Proton Radiation Cancer Treatment
Ever since it became evident that cancer was a disease that was taking lives by the masses, medical researchers began to improve existing treatments, as well as putting together new ones. Today, most cancer types can be treated with the numerous treatments that are available, but there is still no evident cure for the disease. One of the first treatments was external beam radiotherapy, which eventually was split into subtypes of newer treatments. Among the newer types is proton radiation cancer treatment, which makes use of ionized radiation to attack the cancerous mass or cells.
How Proton Therapy Works
Proton radiation cancer treatment is still external radiotherapy but it’s considered a superior form of it, because it uses ionized particles. Proton radiation happens to be more effective than regular external beam radiation because it allows the radiotherapist to administer higher doses of radiation. In reality, the higher the radiation, the more effective the treatment will be; however, the problem relies in the amount of radiation can the body or organ take. Consequently, proton radiation cancer treatment is capable of having the patient receive a higher amount of radiation but without damaging healthy cells. The reason for this is that protons have higher levels of energy, which enables them to work more effectively towards fighting off abnormal or cancerous cells.
What Conditions are Treated With Proton Radiation?
When it comes to the types of cancer that can be treated with proton radiation cancer treatment, basically, any condition that can be treated with the conventional external beam radiotherapy can also be treated with proton radiation. Furthermore, they can also be used to counterattack the negative effects of other non-cancerous health issues. Keep in mind that since proton radiation cancer treatment is performed locally, there are fewer risks of damaging healthy tissue, but it can’t be used for conditions such as leukemia. In addition, some of the diseases that can be treated with proton radiation are:
- Diseases related to the brain and spinal cord – such as Pituitary Adenomas
- Tumors that develop in the eyes – such as Uveal Melanomas
- Tumors that affect the brain –such as Chordomas
- Prostate Cancer and tumors in the pelvic area
- Conditions in the chest area – such as lung cancer
- Tumors that develop in children – need specialized levels of radiation due to age
Planning for Proton Radiation
Just like any other type of cancer treatment, proton radiation needs proper planning in order to be administered properly. This means that you need to meet with your specialist or oncologist in order to study the best option available for your condition. As you have seen, there are conditions that can’t be treated with proton radiation cancer treatment, and it’s up to your doctor to decide which treatment would provide the fastest and most secure relief. If your doctor decides to go forward with proton radiation cancer treatment, you will notice how they make use of computed tomography scans in order to take perfect images of the area to be treated. This increases the chances for the treatment to be administered with no errors.