What type of radioactive material does a proton therapy facility create or use?
A proton treatment system does not produce radiation beyond that which is delivered to the patient’s tumor to kill the cancer cells. That happens in treatment rooms where there is significant structural shielding and controls in place to ensure that people working inside the facility, patients and people outside the facility are safe. When the beam is turned off, the radiation disappears instantly. Proton centers do not have any type of portable or unsealed radioactive material and there is no “loose” radiation – meaning that nothing can spread or become a contamination hazard inside or in the vicinity of the proton center.
