Proton Therapy

What is Proton Therapy?

When cancer affects sensitive areas of the body like the brain, spine and lungs, precise treatment is essential. Proton therapy is a highly advanced form of external radiation therapy that uses a of high-energy protons to target and destroys cancer cells with pinpoint accuracy. It focuses energy directly on the tumor while preserving the surrounding healthy tissue. This painless treatment option offers fewer side effects than traditional radiation therapy.

How Does Proton Therapy Work?

Traditional radiation therapy is delivered by photons (or x-rays). X-ray beams can continue beyond the tumor, releasing energy and possibly damaging nearby healthy tissues, known as the exit dose. Protons, in proton therapy, work differently. They can be charged to reach the exact depth where a tumor is located, then stop. Very little proton radiation continues past the tumor site, so there’s no exit dose.

During proton therapy, a powerful cyclotron device accelerates and charges the proton particles, so they can damage the DNA of cancer cells to keep them from growing and spreading. The protons can be focused directly on the cancer tumor, with very minimal side effects on the surrounding healthy tissue. With pencil beam scanning, proton beams can be focused to an even greater extent, resulting in a more precise radiation dose.