Proton therapy is an advanced form of radiation treatment that suits many types of cancers and tumor types. If a physician recommends radiation therapy as part of a patient’s cancer treatment, proton therapy is likely an option. Unlike common radiation treatments that use X-rays or photons such as IMRT, TomoTherapy and Cyberknife, protons have a unique physical property that allows radiation oncologists to precisely target a patient’s cancer and stop the protons inside the tumor, avoiding healthy tissue and organs. This decreases the likelihood of undesired and unnecessary side effects. In some cases, proton therapy even offers higher overall survival outcomes and lower remission rates than other forms of radiation treatment.
