Protecting the Heart While Treating Breast Cancer: NYPC Highlights the Promise of Proton Therapy During National Heart Month
February is National Heart Month, an opportunity to raise awareness not only about cardiovascular health, but also about the importance of protecting the heart during cancer treatment.
At the New York Proton Center (NYPC), we are focused on advancing radiation therapy approaches that treat cancer effectively while minimizing short- and long-term risks for our patients. For patients with breast cancer, particularly left-sided disease, heart protection is a critical part of that conversation.
Why Heart Health Matters in Breast Cancer Radiation
Radiation therapy plays a vital role in curing breast cancer and reducing the risk of recurrence. However, long-term data have shown that radiation exposure to the heart—even at relatively low doses – can increase the risk of future cardiovascular disease. As breast cancer survival rates continue to rise, reducing treatment-related cardiac risk has become an essential component of high-quality cancer care.
Patients who may be especially vulnerable include:
- Those with left-sided breast cancer
- Patients requiring radiation of nearby lymph nodes
- Patients with preexisting cardiovascular risk factors
- Younger women with long expected survivorship
How Proton Therapy Helps Protect the Heart
Proton therapy offers a fundamentally different way to deliver radiation. Unlike conventional photon radiation therapy, protons deposit most of their energy directly in the tumor and then stop, dramatically reducing radiation exposure to nearby organs such as the heart and lungs.
For many breast cancer patients, this precision can result in:
- Lower mean heart dose, resulting in reduced risk of future coronary artery disease and other cardiovascular complications
- Reduced exposure to critical cardiac substructures such as the arteries, ventricles, and valves
- Less incidental radiation to the lungs
- A treatment approach designed with long-term survivorship in mind
Radcomp Clinical Trial: Advancing Evidence-Based, Heart-Sparing Care
NYPC is proud to contribute to the RADCOMP (Radiotherapy Comparative Effectiveness) Trial, the largest randomized clinical trial comparing proton therapy with conventional photon radiation in patients with non-metastatic breast cancer.
The study is designed to determine whether proton therapy reduces major cardiovascular events and how treatment affects patients’ quality of life, including financial burden, fatigue, and anxiety.
According to Dr. Isabelle Choi, Associate Member at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Director of Research at NYPC, Chair of the Physician Advisory Committee for the National Association for Proton Therapy, and investigator in the RADCOMP Trial, “As radiation oncologists, our responsibility extends beyond curing the cancer in front of us – we must also consider the health our patients will have decades after treatment. Proton therapy allows us to meaningfully reduce radiation exposure to the heart, which may translate into important long-term benefits for many breast cancer patients.”
Benefits in Treating Other Cancers
The heart-sparing benefits of proton therapy are not limited to breast cancer. Patients who need radiation as part of their treatment for lung, thoracic, or esophageal tumors, as well as lymphomas, can benefit as well. When these areas are treated with proton therapy, more radiation is focused on the tumor, and nearby healthy organs such as the heart receive little unnecessary radiation.
A Commitment to Long-Term Survivorship
National Heart Month underscores a simple but powerful principle: how we treat cancer today shapes a patient’s health tomorrow. At NYPC, heart-sparing approaches like proton therapy reflect a broader commitment to treating the whole patient – not just the disease.
Looking Ahead
Research through RADCOMP and other studies will continue to refine how proton therapy is used in the treatment of breast cancer and other malignancies where the heart could receive unnecessary radiation. In the meantime, NYPC remains dedicated to advancing evidence-based treatment options that aim to protect the heart while delivering world-class cancer care.