Benefits
A new frontier with the potential to improve cancer outcomes
Advances in radiation therapy and its technology over the past decade have led to more treatment options in the battle against cancer. Improved methods of screening and disease detection, along with greater anatomical resolution made possible by new imaging technologies warrant the use of higher precision treatment techniques.
Despite much progress, there is still much room for improvement in the therapeutic ratio for most tumor sites. The oncology community is only now beginning to exploit the potential that greater dose control and normal tissue sparing – the strengths of Particle Therapy - have to enhance and increase effectiveness of various cancer treatments. From chemotherapy to surgery, from conventional radiotherapy to IMRT, many physicians are intrigued with the possible improvements to prevailing standards-of-care made possible with Particle Therapy.
- Precisely delivers an optimal radiation dose to the tumor
- Increases the dose within a confined treatment volume
- Reduces the side effects on healthy surrounding tissues
- Increases the long-term disease-free survival rates for many types of tumors
Protons exhibit very specific and useful ballistic properties. They lose the majority of their destructive energy only at a specific depth (the Bragg Peak), which can be precisely calculated as a function of the beam’s initial energy. Proton beams can, therefore, be used to destroy tumors with an unequaled degree of precision, safety and efficiency.
When precision matters most: pediatric and high-risk cases
Proton Therapy is particularly appropriate in situations where conventional radiotherapy presents an unacceptable risk to the patient – cancer of the eye, the brain and pediatric cases.
When cancerous tumors appear in children, they represent, clinically, very challenging cases. In the pediatric patient, avoidance of even moderate amounts of irradiation to normal tissues is of paramount importance to avoid later dysfunctions, atrophies and radiation-induced tumors in later life.
Accurate conformal treatment reduces the early and late side effects associated with radiation therapy without any negative impact once the patient is cured. Protons provide the ultimate in conformity while minimizing the integral dose to normal tissues.
Particle Therapy with protons has less entrance dose and no exit dose, protecting healthy tissues.
Particle Therapy delivers a high dose in the target while sparing "healthy tissues"
The dose deposition clearly differs between photon and proton techniques. While sparing the surrounding tissues, Proton Beam Therapy allows optimal dose delivery to the target. There are reduced side effects and less damage to healthy tissues.
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