I recently heard about an alternative treatment for some types of cancer called particle beam therapy. The information that I found interested me, because until then I didn’t know there was a mainstream alternative to chemotherapy and invasive surgical removal of a tumor. Another reason it was of particular interest to me is because cancer is very prevalent in my family and I actually have a non-malignant tumor myself. The following is information I’ve gathered about particle beam therapy from various sources.
Particle beam therapy utilizes subatomic particles such as protons and heavy ions. These subatomic particles are beamed at malignant tumors to destroy them while doing relatively little damage to the surrounding tissue. A particle beam is an accelerated stream of charged subatomic particles.
Subatomic particles are accelerated using systems such as large linear accelerators, and synchrotrons. These systems increase the energy of subatomic particles in order to give them enough power to penetrate a tumor and damage its DNA. Using particle accelerators, the subatomic particles almost reach the speed of light.
Particle Beam Therapy works by aiming energetic ionizing particles onto the target tumors. These particles damage the DNA of cells and thus ultimately cause their death. Because of their high rate of division, and their reduced ability to repair damaged DNA, cancerous cells are particularly vulnerable to this attack on their DNA.
Particle beam therapy differs from conventional radiation therapy to kill tumors because it does relatively little or no damage to the surrounding healthy tissue. Radiation therapy uses x-rays and gamma rays which are harmful to humans.
Protons deposit most of their radiation energy in what is known as the Bragg peak, which occurs at the point of greatest penetration of the protons in tissue. The exact depth to which protons penetrate, and at which the Bragg peak occurs, is dependent on the energy of the proton beam. This energy can be very precisely controlled to place the Bragg peak within a tumor or other tissues that are targeted to receive the radiation dose. Because the protons are absorbed at this point, normal tissues beyond the target receive very little or no radiation.
There are many benefits associated with particle beam therapy. They include reduced exposure of radiation to vital organs, high level of accuracy when the particle beam is transmitted, and it can penetrate deep into the body to reach deep lying tumors.
It is currently being used to treat ocular cancer, prostate cancer, and cancers of the head and neck which were previously difficult to treat with radiation. An estimated 44,000 patients have been successfully treated using particle beam therapy.
Currently, heavy ion therapy is only available for clinical use in Japan and Germany. Proton Therapy is currently being performed in six different locations in the United States. Plans for the United States’ first combined particle therapy center (proton and heavy ion) are in development. The state-of-the-art treatment center will be situated on the 230 acre California campus of Touro University.
Particle beam therapy utilizes subatomic particles such as protons and heavy ions. These subatomic particles are beamed at malignant tumors to destroy them while doing relatively little damage to the surrounding tissue. A particle beam is an accelerated stream of charged subatomic particles.
Subatomic particles are accelerated using systems such as large linear accelerators, and synchrotrons. These systems increase the energy of subatomic particles in order to give them enough power to penetrate a tumor and damage its DNA. Using particle accelerators, the subatomic particles almost reach the speed of light.
Particle Beam Therapy works by aiming energetic ionizing particles onto the target tumors. These particles damage the DNA of cells and thus ultimately cause their death. Because of their high rate of division, and their reduced ability to repair damaged DNA, cancerous cells are particularly vulnerable to this attack on their DNA.
Particle beam therapy differs from conventional radiation therapy to kill tumors because it does relatively little or no damage to the surrounding healthy tissue. Radiation therapy uses x-rays and gamma rays which are harmful to humans.
Protons deposit most of their radiation energy in what is known as the Bragg peak, which occurs at the point of greatest penetration of the protons in tissue. The exact depth to which protons penetrate, and at which the Bragg peak occurs, is dependent on the energy of the proton beam. This energy can be very precisely controlled to place the Bragg peak within a tumor or other tissues that are targeted to receive the radiation dose. Because the protons are absorbed at this point, normal tissues beyond the target receive very little or no radiation.
There are many benefits associated with particle beam therapy. They include reduced exposure of radiation to vital organs, high level of accuracy when the particle beam is transmitted, and it can penetrate deep into the body to reach deep lying tumors.
It is currently being used to treat ocular cancer, prostate cancer, and cancers of the head and neck which were previously difficult to treat with radiation. An estimated 44,000 patients have been successfully treated using particle beam therapy.
Currently, heavy ion therapy is only available for clinical use in Japan and Germany. Proton Therapy is currently being performed in six different locations in the United States. Plans for the United States’ first combined particle therapy center (proton and heavy ion) are in development. The state-of-the-art treatment center will be situated on the 230 acre California campus of Touro University.
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