Proton Therapy for Cancer, a Lower Risk Treatment Option?

It can be difficult to consider and take in the words following your diagnosis of cancer. Your physician immediately begins listing treatment options and what to expect and all you can think about is that dreaded C word, cancer. At this point in the diagnosis process, it really doesn?t matter what type of cancer they are diagnosing you with. You are going to panic and become overwhelmed regardless. However, the type of cancer diagnosis will affect the treatment options.

Take it all in and then educate yourself
It may be scary and intimidating to learn more about the type of cancer that you have just been diagnosed with, but this is very important to recovery. The treatment for breast cancer, for example, is going to differ from the head and neck cancer treatment. Take in as much knowledge as you can from your physician and then head home to do your own research. With the internet at our fingertips, you can have all the information you need within minutes. It can be helpful to schedule another appointment with your physician after you complete the research, as it is likely that you will have a lot of questions.

Consider all of your options
Depending on the type of cancer, you may have a couple of different treatment options. However, other factors will also contribute to your treatment possibilities. Head and neck cancer treatment, for example, may not have the same treatment options available as breast cancer, because of the close proximity to the brain and the importance of protecting it. Take your educated options and the treatment options that your physician has provided and look at the pros and cons of each one. It can also be helpful to make an appointment with a specialist to get a second opinion, such as a breast cancer doctor or a head and neck cancer treatment doctor.

Don?t leave out new treatments
You may be hesitant to try new and research treatments. It takes many years for a new treatment to become approved and offered to a wide group of people. This does not always mean that the treatment is not effective. These treatments sometimes show the best results and can be a great option for treatment for more difficult of cancers, such as proton therapy for brain cancer.

Proton therapy is a type of radiation that stops at a very specific point in the targeted tissues, conventional radiation continues beyond the tumor. In breast cancer, this means on average no radiation to the heart and on average 50% less radiation to the lunch as compared with conventional radiation. This lower risk proton therapy for breast cancer may also be beneficial for head and neck cancer treatment, especially since the head and neck can be one of the riskiest places to do radiation.

The emergence of proton treatment
Proton treatment is newer than some cancer treatments but has begun to advance in the world. More and more physicians and researchers are learning about the advantages of the treatment. At the beginning of 2015, more than 30 particle therapy centers, with a total of about 80 treatment rooms, were under construction worldwide. As the number of rooms continues to increase, it is expected that more will soon follow. It is even possible that proton therapy could replace radiation for some cases.

Approximately 23,800 adults and 4,830 children are diagnosed with cancerous tumors of the brain and spinal cord each year, with brain tumors making up the majority of that number. Head and neck cancer is particularly difficult to treat because it is surrounded by extremely important parts of the body. If you are dealing with a difficult type of cancer, proton therapy may be an option for you. There might also be other newer cancer treatments available, it just takes a little extra research.