The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) will contribute $11.8 million to fund a study evaluating the effectiveness of new proton beam therapy for treating breast cancer as part of the institute’s initiative to support pragmatic clinical studies.
Research will be led by physicians at the University of Pennsylvania with a project period of five years. The study will focus on comparing proton beam therapy to conventional photon radiation therapy and whether the former can treat disease while minimizing collateral damage to healthy organs and tissue, including the heart.
The study is part of a broad funding package from PCORI that will see more than $120 million dedicated to 34 patient centered clinic comparative clinical effectiveness research studies. Other major project included in the 2015 funding announcement include studies focused on diabetes, children with Crohn’s disease and hip fracture surgical treatments in older adults.
Evan joined TriMed in 2011, writing primarily for Health Imaging. Prior to diving into medical journalism, Evan worked for the Nine Network of Public Media in St. Louis. He also has worked in public relations and education. Evan studied journalism at the University of Missouri, with an emphasis on broadcast media.