Proton therapy is a type of radiation therapy that uses protons, which are positively charged particles, to deliver radiation to treat some types of cancer. It is a newer type of radiation therapy that has shown promise in treating several kinds of cancer. Proton therapy works by delivering radiation to a tumor, and at high energy, protons can destroy cancer cells. Compared with traditional radiation, protons have unique properties that allow doctors to better target radiation to the size and shape of the tumor. The proton beam kills the tumor cells and spares more of the surrounding healthy tissue.

Proton therapy is useful for treating tumors that have not spread and are near important parts of the body, such as cancers near the brain and spinal cord. It is also used for treating children because it lessens the chance of harming healthy, growing tissue. Children may receive proton therapy for certain cancers of the brain and spinal cord, as well as cancer of the eye, such as retinoblastoma and orbital rhabdomyosarcoma. Proton therapy may be used as the only treatment for a condition, or it may be used in conjunction with other treatments, such as surgery and chemotherapy.

Proton therapy has shown promise in causing fewer side effects than traditional radiation, since doctors can better control where the proton beams deliver their energy. Research shows that proton therapy results in a higher dose of radiation to the tumor but significantly less radiation to healthy cells near the tumor. With less healthy tissue affected by the radiation, side effects may be milder, and there is less risk of developing secondary cancers due to radiation exposure.

In summary, proton therapy is a type of radiation therapy that uses protons to deliver radiation to treat some types of cancer. It is useful for treating tumors that have not spread and are near important parts of the body, and it may be used as the only treatment or in conjunction with other treatments. Proton therapy has shown promise in causing fewer side effects than traditional radiation, and research shows that it results in a higher dose of radiation to the tumor but significantly less radiation to healthy cells near the tumor.