I had the treatment. Emory truly saved my life, and I couldn’t be more grateful.
Stephen, a 36-year old father from Columbus, Georgia, is one of the almost 2000 patients who have been treated at the Emory Proton Therapy Center since it opened in December 2018. He completed six weeks of proton therapy to treat a brain tumor.
“I went through 37 treatments for prostate cancer at the Emory Proton Center two years ago. The care I received from their team of professionals was amazing. I was willing to travel from South Carolina for treatment, and I’m so thankful I did. I started this fight in 2017 and today my PSA is still undetectable. Truly amazing folks.”
Proton therapy gave Zack his best shot at treating a spinal tumor that had come back. Zack was one of the first patients treated at the Emory Proton Therapy Center after it opened in 2018. The treatments, every weekday for six weeks, took less than one hour of his day and gave Zack the greatest odds of a long life with his wife and children.
Tony was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2019 and sought care from experts at Emory Proton Therapy Center. He’s confident that the advanced radiation therapy gave him the best cancer treatment possible and says the comfort and care he got from Winship doctors and staff were unmatched. “There were many great solutions here in Atlanta, but the best to me was Emory Proton Therapy Center,” says Tony.
Understanding How Proton Therapy Works for Lymphoma
Proton therapy represents a significant advancement in radiation treatment for lymphoma patients. Unlike traditional X-ray radiation (photon therapy), which passes through the body and can damage healthy tissue both before and after reaching the tumor, proton therapy delivers radiation with remarkable precision. The proton beam releases most of its energy directly at the tumor site, then stops—minimizing exposure to surrounding organs.
For lymphoma patients, this precision is particularly valuable because lymph nodes often sit near critical structures. Mediastinal lymphomas, for example, are located in the chest near the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels. Proton therapy’s ability to spare these organs may reduce side effects during treatment and help lower the long-term risk of complications such as heart disease or secondary cancers—concerns that are especially important for younger patients who may live for many decades after successful treatment.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Proton Therapy?
Proton therapy for lymphoma may be especially beneficial for certain patient groups. Young adults and children with Hodgkin lymphoma or non-Hodgkin lymphoma are often excellent candidates because protecting healthy tissue becomes increasingly important when patients have decades of life ahead. Women with mediastinal lymphomas particularly benefit from reduced breast tissue exposure, lowering their risk of developing breast cancer later in life.
Patients with lymphomas located near the heart, lungs, or spine may also be ideal candidates, as proton therapy can significantly reduce radiation exposure to these sensitive areas. Additionally, individuals who have received previous radiation treatments or those with genetic conditions that increase cancer risk may find proton therapy offers an important safety advantage.
During your consultation, our radiation oncologists will carefully evaluate your specific diagnosis, tumor location, overall health, and treatment goals to determine whether proton therapy is the right choice for your lymphoma treatment plan.
Benefits of Proton Therapy For Lymphoma
Lymphomas may occur anywhere in the body. Below are potential benefits of proton therapy depending on the type of lymphoma and location in the body.
Traditional radiation can increase your lifetime risk of developing a second, different cancer. This is particularly concerning for lymphoma patients because:
- Many lymphoma patients are young (teens, 20s, 30s, 40s) with 40-60+ years of life ahead
- The risk of secondary cancers increases over time and effects may not appear until 10-30 years after treatment
- Common radiation-induced secondary cancers include breast cancer, lung cancer, thyroid cancer, and sarcomas
How proton therapy helps: Because proton therapy delivers radiation more precisely, it can significantly reduce exposure to nearby healthy organs. This reduction in radiation dose is expected to lower the long-term risk of secondary cancers compared with conventional radiation therapy.
Who benefits most: Patients under age 50, individuals with a favorable prognosis and long life expectancy, and patients whose lymphomas are located near critical organs such as the heart or lungs. It may also be particularly beneficial for patients with hereditary cancer predisposition syndromes, such as Li-Fraumeni syndrome, where minimizing radiation exposure is especially important.
Benefits for Head & Neck Lymphomas
- Reduced risk of painful sores in the mouth (mucositis) during treatment
- Reduced risk of dry mouth (xerostomia) after radiation.
- Reduced risk of dental decay after radiation.
- Reduced risk of problems swallowing (dysphagia or aspiration) during or after therapy.
- Reduced risk of hoarseness during treatment and problems swallowing (dysphagia or aspiration) after therapy.
- Reduced risk of hearing loss after radiation. This is relevant for tumors near the cochlea, such as those in the nasopharynx, paranasal sinuses, or skull base.
- Reduced risk of hormone imbalances (endocrine dysfunction) which can particularly affect growth and development in children and young adults. This is relevant for tumors near the pituitary and hypothalamus, such as those in the nasopharynx, paranasal sinuses, or skull base.
- Reduced radiation to the bone marrow and circulating lymphocytes, which may help support the function of the immune system in taking on cancer.
- Reduced risk of developing a future second tumor or cancer, which is most relevant in younger patients, those with a good prognosis and a long life expectancy, and those patients who may have genetic conditions putting them at higher risk for developing other cancers.
Benefits for Thoracic Lymphomas
- Reduced risk of inflammation of the heart (pericarditis) and future heart problems like hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), stiffening of the heart muscle (fibrosis, cardiomyopathy), and heart attacks.
- Reduced risk of inflammation of the lungs (radiation pneumonitis) and problems with lung function (lung fibrosis).
- Reduced risk of difficulty or pain with swallowing (dysphagia or odynophagia) or chronic narrowing of the esophagus (stricture).
- Reduced radiation to the bone marrow and circulating lymphocytes, which may help support the function of the immune system in taking on cancer.
- Reduced the risk of low blood counts (anemia, neutropenia) which may support the body’s tolerance of chemotherapy.
- Reduced risk of developing a future second tumor or cancer, which is most relevant in younger patients, those with a good prognosis and a long life expectancy, and those patients who may have genetic conditions putting them at higher risk for developing other cancers.
Benefits for Pelvic Lymphomas
What Side Effects Can You Expect?
While proton therapy for lymphoma typically causes fewer side effects than conventional radiation, it’s important to know what you might experience.
During Treatment
For all treatment locations:
- Fatigue (most common)
- Skin redness or irritation in treatment area (similar to mild sunburn)
Location-specific:
- Head/Neck treatments: Throat discomfort, temporary taste changes
- Chest treatments: Mild cough, slight shortness of breath
- Pelvic treatments: Mild nausea, temporary bowel changes
Important to Know:
- Most patients maintain normal daily activities throughout treatment
- Side effects typically appear in weeks 2-3 of treatment
- Effects are usually manageable with supportive care
- Most side effects resolve within 2-4 weeks after treatment ends
Schedule a Consultation
What to Expect With Proton Therapy
The first step in your care is a consultation. During consultation, we review your medical history, perform a physical exam, decide if any additional tests are needed, discuss all radiation options that may be appropriate for your treatment plan, make recommendations, and answer questions.
To plan your treatment, you will undergo a “simulation” or planning session. During this visit our radiation therapists will help position you the way you will be treated each day. For patients receiving radiation treatment to the head and neck, a custom plastic mesh mask is made. This mask helps to get you in the correct position for treatment and fits snugly to remind you to hold still during treatment. You can see and breathe through the mask. A CT scan will be done to create a picture of you in the treatment position to design your radiation plan. Some patients also undergo an MRI during this visit to help identify the target for treatment. It normally takes 10 days for the team to design the proton treatment plan and perform the quality assurance checks before treatment begins.
Proton therapy is typically delivered once daily during weekdays, Monday through Friday. Most patients with lymphomas receive three to five weeks of daily radiation. While some conditions are treated with radiation alone, proton therapy may be integrated with chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or other treatments as part of a comprehensive plan of care.
Like other types of radiation, proton therapy treatments are invisible and painless. Most lymphoma treatments average 30 minutes each day in the treatment room.
Patients are seen by the radiation oncology physician team weekly during treatment to monitor progress, answer questions, address concerns, and manage any side effects from treatment. Your radiation oncologist will discuss a plan to assess response to treatment and for long-term follow-up after therapy.
Schedule a Consultation Today
Taking the first step toward advanced lymphoma treatment starts with a conversation. Our team is here to answer your questions, address your concerns, and help you make the most informed decision about your care.
Studies on Proton Therapy in Lymphoma
Our team has identified these studies as examples of the clinical benefits of proton therapy in lymphoma.