Issue link: http://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/905617
An executive director for the Illinois School Counselor Association and the Illinois Mental Health Counselors Association, Dan Stasi knows the importance of exams. An annual physical alerted him that he was living with prostate cancer back in the spring of 2010. Dan eventually traveled to undergo specialized treatment. Making the Trek for Treatment PROSTATE SCREENING ENDS up saving many lives like Dan's, often before any symptoms are present. "Dan's biopsy showed he was at high-risk and confirmed quick action was necessary," says Urologist Sajit Bux, MD, FACS, Northwestern Medicine KishHealth Physician Group. "I recommended he either go for surgery or radiation therapy." PROACTIVE PATIENT Dan thought he wanted prostatectomy surgery, but he changed his plans after a friend told him about proton therapy. "Proton therapy was all the buzz when I was diagnosed, and after researching it, we agreed it seemed promising," Dan says. "At the time, only eight proton treatment centers existed in the U.S. The nearest was at Indiana University." After a short trip to Bloomington, Indiana, to seek treatment, Dan and his wife, Ronna, found a closer-to-home program in Warrenville, Illinois, that was just opening up. "I was one of their first patients," Dan says. Dr. William Hartsell, who is the medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Chicago Proton Center, performed radiation therapy using proton beams instead of X-rays to destroy Dan's cancer cells. Proton therapy allows physicians to precisely aim the highest dose at the tumor and avoid healthy tissue, providing many advantages over X-ray therapy. Proton therapy shows proven results in treating a range of cancers. AT PEAK HEALTH The noninvasive treatment went well and was virtually painless. The following January, Dan received a coin, marking the end of his treatment. Soon after, he celebrated with a tattoo on his arm of Bragg Peak, a graphic representation of what the proton beam would look like. Dan's recent visit to Dr. Bux in 2017 confirmed a healthyprostate. A LOCAL CONNECTION DeKalb-area patients who opt for proton therapy have a local resource in Radiation Oncologist Amit D. Bhate. The DeKalb Radiation Oncologist provides proton therapy treatment at the Northwestern Medicine Chicago Proton Center in Warrenville. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Bux, call 815.758.8671. BENEFITS OF PROTON THERAPY Proton therapy targets tumors with precision. "This type of treatment goes directly to the tumor site and protects surrounding tissue from harm," Dr. Bhate says. "Therefore, it has minimal side effects and is proven to get results." For those who want the most advanced approach to treating cancer, proton therapy may be an effective option. 6