The Facts About Proton Technology

Proton Therapy – Fact Sheet

Precise

  • Most precise form of radiation treatment available today
  • Destroys primary tumor site, leaves surrounding healthy tissue and organs intact and unharmed

Non-invasive

  • Is non-invasive and painless
  • Maintains a patient’s quality-of life during treatment process as an outpatient
  • Patients continue with normal activities during treatment

Reduced Side Effects

  • Avoids the usual side effects of standard x-ray radiation
  • Highly effective treatment for wide range of localized tumors in head and neck area, lung, prostate, bladder, spinal cord, gastro malignancies, ocular tumors and others
  • Working on treating breast cancer with small protocols utilizing a new scanning technique
  • Women with breast cancer can avoid damage to lungs and surrounding breast tissue

Combination of Treatments

  • Protons can be used in conjunction with other cancer treatment modalities such as chemotherap
  • Treatment time can take from one day for certain conditions or up to eight weeks (prostate cancer) depending on tumor sites.

Preferred Form of Treatment

  • Highly preferred radiation treatment modality option for pediatric cases because children are susceptible to injury from standard x-ray radiation as their tissues and organs are growing rapidly
  • Children don’t have to be subjected to needless exposure from damaging radiation

Growing Population of Treated Patients

  • To date, nearly 35,000 patients treated in U.S. and approximately 90,000 patients worldwide
  • First hospital-based proton center opened in 1990 at Loma Linda University Medical Center
  • Currently 11 operating proton centers that are treating 150-200 patients daily
  • Reimbursement - Proton Therapy is covered by Medicare and nearly all health care insurance providers.