New proton technology as an alternative for fighting cancer

WhatSavvy
11 ene 2020
2 Min. de lectura

By Manuel de la Jara & Andrea Marcial

Proton therapy is a type of radiation therapy, it uses protons instead of X-Rays to treat cancer. It is also a type of external beam therapy that uses radiation.

How it works

It works by delivering radiation, without any pain, through the skin from a machine called synchrotron or cyclotron. The high speed of the protons makes high energy, this makes the protons go to the depth in the body and they destroy the cancer cells. When protons interact with electrons in the atoms of cancer cells, they impart energy to the electrons, causing them to leave the atom and undergo a series of interactions (ionizing events) that result in damage to the DNA of the cancer cell.

Damaging the DNA destroys specific cell functions, which include the ability to divide or proliferate. A cancer cell's ability to repair molecular injury is frequently inferior to that of cells in normal tissues. As a result, cancer cells accumulate permanent damage and subsequent cell death occurs. As the cell dies, so does the tumor.

Time needed for the treatment

In general, a proton radiation treatment lasts about 15 to 30 minutes, but this will depend on which part of the body is going to get the treatment.

Other factors can also affect the total time needed, such as waiting for the proton beam to be moved after another person's treatment is finished. Most proton treatment centers have only one proton machine.

Risks and benefits

Compared with x-ray radiation therapy, proton therapy has benefits:

· Usually, up to 60% less radiation can be delivered to the healthy tissues around the tumor. This lowers the risk of radiation damage to these tissues.

· It may cause fewer and less severe side effects such as low blood counts, fatigue, and nausea during and after treatment.

But there are also some drawbacks to proton therapy:

· It may cost more than x-ray radiation therapy. Insurance provider rules differ about which cancers are covered and how much a person needs to pay. Talk with your insurance provider to learn more.

· Not all cancers can be treated with proton therapy.

We think that this option is revolutionizing the medicine’s world because cancer has always been a “non curable” disease, so this is a really good option for people who are fighting cancer.