The National Association for Proton Therapy (NAPT) will hold its very first conference Feb. 11-14, 2013 at the Washington Marriott Metro Center in Washington, D.C.

“All the key proton bases will be covered,” Len Arzt, executive director of NAPT, told DOTmed News.

At NPC2013, attendees will have a chance to come together over a three-day period to network and learn about what’s new in the world of proton therapy. According to Arzt, reimbursement and economic issues are topics on a lot of people’s minds, and during the conference, several congressional leaders, speakers from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the National Cancer Institute will be able to shed some light on the latest reimbursement, regulatory and legislative issues that affect proton therapy.
A panel on “The Walter Reed Particle Therapy Initiative: Is Carbon Therapy in Our Future?” is another newsworthy topic, according to Arzt.

Another panel, this one about pediatric patterns of care, moderated by Susan Ralston of the Pediatric Proton Foundation, will feature Dr. Daniel Indelicato of the University of Florida, Dr. Anita Mahajan of MD Anderson Cancer Center and Dr. Andrew Chang of Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute.

Dr. Sameer Keole of ProCure Proton Therapy Center will talk about prostate cancer with some former patients who will share their stories.

“We will also announce the results of a new scientific prostate patient outcomes study based on data from the Brotherhood of the Balloon group,” said Arzt.

For developers in attendance, there will be sessions on what it takes to successfully run a proton center, including marketing and branding a facility.

“We have access for full participation by all the proton physicians and our members have gone through the process of developing proton centers so they will share what works and what to watch out for,” said Arzt.

In addition to the 10 proton centers currently operating across the U.S., 10 more are under development. These range from smaller scale centers like Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, which will start treating patients in October, to large-scale centers like Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, which is expected to open next spring.

“Proton therapy is at the forefront of radiation treatment. Over the next five years, it will continue to expand both in the U.S. and abroad,” said Arzt.

NAPT expects a capacity crowd of 120 attendees at the conference.

Click here to read the Q&A with NAPT’s executive director, Len Artz.

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