Pilot Study Evaluating the Use of Proton Radiation for Treatment of Lymphoma Involving the Mediastinum

This research study is a Pilot Study. Pilot studies are conducted to see if it is practical to do this type of research on a larger scale in the future. The pilot part of this study is to assess the possibility of using proton radiation to treat lymphomas. Proton radiation is used for many other types of malignancies, but its use for the treatment of lymphoma has been limited. The treatment is still being studied as research doctors are trying to find out more about its use in the treatment of different types of lymphoma. Proton beam radiation therapy is an FDA approved radiation delivery system. Patients are being asked to participate in this research study if they have lymphoma in the center of their chest, near their heart. Conventional radiation therapy with photons is used as standard treatment for many patients with lymphoma. In this research study investigators are looking at another type of radiation called proton radiation, which is known to spare surrounding tissue and organs from radiation. Proton radiation delivers radiation to the area requiring radiation but delivers no dose beyond the region requiring treatment. This may reduce side effects that patients would normally experience with conventional radiation therapy or other means of delivering proton radiation therapy. In this research study, investigators are evaluating the effectiveness of using proton radiation delivered to reduce side effects associated with radiation treatment.