Proton beam therapy is an advanced form of radiotherapy that harnesses the physical properties of protons to optimise radiotherapy delivery while minimising unnecessary radiation exposure to nearby organs.
At the same time, advances in conventional radiotherapy techniques such as stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) and image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT), have also gradually improved the therapeutic ratio of radiation treatment.
In this talk, we will explore the benefits and limitations of proton therapy (PBT) and identify clinical scenarios where PBT may have advantages over conventional radiotherapy.
Additionally, we will also consider situations where conventional radiotherapy remains the preferred choice over PBT.
Our Speaker
Dr. Shaun Ho
Radiation Oncologist
Dr. Shaun Ho is a radiation oncologist at Proton Therapy SG, Singapore Institute of Advanced Medicine. He is an MOH accredited specialist in Radiation Oncology and a Fellow of the Academy of Medicine Singapore. He is also a Fellow of the UK Royal College of Radiologists (Clinical Oncology) and a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. Additionally, he holds a Graduate Diploma in Palliative Medicine.
Dr. Ho underwent radiation oncology specialist training at NCCS and subsequently completed his HMDP fellowship in Clinical Oncology at University College London Hospital (UCLH) in the UK. During his fellowship, he treated patients at UCH Macmillan Cancer Centre, the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (NHNN), and was part of the London Sarcoma Service. His subspecialty training was in gastrointestinal oncology, neuro-oncology, sarcomas and lymphomas. He also underwent further training in proton beam therapy (PBT) at Kobe Proton Therapy Center in Japan, and at Taipei Medical University in Taiwan with a focus on regionally endemic conditions such as NPC and liver cancers.
Dr. Ho previously served as a Consultant Radiation Oncologist at the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS), specialising in gastrointestinal oncology, sarcomas, and lymphomas. During his time in public service, he received the SingHealth 10-year long service award in recognition of his contributions to patient care.
Prior to joining Proton Therapy SG, Dr. Ho was the Clinical Director of Radiation Oncology Services at Raffles Hospital. There, he operationalised their first radiotherapy services, which included techniques such as Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) for lung and bone tumors, Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) for brain metastases, Deep Inspiratory Breath-hold (DIBH) Radiotherapy for breast cancer, and Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) for cancers in the head and neck, lung, and prostate.
To advance the radiation oncology specialty in Singapore, Dr. Ho served on the Executive Committees of the Chapter of Radiation Oncologists in the College of Radiologists Singapore, and the Singapore Radiological Society. He is also a member of the International Society for Radiosurgery.
Dr. Ho treats patients for a wide range of conditions. His specialty interests are in the treatment of gastrointestinal cancers, head & neck cancers, lung cancer, prostate cancer, brain tumors and breast cancer.
