Dr. Weg on how prostate cancer patients can prepare for proton therapy
Do you have questions about proton therapy for prostate cancer? Whether you’re a patient who’s just beginning the process, a caregiver who wants to support a loved one, or you are considering protons for prostate cancer, this 20-minute video by Dr. Emily Weg is an excellent introduction on how to prepare and what to expect.
In this blog post, learn how prostate cancer patients can prepare for proton therapy from Fred Hutch's Dr. Emily Weg. Also get to know our dosimetrist, Kathleen Morris.
Dr. Weg, a prostate cancer expert, talks about how our providers work with prostate cancer patients to prepare them to receive proton therapy. In a straightforward, easy-to-understand manner, she explains what’s involved, from spacing gel and fiducial markers, to positioning devices and more.
There are many treatment options for prostate cancer. Dr. Weg advises patients to learn what their options are and think about their personal preferences and priorities. The physician’s job is to help patients find the treatment that best fits their goals. “For many men, that’s minimizing side effects from treatment, and in this case, proton therapy is an excellent option,” says Dr. Weg.
“Proton therapy is a scare resource. We are lucky to have access to the only proton center in the Pacific Northwest,” adds Dr. Weg. “What I really like about working here is the teamwork: The entire team — from concierge, to nursing, to dosimetry, to therapy — works together to put patients first.”
Dr. Weg’s presentation was filmed at a recent Prostate Dinner Club meeting, held by Fred Hutch - Proton Therapy (formerly SCCA Proton Therapy Center). Anyone is welcome to join our Prostate Dinner Club meetings, even caregivers. Consider joining us if you would like to meet other patients who have been treated with protons.
“Men with prostate cancer who get proton therapy become part of a special community,” says Dr. Weg. “The dinner clubs help nourish that community. These men come with different goals — looking to learn more, looking for support or camaraderie — and the dinner clubs are a great way to meet all of those goals.”
Meet Kathleen Morris, dosimetrist
After working in the tech industry in New York City and Seattle for 15 years, Kathleen Morris wanted to do something very different, although she wasn’t yet sure what that would be. A career in health care had never occurred to her.
Then, Morris’ father, a writer best known for his finance writing, decided to write about heart surgery and health care. He embedded himself with the heart surgeons at New York-Presbyterian Hospital for several months and offered Morris the opportunity to join him in observing an open-heart surgery.
For Morris this was an “a-ha” moment, and she first set her sights on becoming a surgical physician assistant. After taking pre-med classes and earning a certificate in surgical technology at Seattle Central Community College, she decided to shadow workers in the healthcare field. Morris’ neighbor, Dr. Tony Quang, a University of Washington professor and radiation oncologist, invited Morris to shadow his physics and dosimetry colleagues. “I was among many people on this planet who had no clue what medical dosimetry is,” says Morris, “but in just a few minutes of watching over the dosimetrist’s shoulder, I knew that it was a better fit for me than surgery was.”
As Morris soon learned, medical dosimetrists work with radiation oncologists to design treatment plans for cancer treatments like proton therapy.
Having decided to pursue a career in dosimetry, Morris met Fred Hutch dosimetrist Myra Lavilla, who encouraged her to apply to her alma mater, MD Anderson in Houston, Texas. MD Anderson has an excellent training program.
“I loved everything about dosimetry training, but my clinical rotation in proton therapy remains an especially fond memory,” says Morris. “I always knew that someday I would work in protons, and when the opportunity to join Fred Hutch – Proton Therapy (formerly SCCA Proton Therapy Center) arose, I knew that day had come.”
Morris says that Captain Chesley Sullenberger, the “Miracle on the Hudson” hero, is an inspiration to her because his story is about the humility, caring and discipline needed to fly safely. “Radiation oncology is not so different: It takes both individual performance and teamwork, excellent training and the continual ability to make critical decisions to safely care for the human beings on the other end of our decisions,” explains Morris.
In her free time, Morris enjoys swimming in Lake Washington all summer and seeing dance and music concerts all fall and winter.
If you are interested in meeting Morris and the other medical physicists and dosimetrists at the Fred Hutch, please let the concierge team know at concierge@seattleprotons.org.
