Proton therapy helps change outcome for New York cancer patient

A type of cancer treatment only offered at one place in New York is giving a Rockland County resident hope and more time with her loved ones.

Marie Francillion was diagnosed with cancer after she was feeling heartburn and shoulder pain. Her daughter, who is a nurse, took her to different specialists but didn't get clear answers.

A CT scan ultimately revealed she had lung cancer, which spread to her lymph nodes. 

"I don't drink, I don't smoke -- only water and coffee," Francillion said.

She was first put on a targeted drug to shrink the tumors at Memorial Sloan Kettering. Then she was referred to the New York Proton Center in Harlem to get rid of the remaining disease. 

"Fewer side effects, better preservation of quality of life" 

Dr. Charles Simone, the chief medical officer at the center, said proton therapy can offer a more precise approach than traditional radiation.

"Here, we can send the radiation and directly hit the tumor, and then all the radiation gets deposited in the tumor. So all the normal tissues beyond that area are completely protected, and we can have fewer side effects, better preservation of quality of life for patients," he said.

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Simone said most lung cancer patients receive some type of radiation. 

"Many patients who couldn't be treated safely before now have the option of getting proton therapy," he said. 

Francillion's daughter, Rachelle, said, "You would never know my mom was receiving radiation."

"She was not tired. She was herself, still cooking. You would never know. So it's so amazing to see like how far radiation has come," she said.

"No longer like a death sentence"

Since treatment in 2022, Francillion has marked major milestones. She has celebrated her daughter's wedding, welcomed her two grandchildren and is now cancer-free.

"It's such a blessing that lung cancer is no longer like a death sentence because of people like Dr. Simone that choose to continue the research and continue to not give up so that we can have more birthdays," her daughter said. 

Since her proton therapy, Francillion sees Simone every three months and has shown no signs of cancer recurrence. 

She just turned 65 and continues to celebrate the gift of more time, more memories and the chance to spread more hope.