Proton beam radiation, or proton therapy, is now being used throughout the world to treat different forms of cancer. These include brain cancer, breast cancer, head and neck cancer, and prostate cancer. As of 2015, there were over 30 particle therapy centers that provided proton therapy for cancer, and more are being constructed. Each particle therapy center usually has around 80 treatment rooms so that they are able to provide services to a considerable number of patients over the course of a month.
What Is Proton Therapy?
Proton therapy is a form of radiation treatment. It is more targeted than conventional radiation, however, and stops at a specific area in the tissue without traveling further beyond it. In the case of proton therapy for prostate cancer, there is a minimum of 59% less radiation that enters the surrounding tissue, such as gastrointestinal structures, when compared with X-rays.
When proton therapy is being used to treat breast cancer, for example, the radiation rarely reaches the heart. There is also an average of 50% less radiation that reaches the lungs.
Recent Research on the Treatment of Prostate Cancer with Proton Therapy
Proton therapy has been effectively used to treat men with prostate cancer. According to research, the cancer hasn’t recurred within a 5-year period for the following percentage of men with specific diagnostic risks:
- Low-risk prostate cancer: 99%
- Intermediate-risk prostate cancer: 94%
- High-risk prostate cancer: 74%
Does Proton Therapy Lower the Incidence of Impotence?
Studies have found that since proton therapy uses a targeted approach, there is a reduced risk of impotence. In fact, researchers have noted that the risk is significantly less, and 94% of the participants indicated that they continued to be sexually active following their treatment of prostate cancer with proton therapy.
How Long Does a Proton Therapy Session Last?
This non-invasive cancer treatment usually takes 15 to 45 minutes. The actual time it takes to deliver the protons to the tumor, however, is generally just 1 to 2 minutes.
The Benefits of Proton Therapy for Cancer Treatment
The Benefits of Proton Therapy for Cancer Treatment
There are other benefits associated with treating cancer with proton therapy. When an individual has been diagnosed with cancer, they can find out more information when they speak to a specialist at a proton radiation therapy center.
