2. Introduction
Proton therapy is a form of particle therapy
which uses a beam of protons to irradiate
diseased tissue, most often in the treatment of
cancer.
The chief advantage of proton therapy is the
ability to more precisely localize the radiation
dosage when compared with other types of
external beam radiotherapy.
3. Description
The accelerators used for proton therapy typically produce
protons with energies in the range of 70 to 250 MeV .
Such protons cause DNA damage specifically to the cells of
the selected area without affecting the nearby tissue.
The dose delivered to tissue is maximum just over the last
few millimeters of the particle’s range; this maximum is
called the Bragg peak.
All protons of a given energy have a certain range, very few
protons penetrate beyond that distance.
6. Advantages
1. Most precise form of radiation treatment available
today.
2. Is non-invasive and painless.
3. Avoids the usual side effects of standard x-ray
radiation.
4. Highly preferred radiation treatment modality option for
pediatric cases because children are susceptible to
injury from standard x-ray radiation .
7. Side effects and risks
Preliminary results from a 2009 study,
including high dose treatments, show very
few or no side effects.
8. Applications
Conditions Treated
Prostate,
Base of Skull,
Brain and Spinal Cord,
Eye,
Head and Neck,
Chest and Abdomen,
Tumors in Children.
9. Comparison with other treatment
options
X-ray radiotherapy
X-ray radiation dose falls off gradually, while tissues
deeper in the body than the tumor receive essentially no
radiation during proton therapy.
X-ray therapy causes damage to the tumor as well as the
surrounding healthy tissues. .
10. Surgery
The benefit of external beam proton radiation lies in the
dosimetric difference from external beam x-ray radiation
and brachytherapy in cases, where the use of radiation
therapy is already indicated, rather than as a direct
competition with surgery.
