Advocate Radiation Oncology has opened its 12^th cancer treatment center, establishing a presence inside the home of Southwest Florida Proton in Estero.

The new location features state-of-the-art, cutting-edge technology alongside world-class, board-certified physicians. The Estero location offers a new Varian TrueBeam, a linear accelerator that targets and destroys tumor cells in the body using external-beam radiation. Advocate physicians provide treatments for breast, prostate, lung, head, neck and other types of cancers.

“We’ve been considering Estero for several years because of the community’s sharp rate of growth and it’s essentially the midway point between Fort Myers and Naples,” said Dr. Todd Pezzi, who is treating patients at the Estero location. “This location will be unique in that patients will have direct access to the first proton therapy center on Florida’s west coast starting in late 2025, as well as Lee Health’s diagnostic imaging center.”

Southwest Florida Proton, which is expected to be fully operational by late 2025, will provide proton therapy, an advanced form of radiation therapy that precisely targets cancerous tumors while minimizing radiation exposure to nearby healthy tissues, which can reduce potential side effects and complications. In December, Lee Health began offering MRI, CT and PET scan services, including the 3T MRI that produces high-resolution images and offers a magnetic field twice as strong as traditional MRI machines.

Advocate Radiation Oncology’s Estero location is the practice’s sixth cancer treatment center in Southwest Florida; other locations include Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Bonita Springs, Naples and Port Charlotte. Additionally, Advocate operates centers in Venice and Bradenton to the north, and West Palm Beach, Tamarac, Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach to the east. 

Pezzi, who is board certified in radiation oncology through the American Board of Radiology, obtained his Doctor of Medicine degree with honors from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, and was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. Pezzi completed one year of residency in internal medicine at Lankenau Medical Center and a four-year residency program in radiation oncology through the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

The new cancer treatment center is located at 9961 Estero Oaks Drive in Estero, on the northwest corner of Three Oaks Parkway and Estero Parkway. For more information about Advocate’s doctors and cancer treatment options, please visit AdvocateRO.com.