How Does Proton Therapy Works?

Your proton therapy cancer treatment begins when each proton begins its journey at the injector located within an electric field. In the field, hydrogen atoms then separate into negatively charged electrons and positively charged protons. The protons travel through a vacuum tube within a pre-accelerator. This process boosts their energy to two million electron volts.

Benefits of Proton Therapy

The protons continue in the vacuum tube and begin their high-speed journey in the synchrotron. They travel around the synchrotron about 10 million times per second. Each time they circulate, a radio frequency cavity within the ring delivers a boost of energy. This increases the protons' energy to between 70 and 250 million electron volts. The voltage achieved is enough to place them at any depth within the human body.

After leaving the synchrotron, the protons move through a beam transport system, continuing in the vacuum tube through a series of steering and focusing magnets that guide them to the four proton treatment rooms at the Loma Linda University Medical Center (LLUMC) Proton Treatment and Research Center.

Each proton treatment room has a beam delivery system, or nozzle is the last device the protons travel through before entering the body. The nozzle shapes and spreads out the proton beam in three dimensions.

Radiation oncologists must determine the location, shape, and tissue density of the target tumor before determining the number of protons to deliver. They must also calculate the depth that the protons must travel in order to calculate the speed and shape of the beam. These decisions render a beam that is highly accurate and practically ‘tailor-made’ for specific treatments. After leaving the nozzle, the protons enter the patient's body.

The equipment in the proton therapy treatment rooms varies based on the conditions treated. One proton treatment room has a stationary beam with two branches – one branch for irradiating eye tumors and the other for central nervous system tumors and tumors of the head and neck. The other three treatment rooms have gantries – wheels that are 35 feet in diameter that revolve around the patient to direct the beam exactly where needed. From the patient's perspective, all that is visible is a revolving, cone-shaped device. A fifth proton treatment room, used for beam calibration and basic research, contains three additional beamlines.

How Does Proton Therapy's Effective Compare to IMRT or Other X-ray Treatments?

Because proton beams can be delivered in higher doses and with far more accuracy, proton therapy typically can control cancer with fewer treatments than IMRT. This pinpoint accuracy also results in fewer long-term side effects (since the radiation does not spill over and damage healthy tissue and organs) meaning that patients treated with proton therapy experience a higher post-treatment quality of life as compared to IMRT and even conventional x-ray treatments.

For any query related to proton therapy treatment visit proton therapy centers.