Proton Therapy

What is proton therapy? Why should we go for it?

In the course of their treatment, Mesothelioma patients often receive radiation therapy, although most of the time the delivery is imprecise. Because of this imprecision, radiation can easily damage the healthy tissues or cells. Right now, the therapy that I want to discuss is the Proton therapy. The most beneficial thing about this therapy is that it beams highly energized protons straight where the growth of cancer is. That is why is considered to be one of the most specialized types of radiation particle therapy. Protons hardly ever go outside the area of treatment, as it can travel through some centimeters of the affected tissue. Thus, it reduces the risk of damaging the healthy tissues surrounds the affected area like in pericardial mesothelioma it is heart and in pleural mesothelioma there are lungs.

Who are eligible for this therapy?

If the cancer in patient is metastasized (the cancer is spread out all through the body), in general this therapy is not given to him as this is a very location specific treatment. It is more appropriate for the patient in their advance stage of cancer to go for chemotherapy that will be more responsive than other ways of treatment. Therefore, a patient at his early stage of mesothelioma cancer can go for proton therapy, which can play an effective role at this point. Other requirement is the patient should not weigh more than 360 pounds as it is impossible for the equipment to accommodate heavy person. The patient should stay near the treatment facility so he/she can easily commute to it on a daily basis.

Proton therapy is delivered noninvasively so it is a type of mesothelioma treatment, which is treated externally. Protons are delivered to the tumor through moving or steady beam, this technique is said to be as pencil beam scanning proton therapy. Through pencil beam scanning proton therapy, the oncologists delivered the beam at the affected area without damaging healthy tissues, vital organs or the areas, which is already being treated or radiated. Furthermore, the intensity of protons can easily adjust by the radiation therapists or oncologists so that the protons cannot penetrate into the area, which is beneath the tumor. Because of this, the radiation will remain in the area of the tumor.  The patient received proton therapy in cycles of up to 7-8 weeks. The time duration of the mesothelioma cancer treatment depends upon the dose of radiations. Like if the higher doses of radiation are delivered, then there will be shorter cycles of treatment whereas if the low doses are given, then there will be longer cycles. Before starting the proton therapy, the patient will undergo a simulation session (generally a week earlier the actual treatment), so that he/she can be prepared for the treatment.

Now, there must be a question come up in your mind… How is it done?

Patients are lay on a device, which prevents them to move throughout the proton therapy session. After that the radiation therapists position the radiation beam, on the markings made on the body that is required to treat during simulation sessions. Furthermore, radiation therapist also administrates the dose of radiation from the control room. Generally, it is a 30-90 minutes session and during the treatment the patient can communicate with the radiation therapist through a two-way intercom. Don’t worry the procedure is completely painless and the great thing about this that after the sessions the patient is not considered to be radioactive.

As already have been told about proton therapy that the healthy tissues are not affected by the radiation. Just 20% surrounding tissues has an effect of the radiation, but this is too weak to cause a considerable side-effects.

Let me, share a study that when pleural mesothelioma patients undergo proton therapy session, it exhibited lower post-treatment radiation in the regions like heart, kidneys, spinal cord healthy or non- cancerous lung and liver as compared to the levels of radiation in the organs of the patients, who are treated with other type of radiation treatments. 

Luckily now the mesothelioma is detected much earlier. So, many patients are qualifying for this one of the most sophisticated treatment. In 2005, 20 mesothelioma patients from Sweden are qualified for the proton therapy. In United States, it has been used since 1990 in clinical cancer treatments. In 2009 survey, there are 38 facilities of proton therapy available worldwide, including the University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute and the Proton Therapy and Treatment Center at Loma Linda University.

If you want to go through this treatment the very first eligibility is that the mesothelioma cancer should be detected at early stage or stage 1, then you can qualified for this treatment!