Overview

Proton radiotherapy is a kind of radiation therapy. High energy and positively charged particles called the proton beam is irradiated to the body to break the DNA of cancer tissue. Unlike conventional X-ray treatment, proton therapy notably reduces damage to healthy tissue and side effects.Proton radiotherapy is highly accurate and is safe as it has various safeguards to prevent accidents during the treatment.Proton therapy is not widely available in the world.

 

  

Treatment Timea

The time that the proton is actually irradiated to the patient is about 2 to 5 minutes, and there is no sensation or pain that the patient can feel. The amount of time it takes in the treatment room, for example, to position the patient on a treatment captain and to hold him or her, is about 15 to 20 minutes. The entire treatment period depends on the tumor, and it can take from days to days to as long as five to seven weeks.

Indications

Proton therapy can be applied in all theoretically possible cases of X-ray therapy. Thus, if the patient is seriously concerned with the side effect of existing x-ray treatment (e.g., celiform cancer, brain tumors, various soft tissue sarcomas, retinoblastoma, etc.), proton therapy is also used ; And you can do proton therapy in the surgical department for the early stage of lung cancer, liver cancer, and prostate cancer.

Risks

Its adverse effect varies depending on the area. During the treatment period, there may be loss of appetite and fatigue. However, they can maintain a mild and relatively active lifestyle than conventional radiation therapy. Post treatment`s side effects are also expected to be much lower than the existing radiation therapy. It is generally not recommended for a metastatic cancer patient to receive this therapy due to its high recurrence. However if necessary, we recommend you to consult with a radio-oncologist.

Proton therapy is available at

South Korea

• National Cancer Center
• Samsung Seoul Medical Center

USA

• Mayo Clinic
• Masschusetts General Hospital
• Johns Hopkins Hospital

Japan

• Gunma University Heavy-Ion Medical Center
• The Hospital of the National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS)
• Hyogo Ion Beam Medical Center

Germany

• Heidelberg Ion Therapy Center