Proton Therapy at MD Anderson: Planning Housing for a Multi-Week Treatment Course

Quick answer: Proton therapy at MD Anderson usually means one session a day, Monday through Friday, for anywhere from about three to eight weeks depending on the cancer. Once you add your consult and planning visits up front and a little breathing room at the end, most families need MD Anderson proton therapy housing for somewhere between one and two and a half months. For a stay that long, a furnished apartment near the Texas Medical Center usually fits better than a hotel.

If you've just heard that proton therapy is the plan, two questions probably hit at once. Is this going to work? And where are we going to live for the next couple of months? Your care team has the first one. This guide is about the second.

Proton therapy is daily, but it isn't all day. Most of the time you're in and out. What makes it a real housing decision is the rhythm: five days a week, week after week, at a building a little apart from the main MD Anderson campus. Getting MD Anderson proton therapy housing right means planning for the whole course, not just the first night.

How long does proton therapy at MD Anderson take?

MD Anderson tells patients to expect treatment once a day, Monday through Friday, for up to eight weeks, with the exact length depending on the type of cancer. The first day or two run longer than the rest while the team gets everything lined up. Weekends and holidays are off.

To give you a feel for real numbers, MD Anderson studies have used courses like 30 treatments over six weeks for brain tumors and around 35 to 37 treatments over seven to seven and a half weeks for some head and lung cancers. Some newer schedules give larger daily doses and finish in about three weeks. Your radiation oncologist will give you the exact count, and you should plan your housing around that number.

The parts of the stay people forget to count.

Treatment days are only part of the picture. Before your first session, there's a consult and then a simulation, which is a planning visit where the team takes scans and builds a plan specific to you. There's usually a gap between simulation and day one while that plan is finished, so ask how long it typically runs for your case. If you're also getting chemo or other appointments on the main campus, those fold into the same weeks.

A simple way to estimate is to take your sessions, divide by five, and that’s your number of weeks of treatment. Add a week or two on the lead-up and a few days buffer at the end. Six weeks of treatment. Thirty sessions. And about two months in Houston when you add it all up. If you want a broader look at stay lengths across MD Anderson care, we break it down in how long MD Anderson patients usually stay in Houston.

Your first follow-up is usually four to six weeks after treatment ends. Some people head home and fly back for it, and some find it easier to stay put. Either way, it's worth knowing before you set a checkout date.

Where the Proton Therapy Center is and why it changes where you stay

This detail catches many families off guard. The MD Anderson Proton Therapy Center isn't inside the main hospital complex. It's at 1840 Old Spanish Trail, just south of the Texas Medical Center, with free parking right out front. Meanwhile, your labs, scans, chemo, or other visits may still be on the main campus.

So the best spot isn't necessarily the closest one to the main hospital. It's somewhere that makes both trips easy. That's why we'd look at the whole area covered on our Texas Medical Center housing page rather than a single block. Greenbriar Park, for example, is a ground-floor, stair-free option with free parking and an easy drive to Old Spanish Trail, which matters a lot when fatigue builds in the later weeks.

Having a car helps, since the Proton Center has its own lot. If you don't have one, METRO covers the area, and some of our locations offer a shuttle, so ask about it when you call.

Hotel or furnished apartment for a multi-week course?

A hotel is fine for a consult trip. Six or seven weeks is different. Radiation can mess with your appetite, and cooking something simple at 7 p.m. beats another round of takeout. A washer and dryer means you don't have to pack for two months. A separate bedroom means the patient can rest while the caregiver takes a call in the living room.

Money matters too. Many Houston lodging listings charge hotel tax on stays under 30 days and drop it once you pass 30, which many proton courses do. Our patient rates also stay the same year-round, even when busy seasons push other prices up. That's the idea behind our extended-stay housing and short-term furnished apartments near MD Anderson. Before you sign anything, review our checklist for our list of things to check before booking an apartment near the hospital.

Don't forget to plan for the caregiver

Caregivers do the driving, the cooking, the calendar, and a lot of the worrying. Over a long course, family members often take turns, so a second bedroom can make a real difference when a sibling flies in to give someone a break. If you're working remotely through treatment, ask about the WiFi and a spot to set up a laptop. Our caregiver housing page covers what helps most, and patient and family housing shows the setups that work for bigger groups.

If a social worker or case manager is helping coordinate your stay, they can reach us directly through our social workers and case managers page. 

Proton therapy for kids: a few extra things to plan for

MD Anderson treats children as young as infants with proton therapy, and younger kids sometimes need sedation, which can mean earlier mornings and longer days. Some children get chemo at Texas Children's and proton sessions at MD Anderson, so a central location saves a lot of back-and-forth. Think about room for naps, a place for siblings, and a kitchen that can handle picky eating on rough days.

When your care spans more than one Texas Medical Center hospital

Proton therapy in Houston happens at MD Anderson, but the rest of your care might not. Maybe you were diagnosed at Houston Methodist, had surgery at Baylor St. Luke's, or a family member gets care at Memorial Hermann-TMC, Ben Taub, or the Michael E. DeBakey VA. They're all within a short drive, which is why a central furnished apartment works so well when your appointments are spread out.

If you're weighing options between campuses, our guide to MD Anderson vs. Houston Methodist housing lays out the tradeoffs, and families looking for Houston Methodist family housing will find the same setup works for them.

A simple timeline for booking MD Anderson proton therapy housing

Call as soon as you have a consult date, even if you don't know your full schedule yet. Most people start with a shorter booking, then extend once the simulation is done, and they know their session count. Leave a little room at the end, because a session can occasionally get moved. And if you're staying for the follow-up visit, book through it now rather than scrambling later.

If you're still figuring out the bigger picture, our guides to housing near MD Anderson during cancer treatment and chemotherapy lodging close to the cancer center cover the rest. You can also start with our main MD Anderson housing page.

Frequently asked questions about MD Anderson proton therapy housing

How long will I need housing for proton therapy at MD Anderson?

Most people need housing for one to two and a half months. Proton therapy usually runs Monday through Friday for about three to eight weeks, and you'll want to add a week or two for your consult and planning visits plus a few days of buffer. Use your radiation oncologist's session count as the best number to plan around.

Where is the MD Anderson Proton Therapy Center?

It's at 1840 Old Spanish Trail, Houston, TX 77054, just south of the main Texas Medical Center campus. Parking is free. Since it's separate from the main hospital, it helps to pick housing that's easy to reach from both.

Is a hotel or a furnished apartment better during proton therapy?

For a stay of several weeks, a furnished apartment is usually easier. You get a full kitchen, laundry, separate rooms for rest, and space for a caregiver. Many Houston lodging options also waive hotel tax after 30 days.

Can my family stay with me during proton therapy?

Yes. Two- and three-bedroom apartments make it easy for a caregiver to stay full-time and for other relatives to rotate in. It's worth asking for a second bedroom if you think anyone will visit during the course.

Do I need a car during proton therapy in Houston?

It helps, but it isn't required. The Proton Therapy Center has its own free lot. Without a car, you can use METRO or rideshare, and some furnished housing near the medical center includes a shuttle.

What happens if my proton therapy schedule changes?

It happens, and it's one reason to book with some flexibility. A lot of families book a shorter stay first and extend once they know their final session count. Just call as early as you can so the same apartment stays open.

Do you offer Houston Methodist family housing and housing for other TMC hospitals too?

Yes. Our apartments sit near the Texas Medical Center, so they work for families at Houston Methodist, Baylor St. Luke's, Texas Children's, Memorial Hermann, Ben Taub, the DeBakey VA, and MD Anderson, including the Proton Therapy Center.

What if my proton therapy course is only three weeks?

Shorter courses are getting more common, and a few weeks still add up fast in a hotel. A furnished apartment works well for short stays too. Plan your visits and add a little buffer afterward, just like a longer course.

Making the weeks ahead a little easier

Proton therapy asks a lot of your time, but it shouldn't ask you to live out of a suitcase. Count your sessions, add the lead-up and a bit of buffer, and pick a place that's easy to get to from both the Proton Center and the main campus. That's really the whole plan for MD Anderson proton therapy housing.

When you're ready, we're happy to help you sort out dates. Call us at 888-900-2559 or 713-298-3073, or request housing online, and we'll match you with an apartment that fits your treatment schedule.