ISSN: 2044-9038 (Print) 2044-9046 (Electronic)

Clinical Practice

Proton Beam Radiation Therapy

 Proton therapy may be a sort of radiotherapy — a treatment that uses high-energy beams to treat tumors. Radiation therapy using X-rays has long been wont to treat cancers and noncancerous (benign) tumors. Proton therapy may be a newer sort of radiotherapy that uses energy from charged particles called protons.   Proton therapy has shown promise in treating several sorts of cancer. Proton therapy may cause fewer side effects than traditional radiation suggested by many studies, since doctors can better control where the proton beams deposit their energy. But few studies have directly compared proton therapy radiation and X-ray radiation, so it isn't clear whether proton therapy is simpler in prolonging lives.   Proton therapy can cause side effects because the cancer cells die or when the energy from the proton beam damages healthy tissue. Because doctors can better control where proton therapy releases its highest concentration of energy, proton therapy is believed to affect less healthy tissue and have fewer side effects than traditional radiotherapy. Still, proton therapy does release a number of its energy in healthy tissue.   In general, common side effects of proton therapy includes Fatigue, Mouth, eating and digestion problems, Headaches, Hair loss around the part of your body being treated, Skin redness around the part of your body being treated, Soreness around the part of your body being treated.  

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