Proton Beam Therapy

Proton beam therapy is an emerging technology with promise of revolutionizing the treatment of cancer. In this book, the author will guide the reader through existing evidence supporting proton beam therapy for pediatric cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, brain tumors, spinal tumors, and several other conditions. While radiation therapy is a mainstay of cancer treatment, traditional linear accelerators mainly use photons to irradiate cancerous tissue. Photons deposit much more energy in the surrounding normal tissue than protons. Proton beam therapy is a revolutionary alternative that deposits most of its cancer-killing energy within the area of the tumor, thereby potentially improving cure rates and reducing side effects in properly selected patients. Proton Beam Therapy: How Protons Are Revolutionizing Cancer Treatment guides the reader through existing evidence supporting proton beam therapy for an increasing number of patients and conditions, including pediatric, prostate, and lung cancer, mediastinal tumors, skull base tumors, conditions of the eye, and sarcomas.