Proton Therapy Basics

Every cancer diagnosis is different. Therefore, each person fighting the disease requires a different approach for treatment. About 60% of people with cancer will receive a course of radiation as part of their treatment plan, and 30% of these patients could benefit from proton therapy. Unlike traditional radiation that uses photons which penetrate through the body, proton therapy targets solid tumors with pinpoint accuracy and delivers a maximum radiation dose that stops at the tumor site, sparing healthy tissue. 

When determining the appropriate treatment plan, your quality of life is at the forefront of our physicians’ minds. Because healthy tissue is spared with proton therapy, it ultimately results in far fewer side effects, including secondary cancers caused by radiation. This powerful tool in the cancer fighting toolbox helps patients get back to their lives after treatment by preserving quality of life. 

How it Works

• Protons are positively charged particles in the nucleus of an atom. Protons and photons are similar in that they both destroy cells, but protons have the advantage of depositing little radiation going into the body and stopping at the tumor site.  
• The Varian ProBeam® Proton Therapy System at MPTC is one of the most advanced systems in the world. It uses a 90-ton cyclotron to accelerate protons to two thirds the speed of light, sending them down a beamline the length of football field and into one of five treatment rooms.  
• This hidden 3-story tall machine helps move the treatment nozzle up to 360 degrees into the precise position to deliver your treatment. The beam is delivered without sound or pain in a matter of minutes with millimeter precision. 
• Physicians can direct the proton beam to the exact shape and size of the tumor by ‘painting’ on the dose layer-by-layer, like a 3-D printer with pencil-beam scanning. Its precision provides a broader use of proton therapy for difficult tumors near highly sensitive vital organs such as the spine or brain.