Proton therapy for cancer treatment.

Proton beam therapy is the latest advancement in the treatment of various types of cancer. It is a precise form of radiotherapy. It uses a beam of protons to target the cancer cells and destroys them. It scores high on precision and effectiveness when compared to other conventional cancer treatments like surgery, chemotherapy and xray radiotherapy. Proton beam therapy destroys the cancerous cells without harming the healthy cells. Thus it considerably reduces the side-effects that accompany conventional cancer treatments. Supporters say the technology allows physicians to treat a broad spectrum of cancers with few adverse effects, while more precisely targeting tumor cells with higher doses of radiation. Detractors say proton beam therapy is hugely expensive and has not been shown to be superior to conventional radiation treatment. With proton beam therapy, physicians use a cyclotron to accelerate protons and fire them directly into tumor cells with submillimeter precision. Because healthy tissue is largely spared, oncologists can, in theory, deliver much higher doses of radiation, while improving local control and reducing the risk for recurrence and morbidities.