Proton Therapy is actually one of the highly advanced procedures when it comes to radiation treatment. It is when you makes precise use of radiation for the treatment of tumors.
When we see how it differs from other methods, one of the major ways is that it will be making use of far less radiation as compared to others.
That works well and protects the healthy tissue around it.
One another thing which makes it a leading method is that its painless.
And you can go about it your daily activities soon after.
Usually a course would be about five days a week.
Which is going to continue on for several weeks. The results will be quite visible in no time.
Not just that, you will notice the effects of the proton beam treatment which takes just about a few minutes.
But that doesn’t mean that the preparation and positioning is also done fast.
This will require precision and preparation well in advance.
In this article, I will be covering all that you need to know about proton therapy and how it works:
What is Proton Therapy?
This is also known as proton beam therapy.
It is actually a radiation treatment that works really well.
How?
You will notice how it actually makes use of a beam of protons which will be aiming to disrupt the tumor cells.
Not just that, it will eventually lead to their destruction also.
Why do people prefer this?
When we compare it to traditional radiation, you will notice that the protons have very unique properties.
This allows the doctors to better target the way radiation will be yielding results.
It all depends on the size and shape of the tumor too.
When the proton beam is going to kill the tumor cells, it is also safe.
This is because it will not be affecting the surrounding healthy tissue around it.
Uses of Proton Therapy
Now we will be looking into and highlighting ways in which we can make use of proton therapy.
It is majorly used for the treatment of cancer.
But it can also be used for treating noncancerous tumors as well. That is benign appearances in children and adults.
The proton beams will work effectively in actually treating any of the tumors which are composed of a different range of cells.
These will also be located in different parts of your body.
I want to now highlight and share how there are different treatments for which this becomes highly effective.
They include:
- Brain tumors- that includes the base of the skull
- Spinal cord tumors
- Breast cancer- it holds a good record of treating breast cancer symptoms
- Lung cancer which includes thymoma are also getting treatment through this therapy
- Liver cancer is also a good way for you to make use of radiation
- Pancreatic cancer
- Rectal cancer
- Head cancer
- Neck cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Sarcomas
All of these suggest how you can make use of proton beam to see results which are long lasting and also make the use of this beam therapy work in endless ways.
How Proton Therapy Works?
So how this actually works is that it will be disrupting the tumor’s DNA. And it does so by destroying those tumor cells effectively.
Protons are actually separated from hydrogen atoms. And these will be speeding up in a particle accelerator which can include a synchrotron or cyclotron.
There is actually a special device which we make use of that is called gantry.
And this actually rotates about 360 degrees.
Making use of a large magnet which will be focusing the stream of protons into a thin beam.
The magnet actually works in that it will be guiding and beaming the tumor from a range of angles.
Did you know that you can effectively adjust the energy which beams from the proton beam.
That allows you to control the amount of radiation that will be coming from different sides.
How it makes an impact?
Well you see that the radiation will be damaging the DNA of the tumor. And when that happens, it will lead to the tumor being unable to repair itself as it also grows new cells.
The impact it makes is that the tumor is going to stop growing and it will shrink.
This really puts an effect on the proton radiation and it varies depending on how big the size of the tumor is. The location as well as some other supporting factors will also be making a difference.
Benefits of Proton Therapy
Now let’s look into how there are several advantages to making use of proton therapy.
One of the major benefits is that you will be able to make a precise aim at targeting the tumor cells.
There has been heavy research which shows how this will be aiming for high radiation on the tumor.
But there is less radiation on the healthy cells which are covering the tumor.
And when the healthy cells are less impacted, you will notice that the side effects are also mild.
Which means there is very little risk of secondary cancers which can happen due to radiation.
The many advantages it gives is that it will be protecting the neurological functions like speech, memory as well as those areas which are not in control.
There is also a limitation on how it will be impacting the vital organs. Including that of heart and lungs when treating cancer.
You will notice a reduction in the risks of major side effects of children who are taking treatment for cancer.
Not just that, it also helps in avoiding radiation to areas which were having radiation before. And this is especially true when the tumor comes back closer to the original location.
Any Disadvantages?
As it turns out, proton therapy may not be the leading treatment option in all cases.
There are some definite negative aspects to it too.
One thing is its availability. It is available in only certain areas and countries.
Also there is longer planning time which means you will be needing to go for therapy for quite a few times. This means you have to look at the traditional radiation and how this treatment ranks against that.
Plus it can be super expensive for you if insurance is not covering it.
Also there are some insurance providers who will not be approving it. And you need some requests and permission forms to actually go ahead with it.
Conclusion
This article was a complete overview to understanding what is proton therapy.
It is one of the advanced and leading radiology treatments that yield results.
You would know how it works when you see the ways it actually helps the patients to feel better/
There are many different treatments that work for radiology.
But this is one which is taking the lead.
It has been around for a while and it comes with its fair share of advantages.
However there are also some major disadvantages you need to know of also.
In this article we have looked into all the leading elements of this kind of treatment. When you know of how it actually works, you will be able to yield good understanding of how it works in the long run.
