When faced with fighting cancer, it is important that you know all of your options. That’s why visiting a cancer treatment center that offers innovative radiation treatment for cancer via proton therapy is a good choice. You may have many questions about proton therapy, including how it could possibly be better for you that x-ray therapy.
It’s All About the Dose Distribution
When visiting proton therapy centers one of the key points in regards to proton therapy that is explained is the ability to pinpoint dose distribution. This type of therapy gives physicians a way to provide a radiation treatment for cancer in a high dose that is directly targeting the tumor, not the healthy tissues around the tumor. There are many advantages to proton therapy.
What Other Advantages Are There Concerning Proton Options?
Proton radiation therapy directly targets tumors as well as cancer cells with minimal exit doses. This actually reduces the overall toxicity that would otherwise be suffered using other radiation treatments. It also reduces the possibility of long-term and short-term side effects for surrounding organs and tissues that are healthy. The reduction of secondary tumors is another plus. Proton therapy for cancer is used to treat tumors that are recurrent, as well. Known as a revolutionary radiation treatment for cancer, a proton treatment can increase the progression-free, long-term survival rates for specific tumor types.
Now There Is a Cancer Treatment for Limited Treatment Options
Sometimes conventional radiotherapy, aka x-ray radiotherapy, has unacceptable risks including brain or eye tumors, or tumors close to the spinal cord or brain stem. Radiation treatment for cancer has not always been easy on a patient’s body. Proton beam radiation is perfect for many cancer cases including pediatric tumors. It gives physicians the ability to aim directly at the tumor to help avoid as much damage that could cause cognitive impairments, growth abnormalities, cardiac damage, radiation-induced tumors, as well as other types of complications that could happen later in life.
Exactly How Does Radiation Therapy for Cancer Work?
Proton therapy, as well as x-ray therapy, are types of external beam radiotherapy that has been created to kill cancer cells. Tumors are targeted with a radiation beam consisting of ionizing particles meant to damage the DNA of cancer cells and cause their death and prevention of proliferation. Radiation treatment for cancer in the form of proton therapy is most effective because cancer cells are vulnerable to radiant injury as well as DNA attacks due to an abnormally high rate of division, or mitosis. That makes their speedy growth less effective than other healthy cells that can repair the ionization damage.
What Types of Cancer Are Treated?
Treatment sessions typically take 15 to 45 minutes, but the actual time it takes to deliver the protons to a tumor is only a minute or two. Studies have already proven that proton therapy is quite effective when it comes to treating different types of tumors including tumors of the brain, prostate, neck, head, lungs, central nervous system, and the gastrointestinal system. It even helps treat cancers that can’t be removed completely via surgery.
Why Is Proton Therapy Preferred?
Proton cancer options are preferred when it comes to treating tumors within children. The precise control means there not as much radiation harming normal tissues, while still being able to deliver a strong dose of radiation. Serious complications are prevented, as well which lessens the possibility of secondary tumors developing. The ongoing research that surrounds this type of therapy still shows much promise when it comes to treating other types of tumors too. Proton therapy itself has also been used to treat epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, arteriovenous malformations, macular degeneration, seizure disorders, and severe rheumatologic conditions.
