Proton Therapy An Advanced Cancer Treatment Option

 

On a worldwide basis, 30 particle therapy centers were under construction at the beginning of 2015. There were approximately 80 treatment rooms being built in order to provide proton therapy, which is a non-invasive cancer treatment. This includes, but isn’t limited to, the treatment of brain and spinal cord cancer, breast cancer, and prostate cancer. Since proton therapy has a more targeted approach than conventional radiation, learning more about the effects of this form of treatment can be beneficial.

Proton Therapy for Brain Cancer

Every year, thousands of people are diagnosed with brain and spinal cord tumors. Recent figures indicate that this amounts to 23,800 adults and 4,830 children being diagnosed. Brain tumors, however, are the most common. Approximately 15% of primary brain tumors, for example, are glioblastomas. Proton therapy for brain cancer has been used for these and other types of tumors.

Proton Therapy for Breast Cancer
One of the benefits of receiving proton therapy for breast cancer is that the radiation doesn’t continue beyond the tumor into the surrounding tissue. When compared with conventional treatments, this signifies that on average, radiation won’t penetrate into the heart. Furthermore, there is an average of 50% less radiation that reaches the lungs.

Proton Therapy for Prostate Cancer

Research has been conducted with low, intermediate, and high-risk prostate cancer patients. After following up with these patients five years after their treatments, researchers reported the following results:

• Low-risk patients: 99% did not have any signs of recurring cancer
• Intermediate-risk patients: 94% did not have any signs of recurring cancer
• High-risk patients: 74% did not have any signs of recurring cancer

Another positive effect of choosing proton therapy is that studies reveal there is a reduced risk of impotence. A large percentage, or 94% of the men that received proton therapy, reported that they continued to be sexually active. This is due to to the targeted approach provided by proton therapy.

Learn More About Proton Therapy for Cancer

Pencil beam proton therapy differs from conventional radiation because it is targeted to a specific point in the affected tissue. These treatments, which last approximately 15 to 45 minutes, take place at special proton therapy centers. Most of the session involves setting up the proton treatment, as it only takes one or two minutes to deliver the proton to the tumor. If you’re interested in learning more about advanced cancer treatment options, it’s important to speak with your oncologist.