Proton Radiotherapy delivers highly targeted Cancer Treatment

Barcelona last week, researchers presented a new breathing movement model that allows for the exact measurement of narrow beams to a tumor model by simulating the physical properties and the motion of the chest anatomy. The new method was presented by Dr Rosalind Perrin, from the Centre for Proton Therapy at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Villigen, Switzerland. The led researcher described how she and her team developed this model to test the feasibility of proton therapy targeting lung cancer, using a rescanning technique that mitigates motion effects, and to create practical methods to implement this technique in cancer treatment.
This radiotherapy approach to cancer treatment is an emerging technology, in which a narrow particle beam with accelerated hydrogen nuclei is scanned across the tumor and a highly directed radiation is administered to cancer cells. Because of the large mass of the protons, the beam delivers the majority of the radiation dose towards the end of its path in the tissue. Proton therapy can limit the dose of radiation affecting the surrounding tissues.
The proton beam only pierces the tissue up to a specific depth, which is controlled by energy levels. As such, in comparison to traditional radiotherapy techniques, proton therapy allows a maximal tumor dose while reducing the radiation dosage in surrounding tissues.