This week is Patient Experience Week, with this year’s theme: Building the Foundations of Experience. At the New York Proton Center (NYPC), thousands of pediatric and adult patients from the tri-state area and around the world have been treated by the dedicated doctors, nurses, radiation therapists and other staff who are passionate about caring for and transforming lives through compassionate, supportive care.

One of those patients is Irene Hong.

After a long battle with breast cancer, Irene rang the end-of-treatment bell on March 26, 2025 — a powerful symbol of resilience and hope.

When first diagnosed with stage 1 invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) at the age of 36, Irene underwent surgery. But when her cancer disease extent was updated to stage 2, she knew from her treatment team that radiation therapy would be a next step.

“I kept thinking – we’ve been told to stay away from radiation our entire lives. It just didn’t make sense,” said Hong. “I had so many questions, and I was terrified of any potential long-term risks since I was under 40 years old.”

Her search for answers brought her to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), where she met Dr. Isabelle Choi, a radiation oncologist who specializes in treating breast cancer at MSK and NYPC. Irene asked Dr. Choi what the safest option available was given her young age, wanting to travel and have children one day, and wanting to protect her heart from long-term treatment complications. That conversation led her to proton therapy at NYPC.

“I still had some anxiety,” said Irene, “but Dr. Choi and the nurses were so amazing at soothing my nerves.”

Between personalized nutritional recommendations, daily exercise support, and even personal check-in calls from Dr. Choi, Irene describes her care as “white glove service.”

“I have several friends who went through radiation, and none of them said they had this kind of attention and care,” said Irene. “This white glove service included a list of 20 stretches that the staff gave to me as part of my holistic treatment plan, which I thought was pretty cool. I even gave them to my friends to try.”

Lead Radiation Therapist Jason Pineiro, who has been with NYPC for five years, says that level of care is intentional.

“Proton therapy can be very intimidating,” said Jason. “But every patient is different, and we cater to each patient as much as we can to make them comfortable. Whether it’s letting them choose their own music, showing movies during treatment for pediatric patients, or adjusting pillows and providing heated blankets—we want to make the experience as warm and inviting as it can be.”

For Irene, that attention made all the difference.

“Am I in a hotel?” she joked. “Everyone knows my name at NYPC – even the staff at the front desk – which is bizarre because I’m always wearing a cap, and somehow, they know it’s me. The women’s waiting room was like a sound bath with virtual forest visuals, and every therapist who treated me was phenomenal.”

The NYPC was designed and built from the ground up with an eye toward improving the patient experience and creating a welcoming and reassuring environment, from the comfort of the physical space to the warmth and sincerity of the clinical staff.

Jason emphasizes the importance of listening to patients to provide not just physical, but also emotional and psychological comfort.

“The number one thing we can do is listen,” he said. “Sometimes, patients just need someone to hear them and say, ‘What can I do to help?’”

Now, Irene is sharing her journey to encourage other cancer patients, especially Asian American women, through her TikTok channel, and educating them on proton therapy.

“I just wish more women, especially younger women, knew proton therapy was an option to treat breast cancer,” she said. “I love the NYPC team. I’m not sad I’m not going in there every week, but I am sad I don’t see the staff anymore. This treatment gave me a better quality of life, and I feel better and more confident every day.”

Ask your doctor if proton therapy might be right for you or for your loved ones. Choosing proton therapy might be the most powerful way to target your tumor and get you back to your life faster and healthier.

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