Proton beam therapy

Proton beam therapy has an exact physical dosage characteristics that can be used to supply an optimal dose distribution to the targeted cancer tissue while limiting the amount of radiation affecting normal tissue. It is a gentle form of radio therapy with generally lower side effects than other forms of radio therapy. Especially for pediatric care it is very important that the quality of life can be preserved.

A proton beam therapy system consists of an accelerator (cyclotron), an energy selection system, a beam transport system, and rotating gantry irradiation equipment (gantry, irradiation nozzle, and patient positioning equipment). High-intensity proton beams from the cyclotron allows shortening of the beam irradiation time and reduces the load on the patient.

More information is available at:

https://www.shi.co.jp/english//products/industry/proton/index.html

Basic Principles Of Proton Therapy

At proton irradiation of matter, like living tissue, protons loose most of their energy just before they come to rest. This allows the maximal dose to be released at the tumor, whereas healthy tissue can be spared from irradiation. As a consequence, a gradual escalation of the dose to the tumor is possible. Effective treatments allowed by better dosage control enable higher cure rates.