Proton Beam Radiation: Aryka’s Story

In many ways, Aryka is a typical 8th grader. She loves hedgehogs, crocheting, and painting her nails. And she has a calm, confident smile that puts others at ease.  

 “She has an amazing attitude toward life,” says her dad, Kevin.  

That attitude became important when a routine eye exam revealed something no one expected. At 12 years old, Aryka learned she had a tumor bigger than a golf ball behind her right eye. It reached toward her ear, pressed against nerves, and pushed her brain to the side.  

She did not have any symptoms. She did not have headaches. She did not feel sick. 

Yet Aryka was diagnosed with a tumor called mesenchymal chondrosarcoma. She had 2 craniotomies, which are surgeries where doctors open the skull to reach and remove part of the tumor. The surgeons were able to remove some, but not all, of the cancer. Her doctor suggested proton beam radiation treatment to kill the part that remained after surgery. They referred her to the Proton Therapy Center at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. 

World-class proton therapy 

Proton beam radiation therapy uses protons—small, energetic particles—to kill cancer cells. Proton beams are precisely aimed at the tumor so less radiation reaches healthy cells nearby. Compared to other forms of radiation therapy, protons have fewer side effects. This makes proton beam radiation a good choice for children whose bodies are still growing.  

More than 10 years ago, St. Jude built the world’s first proton therapy center just for children. Since then, more than 1,800 patients have received more than 50,000 proton therapy treatments at St. Jude.

“The St. Jude Proton Therapy Center was designed to treat the unique tumors that arise in children,” says Thomas Merchant, DO, PhD, St. Jude Radiation Oncology chair. “The space, the equipment, and our staff are unlike any other center in the world.”  

Simulation and treatment

Simulation is the term used to describe the initial steps taken to prepare a patient for treatment and design their treatment plan. During this visit, the care team finds the best position for safe, accurate, and reproducible treatment.  

“It has to be very precise, almost like surgery without cutting,” explains Randi Carter, a radiation therapist at St. Jude. “We have to kill the cancer cells, but we also have to miss all of the good cells.” 

Once the simulation is done, the doctor designs the radiation treatment. Then the patient is ready for radiation treatments. For this, patients lie on a table in the radiation therapy room while a large machine moves around them. The machine takes images to make the patient is in the correct position, which ensures radiation will go to the right location. Then radiation is delivered to the tumor. 

“It’s not as bad as you think,” Aryka says. “At first I was like, ‘Oh. There’s a laser going into my head.’ But I didn’t feel anything. The machine just sounds like tapping.” 

You are not alone 

Aryka still gets chemotherapy, but she has finished her proton beam radiation treatments. Her family hopes other kids who need proton therapy understand that it may look scary, but it does not hurt, and you are not alone. 

“We felt like we could trust Aryka’s team because they were taking it very seriously,” says Rachel, Aryka’s mom. “Their accuracy and concern about her treatment helped us trust the process more, too. We trusted that this was the best for her to get rid of the tumor.”