In the world of cancer treatment Proton Therapy is the biggest buzz word. While we are still perfecting and promoting radiation therapy for cancer treatment this could eventually be a better, safer and more accurate treatment method. Let’s take a look at this evolving technology and what it offers to cancer patients and medical practitioners.
Who invented proton therapy?
The credit goes to Harvard physicist Robert Wilson for inventing Proton Therapy. Learn more about his invention on the Radiological Society of North America’s publication here. Even though the technology was effective and proven the first hospital to implement it didn’t happen until 1990, at Loma Linda University in Southern California.
What is proton therapy and how it differs from radiation therapy?
While traditional radiation therapy deals in x-rays Proton therapy is an advanced way of treating cancer patients using beams of positively charged sub-atomic particles called Protons. When you excite and accelerate hydrogen gas in a special chamber it projects a beam of Hydrogen core that is a single proton.
The resulting beam is focused on cancer tissue to destroy it. It is similar to radiation therapy – yes; but instead of shooting multiple x-ray shots at the target area Proton Therapy can just increase the shape the beam precisely to as the affected area. This significantly reduces the amount of normal tissue that is affected in the process.
As the proton beams pass through the DNA of the affected cells they knock the electrons off the DNA and the resulting molecule changes the DNA base pairs in such a way that they cannot replicate further. Eventually the damaged cells die curing the cancer in the process.
BLK radio surgery for cancer treatment is keenly following the developments in Proton therapy and as we were one of the first Hospitals in Asia to introduce radiation therapy for cancer treatment we will be the pioneers in Proton therapy applications at ground level as well. Stay tune for more updates.
Image Credits: floridaproton,bnl