Health care

The Effectiveness of Proton Therapy

There are different types of therapy that can be done towards cancer patients. One of the latest treatments is the proton therapy. This is a different type of treatment since it radiates directly to the tumor itself. What’s great about this kind of radiation therapy is it does not do harm to the other surrounding healthy tissues on the area.

Proton therapy has been around since the 1950’s and has been improving especially with technology. However, not all facilities have this type of radiation therapy because of its cost. Still, authorities are trying to make sure that proton therapy will be available anywhere.

What cancer types can be administered by proton therapy?

There are studies that show that proton therapy can treat different types of tumors. It can be administered to cancers that cannot be removed right away by surgery. Other types of tumors that can be treated by proton therapy are prostate, neck, head, brain, central nervous system, lung, and gastrointestinal system.  Aside from adults, proton therapy for pediatric cancer is also effective.

proton therapy

How long will the therapy work?

Proton therapy can work from one day to seven weeks. This will depend on how big the tumor is. As the treatment moves along, the length of time decreases. The dose of radiation increases as the patient is being administered by proton therapy. The success of this treatment can be measure if cancer does not re-occur after five years from treatment.

How much does proton therapy cost?

This type of radiation therapy costs more than the other conventional cancer treatments. It is less expensive than surgery. The good thing is almost all of the insurance companies cover proton therapy.

Is proton therapy the best option for treating cancer?

Protons can be the best cure for some patients but not for others. This therapy is effective just like the other conventional cancer treatments. The difference is that this type of radiation treatment can specifically work on where the tumor is. It does not damage any other healthy cells surrounding the area where the tumor is located. This may be one of the best treatments, but it still depends on the patient’s type of cancer on how it can be treated.

Proton therapy is already making its way to most institutions and is one way of treating patients with cancer. It will be more advanced as time moves along. There will be more developments for proton therapy in the future.

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