The National Association for Proton Therapy

For decades, proton therapy has offered medical patients a source of hope with an advanced form of cancer treatment that is highly effective against cancerous conditions through the use of technology that induces fewer side effects and is less harmful to healthy organs and tissue.  Especially for pediatric patients and others experiencing the most serious and inoperable forms of cancer, proton therapy is often the best possible option for remission, survival and a better quality of life during and after treatment.

Today, the proton industry is maturing as more treatment centers come online that are operated by major hospital systems and universities.  In addition, new technologies are producing effective treatments for an ever-growing variety of conditions – including cancers of the breast, gastrointestinal tract, head and neck.

Represented by NAPT, nearly 50 proton centers nationwide deliver effective cancer treatments supported by years of research and backed by numerous peer-reviewed clinical studies.  Nevertheless, proton therapy continues to face opposition from the legacy oncology community and health insurers, who often deny coverage for this life-saving, life-changing treatment.

To confront these headwinds, NAPT turned to Westfourth to help tell the industry’s story of growth, effectiveness, and successful patient outcomes. This required a new approach to messaging, media outreach and marketing that would more effectively position proton therapy as an essential treatment option for cancer patients everywhere.

Results:

Through a new website, redesigned marketing materials and a re-invigorated social media presence, Westfourth has completely updated the way NAPT presents itself to patients, regulators and policymakers, and the medical community. Today, the team continues to conduct media outreach and develop multi-media content that is effectively telling the story of proton therapy’s effectiveness and technological advancement. The result has been a dramatic increase in the use of NAPT as a source of credible information about proton therapy – a vital step toward countering misinformation spread by groups who have a vested financial interest in dissuading cancer patients from seeking this life-saving treatment.