Understanding How Proton Therapy Equipment Works

People with cancer need to find effective treatment options. Breast cancer is a condition that affects women at many stages of their lives. It’s understandable to be in need of an effective treatment for breast cancer. You will want to ensure you learn about the equipment used in this effective medical procedure. Proton therapy has helped cancer patients around the world get the help they deserve. In this post, you will learn about the equipment used for proton therapy.

Proton Therapy Makes Use of a Particle Accelerator

Proton therapy is a type of radiation treatment for cancer. The main advantage of proton therapy is that it is able to disperse rays in a more concentrated manner than traditional radiation methods. Proton beam radiation uses a particle accelerator. This accelerator sends particles directly to cancerous cells. The goal of proton therapy is to send these charged ions to either kill or stop cancerous cells from spreading.

Medical professionals providing treatment for breast cancer know that cancerous cells are found at differing depths. Proton therapy devices allow medical professionals to adjust electron volts. Adjusting electron volts allows the proton beam to reach deeper within the body. A proton beam works well as a treatment for breast cancer because proton therapy is targeted. Patients with breast cancer can rest assured radiation beams aren’t spreading within the body.

Situations Where Multiple Proton Beams are Needed

Not every proton procedure will involve using a single beam. In certain situations, protons of various levels are used throughout a single procedure. These combined protons create Bragg peaks that are used to treat the overall area of a tumor. Creating this peak allows for the entire tumor to be treated, rather than certain cells.

In summary, many patients have found success through using proton therapy, making it one of the most preferred advanced cancer treatment options. Numerous studies have shown proton radiation therapy to be an effective prostate cancer treatment. Proton therapy involves the use of charged beams provided by a particle accelerator. The use of a particle accelerator allows medical professionals to target cancerous cells in a concentrated manner. Many patients are continuing to realize the benefits of timely and efficient proton therapy.