Why aren more physicians familiar with proton therapy?
Although proton therapy has been used in the U.S. for more than 30 years, recent advances in computer-assisted treatment systems and imaging technologies, such as CT imaging, MRIs, and PET scans, have enabled technicians to precisely plot tumor locations, allowing the proton beam to work to its full potential. Additionally, to produce a proton beam, a treatment facility must have a particle accelerator (such as a cyclotron or synchrotron). Because particle accelerator construction is very expensive, proton therapy is currently offered in only a few treatment centers around the U.S. As new proton facilities are built, more physicians will become familiar with this therapy and recommend it for their patients.
