Proton Therapy

Proton Therapy : A new dawn

Proton therapy is a form of cancer treatment that uses protons via radiation to cure cancer. Also known as proton beam therapy, it is among the most reliable and efficient type of methods for the treatment of cancer.

As we know, a proton is a positively charged particle. When accelerated and taken to a state of high energy, protons have the ability to destroy cancer cells. Physicians have been known to use proton therapy exclusively or combining it with other treatments like chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and surgery. Standard radiation therapies have evolved and improved over the decades and have proven themselves effective, in cure and control of many cancers.

However, as X-ray beams are composed of primary photons and secondary electrons, they tend to deposit extra energy alongside the path of the beam. Sometimes it travels beyond the tumor and leaves its presence inside the body as well. This ends up with them delivering radiation to healthy body tissues prior to post the treatment. This “exit dose” ends up causing health issues later on, due to its capability of causing damage to the normal tissues or organs near the target area or area of concern.
The beauty of radiation therapy lies in the fact that it is virtually painless. The radiation is delivered through the skin from an external website.

How does it work?

A synchrotron, or a cyclotron speeds up the proton particles to a very high frequency. As the protons' speed increases, so does their energy level. High-energy protons tend to travel far deeper into the human body, in comparison to the low-energy ones.

The protons are then directed to the targeted area. Upon arrival, they deposit the specified/required dose of radiation into the tumor. The radiation then destroys the cancer cells present in the tumor, putting the body back on the way to recovery.

The one very significant difference between proton-based radiation therapy and photon-based radiation therapy is that in case of the former, radiation does not go beyond the tumor. On the other hand, with photon-based external-beam radiation therapy, x-rays keep depositing radiation as they exit the body. This leads to those rays damaging healthy tissues as well, hence causing side effects.