In 2015, there were more than 30 particle therapy centers under construction across the globe. These proton therapy centers included roughly 80 treatment rooms to address various forms of cancer. This is significant because there are currently more than 95,000 people located in Europe, Asia, and the United States that have benefited by receiving these advanced cancer treatment options.

As of this year, the “US Proton Therapy Outlook 2017,” which was released by RNCOS, estimated that there would be approximately 27 operational proton therapy centers in the United States. When considering that proton therapy was initially utilized in 1995 to treat patients in research settings, due to the imaging techniques of that time period, tumors couldn’t be accurately pinpointed.

Given research and development, as well as technological advances, proton therapy has shown significant progress. Given that proton radiation can be specifically targeted, there is less risk to surrounding tissue. It has been shown that there is up to 60% less radiation that adversely affects the unaffected tissue surrounding one or more tumors. This lowers the risk of damage to surrounding organs, such as the lungs, heart, and digestive system.

Proton therapy has been utilized to treat breast, prostate, and neck cancer. There is also proton therapy for brain cancer and other forms of cancer.

Treatment sessions usually last between 15 to 45 minutes. Delivering the protons to the tumor, however, only takes a few minutes. In general, proton therapy will be administered approximately 6 weeks after chemotherapy treatment or surgery. Proton treatment usually lasts for 6 weeks.

Proton therapy treatment is a non-invasive cancer treatment that targets the tumor and is able to avoid damaging surrounding healthy tissue. It’s important to note that this form of radiation can be directed toward a specific point in the tumor.

This approach and treatment modality is different than conventional radiation which has been known to damage surrounding tissue. Depending on the the location of the tumor, this can make a difference with future functionality, such as men with prostrate cancer, many of whom are able to maintain their sexual function post-proton cancer treatment.

If you would like more information on proton therapy for brain cancer or other forms of cancer, you can contact a photon treatment facility for a consultation. At this time, this facility will be able to evaluate your situation and determine whether this type of treatment is the best course of action for you.

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