World-class cancer care should be accessible and convenient to all

Cancer can strike anyone, anywhere.

Your wealth, your job title, your genealogy, your geography… it doesn’t matter. No one is immune to being diagnosed with cancer.

The recent revelation of former President Joe Biden’s prostate cancer proves that even someone receiving the best medical care in the world cannot avoid a cancer diagnosis. What he has, though – and what everyone in America should have – is convenient access to world-class health care.

No one should have to travel across the state or the country for life-saving medical treatments. Hearing a cancer diagnosis is jarring enough. Hearing that the best expertise and treatment require that you leave your home to live in another location for weeks to months, depending on the type of cancer, is overwhelming and incomprehensible to many. Patients and doctors struggle with the conversation about care that is unattainable in America without travel; it is a delicate and complicated conversation to tell patients, “This is the best treatment, but I’m sorry, we cannot deliver this treatment here.”

Over the past decade, Southwest Florida’s continuum of cancer care has rapidly advanced. Lee Health is among those leading the charge. The nationally recognized Lee Health Cancer Institute is the region’s only accredited cancer center, offering life-changing technology, personalized treatment options and the latest advancements in clinical trials. Golisano Children’s Hospital is a state-of-the-art medical center that provides vital, lifesaving care for children and their families in an environment that soothes anxiety and fear. Cutting-edge medical practices, such as Advocate Radiation Oncology, are combining state-of-the-art technology with experienced physicians who champion compassionate care.

Still, local doctors are having to tell some cancer patients, “I’m sorry, but we cannot give you the care that we would like to deliver here.” Radiation therapy remains one of the most common cancer treatment options, along with surgery and chemotherapy. Still, the best standard of care for some of the most serious types of cancer – brain, spine, breast, esophageal, head and neck, liver, lung, eye, pancreas, prostate, lymphomas, soft tissue sarcomas and pediatric cancers – is proton therapy.

Thousands of cancer treatment centers are located around the U.S., from small towns to big cities and everything in between. Though the number of proton centers has increased from three to 46 over the years that I have practiced radiation oncology with proton radiation, regional access remains a primary barrier to receiving this treatment. Most proton centers are in larger metropolitan areas and are affiliated with large hospital systems or major universities. However, through competitive engineering and technological advancements, access to proton therapy is gradually increasing. Southwest Florida Proton in Estero is an excellent example of bringing the most sophisticated proton technology to a community.

In Florida, there are six proton centers: two in Miami, one in Delray Beach, one in Orlando and two in Jacksonville. That means Southwest Floridians living in Naples, Fort Myers, Cape Coral or Port Charlotte are looking at a two- to three-hour drive, each way, to access a treatment that literally could save their lives or allow them to live without terrible side effects. Despite a two- to three-hour trip being a shorter distance than for most patients in the U.S., it still requires a move away from the social support of family, staying in a hotel or rented apartment, or spending the entire day traveling to and from treatment.

Traveling for health care disrupts lives during a period already filled with stress, anxiety and financial hardships. Many patients may choose to forgo this treatment, or they may be unable to afford the travel costs. I have had young adult patients tell me that they worried about spending money to travel and live in an area for treatment. They feared that if they died, they would leave their family with less money, and others who thought about choosing a treatment with more side effects because they could not emotionally cope without having their social support system present through cancer treatment.

Distance from a proton center should not determine whether someone has access. Unfortunately, geography still matters, and a recent JAMA article reveals that regional access is a primary barrier to accessing proton therapy.

By the end of 2025, residents of Southwest Florida will have easy access to proton therapy. Engineers at Southwest Florida Proton are currently installing the final components of the IBA ProteusONE, widely regarded as the most modern and sophisticated proton machine available anywhere in the world. Testing and calibration will continue for the next few months.

Soon, doctors from Marco Island to North Port will be able to tell patients, “Yes, we can provide you with the best radiation treatment right here in Southwest Florida.” ¦

Dr. Shannon MacDonald is the medical director of Southwest Florida Proton and a pioneer in the field of proton therapy. For more information, visit SWFLproton.com.