How is proton therapy different from standard radiation treatment?
Proton beams deposit most of their energy directly in the tumor, reducing damage to healthy tissue and allowing patients to receive higher, more effective doses. Less damage to healthy tissue and organs can result in fewer side effects than sometimes experienced with standard X-ray radiation therapy, thus improving patients’ quality of life and long term health. X-ray radiation can be harder to control and deposits more radiation in healthy tissue as it enters and leaves the body.
Proton beams deposit much of their energy directly in the tumor, reducing damage to healthy tissue and allowing patients to receive higher, more effective doses.1 Less damage to healthy tissue and organs can result in fewer side effects than are sometimes experienced with standard X-ray radiation therapy, thus improving patients’ quality of life and long-term health.1-7 X-ray radiation can be harder to control and deposits more radiation in healthy tissue as it enters and leaves the body.
