When is proton therapy used

Let us know if this is OK. You can read more about our cookies before you choose. Change my preferences I'm OK with analytics cookies. Proton beam therapy enables a dose of high energy protons to be precisely targeted at a tumour, reducing the damage to surrounding healthy tissues and vital organs which is an advantage in certain groups of patients or where the cancer is close to a critical part of the body such as the spinal cord. Proton beam therapy is only suitable for certain types of cancer, such as highly complex brain, head and neck cancers and sarcomas as it does not lead to better outcomes for many cancer cases than using high energy x-rays, which is still considered the most appropriate and effective treatment for the majority of cancers.

Like high energy x-ray radiotherapy, proton beam therapy is painless, but patients may experience side effects similar to those experienced from other forms of radiotherapy. The Christie NHS proton beam therapy centre opened in Autumn , and the first patient was treated in December When complete the two centres will each treat up to patients every year.

The mask is made of mesh that allows patients to see and breathe. Once you are ready and in position, the therapists will leave the room so they can operate the proton beam machine. A video camera helps them see and hear you so you will not be alone. The treatment itself takes only a few minutes.

A large machine speeds up protons and creates energy. The proton beam focuses this energy into the body, at the precise depth where the tumor is located. The gantry might move around your body and treat the tumor from several positions. After your session, you might feel tired. Proton therapy side effects are similar to those of other radiation treatment methods. Because the technique can mean less exposure to the radiation, side effects can be less than those of traditional radiation treatment.

Additional side effects, depending on the area treated, can include headaches and problems with eating and digestion. After being treated with the proton beam, most people can go home and resume their activities. For certain tumors, your doctor might order tests to see how the treatment is affecting the tumor, and adjust your treatment if necessary.

Proton therapy is used to treat cancerous and non-cancerous tumors in children and adults. It can be especially valuable when addressing brain and spinal cord tumors in children, who often suffer lasting side effects from toxic cancer treatments.

Researchers are studying the potential benefits of proton beam therapy on other kinds of cancers. Both regular and proton radiation therapy damage the DNA of cancer cells, but proton therapy has two main advantages: more energy focused on the tumor, and less radiation affecting healthy tissue nearby. With less healthy tissue affected by the radiation, side effects can be milder. Damage to delicate structures such as the brain, heart, oral cavity, esophagus and spinal cord might be reduced.

Proton therapy is not appropriate for every type of cancer. It is best suited for cancers in sensitive areas, where other treatments might damage surrounding healthy cells. The machines and equipment for proton therapy are very complex and expensive to make and operate. It is important to check with your insurance provider about coverage. Some proton therapy centers have financial counselors to consult.

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Proton therapy, or proton beam therapy, is a type of radiation treatment that uses a beam of protons to deliver radiation directly to the tumor. Standard radiation therapy has evolved and improved over the years and is effective in controlling many cancers.

However, because X-ray beams are composed of primary photons and secondary electrons, they deposit their energy along the path of the beam, to the targeted tumor and beyond, and deliver radiation to healthy tissues before and after the tumor site. The advantage of proton therapy also called proton beam therapy is that the physician can control where the proton releases the bulk of its cancer-fighting energy.

As the protons move through the body, they slow down and interact with electrons, and release energy. A proton beam conforms to the shape and depth of a tumor while sparing healthy tissues and organs. The best way to understand how proton therapy works is to take a look at the physics and engineering inside the proton accelerator, or the synchrotron, and the beam delivery system.

The team pioneered pencil beam proton therapy, also called scanning beam, and intensity modulated proton therapy IMPT. We are one of the few centers worldwide offering these types of proton therapy to our patients. Pencil beam technology and IMPT build on the benefits of proton therapy. Pencil beam is very effective in treating the most complex tumors, like those in the prostate , brain , eye , and cancers in children, while leaving healthy tissue and other critical areas unharmed.

IMPT is best used to deliver a potent and precise dose of protons to complex or concave-shaped tumors that may be adjacent to the spinal cord or embedded head and neck or skull base, including nasal and sinus cavities, oral cavity, salivary gland, tongue, tonsils, and larynx.

Pencil beam scanning, also called scanning beam, is the most advanced type of proton therapy. Only a few millimeters wide the width of a pencil , pencil beam scanning is used to treat complex cancers with unparalleled precision.

Proton therapy may also be used for tumors that recur in areas that have previously been treated with standard radiation therapy. With standard radiation therapy, energized particles called photons are used to destroy cancer cells.

But surrounding normal tissues are also exposed to the radiation, increasing the risk of side effects. By using a different type of energy called protons, proton therapy is able treat the tumor while minimizing radiation exposure to the rest of the body.

Pencil beam scanning allows for the manipulation of the beam to create a pattern of protons to more accurately administer the dose to the unique shape of the tumor. Pencil beam scanning can treat a tumor with a single field or with multiple fields, sometimes up to five.

This allows protons to treat even the most irregularly shaped tumors located around critical organs like the oral cavity, bowel or spinal cord.

Developing a treatment plan that uses pencil beam scanning takes about a week. Your radiation oncologist will use these images to identify the right targets and determine the beam arrangements. A treatment course usually lasts six to seven weeks, but it varies based on the tumor and its sensitivity to radiation therapy. Patients can expect to be in the treatment room for about 30 minutes for set up, quality assurance and the actual treatment.

Gastrointestinal tumors like liver, colorectal and pancreatic cancers are close to the bowel. If the bowel is exposed to radiation, it can cause nausea , diarrhea or damage the bowel to the point that surgery is needed. Problems with sexual health and with bathroom use are possible for prostate cancer patients.

Patients with head and neck cancers like tonsil, tongue, salivary gland, eye or skull base tumors can experience mouth ulcers , loss of taste, dry mouth and vision loss. Breast cancer patients can experience heart issues , and lung cancer patients can experience inflammation of the lung, causing shortness of breath.

With children, the concern of side effects is even greater because any amount of radiation can cause short-term side effects, but could also potentially lead to secondary cancers in the future.

Proton therapy is ideal for treating younger patients because the overall radiation exposure is significantly less than with standard radiation therapy.

Request an appointment at MD Anderson online or by calling Proton therapy is covered in the United States by Medicare and many insurance providers of all sizes. Our patient access specialists can work with your insurance carrier to define your benefits, as well as those patients who decide to self-pay. Making an appointment for consultation at the Proton Therapy Center is easy. Patients can self-refer by calling toll-free , or requesting an appointment online.

A member of our patient access team will be in touch with you to help determine if you are a candidate for proton therapy treatment and to help you through the process of scheduling an appointment. Before your first proton therapy treatment, you will have a consultation with the radiation doctor who will manage the proton therapy treatments and a radiation oncology nurse.

During this visit, the doctor will examine you and explain the treatment options that he or she recommends for you. Before you begin proton therapy, you will undergo a simulation, which is a treatment planning session.