What is Proton Therapy

Creating Protons: Protons are extracted from hydrogen atoms and accelerated to almost the speed of light using a cyclotron. Electromagnets focus and bend the protons down a beamline to a treatment room.

Precise Targeting: Using images from a patient’s computed tomography (CT) and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a radiation oncologist and his/her team plan the therapy that directs proton beams at the targeted tumor while minimizing exposure to normal tissues. The gantry rotates around the patient, who is lying on a robotic table, and uses magnets to steer and focus the proton beam to precisely deliver radiation to conform to the shape, size, and depth of the tumor. The protons delivered to the tumor then destroy the cancerous cells, while minimizing damage to the surrounding tissue.

Proton beams can be targeted so that the highest energy of the beam is deposited at the tumor site to kill cancer cells. Less radiation is delivered as the proton beam enters the body and little to no radiation is delivered after it hits the tumor, reducing damage to surrounding healthy tissue and potential acute and late side effects.

Adaptive Treatment Planning: Proton therapy may also utilize ongoing treatment planning based on the most current and accurate “picture” of the tumor possible. Repeat scans during a treatment course assess the changing, shrinking tumor volume. The clinical team may adapt the treatment plan to continue targeting only the tumor to minimize exposure to nearby healthy tissue.

Duration: Treatment sessions typically last for 15-40 minutes with each beam only taking one to three minutes, and the complete course of treatment may be from one to 30 sessions, lasting one day up to nine weeks.

Sources: American Brain Tumor Association, National Association for Proton Therapy, and National Institutes of Health
 

• Proton therapy is especially beneficial for cancers in sensitive areas and for children.
• High-energy, precisely-targeted proton beams can deliver high doses of radiation to destroy cancerous cells, reducing recurrence rates for many cancer cases.
• Proton therapy is non-invasive and may reduce side effects.
• Patients treated with proton therapy may have increased tolerance for chemotherapy.
• Patients can maintain their current quality of life during and after treatment.
• It is sometimes used effectively to treat areas that have already been treated with radiation.
• Proton therapy can treat both malignant and benign tumors.

Is proton therapy right for me?

Proton therapy can treat most solid tumor cancers and can be used alone or jointly with chemotherapy and other treatments. Factors such as overall health are taken into consideration, and we evaluate every case to determine if proton therapy is right for you.

Proton therapy is not right for every situation. If you have a cancer where proton therapy would be effective, we will evaluate your diagnosis to find the best option individualized to you and your cancer.

What to Expect with Proton Therapy

Proton therapy is a highly-targeted form of radiation therapy that is effective for cancerous tumors throughout the body. This cancer-fighting technology is non-invasive and may reduce side effects, allowing patients to maintain their quality of life during and after treatment compared to other forms of conventional radiation therapy.

As new patients and their loved ones consider treatment plans, many may have questions about proton therapy, how it works, who is a good candidate for this type of treatment, and how it differs from other forms of radiation treatment. To address these misconceptions, below are common questions about proton therapy.

Download Common Questions

Common questions about proton therapy

What to Expect with Proton Therapy

Proton therapy is a highly-targeted form of radiation therapy that is effective for cancerous tumors throughout the body. This cancer-fighting technology is non-invasive and may reduce side effects, allowing patients to maintain their quality of life during and after treatment compared to other forms of conventional radiation therapy.

As new patients and their loved ones consider treatment plans, many may have questions about proton therapy, how it works, who is a good candidate for this type of treatment, and how it differs from other forms of radiation treatment. To address these misconceptions, below are common questions about proton therapy.

Download Common Questions

Common questions about proton therapy

Yes, many insurance plans cover proton therapy. Texas Center for Proton Therapy provides patients with financial counselors who help them to navigate the insurance approval process and be an advocate for their health. Our financial counselors work with patients to appeal their request. However, the process of getting proton therapy covered by insurance may take time and go through a few rounds of appeals depending on a patient’s insurance plan, cancer type, and stage of their disease. Once approved, patients may begin receiving treatment.

Texas Center for Proton Therapy participates in a wide range of insurance plans as well as Medicare, Medicaid, and select Health Insurance Marketplace plans. Visit our insurance information page to learn more about the plans we accept.

Proton therapy is used to treat a wide variety of cancer types. Anywhere conventional X-ray therapy is used, proton therapy may be a better option. A few forms commonly treated include brain, breast, esophageal, head and neck, gynecological, liver, lung, lymphoma, ocular, pancreatic, prostate, sarcoma, and many others. To determine if proton therapy is an option for them, patients can consult with their physician or learn more at texascenterforprotontherapy.com. Patients can also request an appointment at Texas Center for Proton Therapy or their nearest proton center, as many do not require a physician referral.

Both children and adults can be treated using proton therapy. While solid tumor pediatric cancer cases are one of the top groups that benefit from proton therapy, it can also be used to treat adults with cancerous tumors. Because proton therapy precisely-targets tumors, it helps to lower the risk of toxicity or damage to healthy tissue, protects neurological functions like speech or memory, avoids radiation to areas previously treated or is at a higher risk of recurrence, and allows adults to continue daily activities in between treatments with minimal side effects.

Proton therapy can treat a variety of tumors in the breast, liver, lung, pancreas, prostate, and skin. It is also used to treat highly complex diseases such as:

• Medulloblastoma, a rare form of brain cancer
• Eye cancers, like uveal melanoma or choroidal melanoma
• Cancers in the central nervous system, like chordoma, chondrosarcoma, and malignant meningioma

To treat these diseases and complex tumors, Texas Center for Proton Therapy is equipped with a large machine, called a gantry, which can rotate 360 degrees around patients in precise coordination with a robotic treatment table. Using high-strength magnets, the gantry precisely delivers proton beam radiation to the tumor based on its shape, size, and depth. One type of proton therapy, called pencil-beam scanning, is commonly used for tumors that are complex, irregularly shaped, difficult to reach, wrapped around other structures, or located near sensitive areas such as the brain and spine, head and neck, or chest. Texas Center for Proton Therapy also utilizes advanced image-guidance techniques to ensure accurate treatment.

In many cases, proton therapy may be the best form of treatment depending on the patient, cancer type, and stage of disease progression. However, whether it is proton therapy or standard radiation, all X-ray radiation treatments are designed to treat and kill cancerous cells. The benefits of proton therapy derive from its precision and ability to minimize radiation exposure to surrounding healthy organs and tissues. Proton therapy helps to treat areas of the body sensitive to radiation exposure where highly complex cancer types are located such as prostate, left-sided breast, and the central nervous system which includes many head and neck cancers. Additionally, this form of treatment can reduce potential acute and long-term side effects such as hair loss, fatigue, nausea, headaches, and skin changes. Patients should consult with their physician to discuss the best radiation treatment option for them and their individual cancer type.

Yes. Telemedicine enables Texas Center for Proton Therapy physicians to connect directly with patients who need highly specialized care, even if they live many miles away. With telemedicine, patients across Texas have access to our extensive and diverse expertise in proton therapy, while saving time and expense by limiting travel to a distant treatment facility. It also offers patients options to visit with their doctor when traveling to the clinic is not ideal.

Yes. Proton therapy may be used alone or in combination with other forms of cancer treatment, including chemotherapy, immunotherapy, conventional radiation therapy, and surgery, among others.

"When patients require multi-modality care, whatever can be done to minimize the side effects and the toxicity is important because it's better for the patient. When therapies are combined simultaneously, it can be toxic. It's not unusual for people to require dose reductions for chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy, thereby not fully penetrating the tumor to the best of our ability. We're seeing an improvement in outcomes in multi-modality treatment courses, allowing for all partner therapies to be better tolerated."

Andrew K. Lee, M.D., M.P.H. 

Read the full article.

Texas Center for Proton Therapy offers clinical trials for those who qualify. Radiation clinical trials are essential to the advancement of cancer treatment. Clinical trials allow you to be actively involved in your healthcare, access new treatments and expert medical care, and to help further medical research. We can discuss these options with you to evaluate if a clinical trial is right for you.

Proton therapy is a highly precise and targeted form of radiation therapy. It can target specific cancerous cells while leaving the healthy cells around it largely untouched, making proton therapy especially effective for tumors in sensitive areas. In addition, proton therapy is non-invasive and may reduce side effects, allowing patients to maintain their quality of life during and after treatment.

Proton therapy is effective in treating a range of different types of cancers and most solid tumor cancers, including breast, colorectal, lung, head and neck, brain, and prostate cancers. This does not include some blood cancers, like leukemia. Many factors, such as overall health, are taken into consideration. Your cancer is specific to you. Proton therapy is not right for every situation. For those cancers where proton therapy is effective, we will evaluate your diagnosis to find the best option.

Proton therapy is a highly targeted, precise form of radiation therapy. A giant machine called a cyclotron extracts protons from hydrogen atoms, accelerating them to almost the speed of light, and delivers the radiation with pinpoint accuracy. The protons destroy cancerous cells, while minimizing damage to the surrounding healthy tissue, making proton therapy one of the most promising developments in cancer treatment.

Texas Center for Proton Therapy is one of only a few centers in the nation that offers pencil-beam scanning with cone beam CT. It is the ideal technology for irregularly shaped tumors near sensitive areas. In addition, pencil-beam scanning capability is a prerequisite for a proton center to offer intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT). IMPT is a highly specialized proton therapy delivering a precise dose of protons, often to tight spaces.

Yes, many insurance plans cover proton therapy. Texas Center for Proton Therapy provides patients with financial counselors who help them to navigate the insurance approval process and be an advocate for their health. Our financial counselors work with patients to appeal their request. However, the process of getting proton therapy covered by insurance may take time and go through a few rounds of appeals depending on a patient’s insurance plan, cancer type, and stage of their disease. Once approved, patients may begin receiving treatment.

Texas Center for Proton Therapy participates in a wide range of insurance plans as well as Medicare, Medicaid, and select Health Insurance Marketplace plans. Visit our insurance information page to learn more about the plans we accept.

Proton therapy is used to treat a wide variety of cancer types. Anywhere conventional X-ray therapy is used, proton therapy may be a better option. A few forms commonly treated include brain, breast, esophageal, head and neck, gynecological, liver, lung, lymphoma, ocular, pancreatic, prostate, sarcoma, and many others. To determine if proton therapy is an option for them, patients can consult with their physician or learn more at texascenterforprotontherapy.com. Patients can also request an appointment at Texas Center for Proton Therapy or their nearest proton center, as many do not require a physician referral.

Both children and adults can be treated using proton therapy. While solid tumor pediatric cancer cases are one of the top groups that benefit from proton therapy, it can also be used to treat adults with cancerous tumors. Because proton therapy precisely-targets tumors, it helps to lower the risk of toxicity or damage to healthy tissue, protects neurological functions like speech or memory, avoids radiation to areas previously treated or is at a higher risk of recurrence, and allows adults to continue daily activities in between treatments with minimal side effects.

Proton therapy can treat a variety of tumors in the breast, liver, lung, pancreas, prostate, and skin. It is also used to treat highly complex diseases such as:

• Medulloblastoma, a rare form of brain cancer
• Eye cancers, like uveal melanoma or choroidal melanoma
• Cancers in the central nervous system, like chordoma, chondrosarcoma, and malignant meningioma

To treat these diseases and complex tumors, Texas Center for Proton Therapy is equipped with a large machine, called a gantry, which can rotate 360 degrees around patients in precise coordination with a robotic treatment table. Using high-strength magnets, the gantry precisely delivers proton beam radiation to the tumor based on its shape, size, and depth. One type of proton therapy, called pencil-beam scanning, is commonly used for tumors that are complex, irregularly shaped, difficult to reach, wrapped around other structures, or located near sensitive areas such as the brain and spine, head and neck, or chest. Texas Center for Proton Therapy also utilizes advanced image-guidance techniques to ensure accurate treatment.

In many cases, proton therapy may be the best form of treatment depending on the patient, cancer type, and stage of disease progression. However, whether it is proton therapy or standard radiation, all X-ray radiation treatments are designed to treat and kill cancerous cells. The benefits of proton therapy derive from its precision and ability to minimize radiation exposure to surrounding healthy organs and tissues. Proton therapy helps to treat areas of the body sensitive to radiation exposure where highly complex cancer types are located such as prostate, left-sided breast, and the central nervous system which includes many head and neck cancers. Additionally, this form of treatment can reduce potential acute and long-term side effects such as hair loss, fatigue, nausea, headaches, and skin changes. Patients should consult with their physician to discuss the best radiation treatment option for them and their individual cancer type.

Yes. Telemedicine enables Texas Center for Proton Therapy physicians to connect directly with patients who need highly specialized care, even if they live many miles away. With telemedicine, patients across Texas have access to our extensive and diverse expertise in proton therapy, while saving time and expense by limiting travel to a distant treatment facility. It also offers patients options to visit with their doctor when traveling to the clinic is not ideal.

Yes. Proton therapy may be used alone or in combination with other forms of cancer treatment, including chemotherapy, immunotherapy, conventional radiation therapy, and surgery, among others.

"When patients require multi-modality care, whatever can be done to minimize the side effects and the toxicity is important because it's better for the patient. When therapies are combined simultaneously, it can be toxic. It's not unusual for people to require dose reductions for chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy, thereby not fully penetrating the tumor to the best of our ability. We're seeing an improvement in outcomes in multi-modality treatment courses, allowing for all partner therapies to be better tolerated."

Andrew K. Lee, M.D., M.P.H. 

Read the full article.

Texas Center for Proton Therapy offers clinical trials for those who qualify. Radiation clinical trials are essential to the advancement of cancer treatment. Clinical trials allow you to be actively involved in your healthcare, access new treatments and expert medical care, and to help further medical research. We can discuss these options with you to evaluate if a clinical trial is right for you.

Proton therapy is a highly precise and targeted form of radiation therapy. It can target specific cancerous cells while leaving the healthy cells around it largely untouched, making proton therapy especially effective for tumors in sensitive areas. In addition, proton therapy is non-invasive and may reduce side effects, allowing patients to maintain their quality of life during and after treatment.

Proton therapy is effective in treating a range of different types of cancers and most solid tumor cancers, including breast, colorectal, lung, head and neck, brain, and prostate cancers. This does not include some blood cancers, like leukemia. Many factors, such as overall health, are taken into consideration. Your cancer is specific to you. Proton therapy is not right for every situation. For those cancers where proton therapy is effective, we will evaluate your diagnosis to find the best option.

Proton therapy is a highly targeted, precise form of radiation therapy. A giant machine called a cyclotron extracts protons from hydrogen atoms, accelerating them to almost the speed of light, and delivers the radiation with pinpoint accuracy. The protons destroy cancerous cells, while minimizing damage to the surrounding healthy tissue, making proton therapy one of the most promising developments in cancer treatment.

Texas Center for Proton Therapy is one of only a few centers in the nation that offers pencil-beam scanning with cone beam CT. It is the ideal technology for irregularly shaped tumors near sensitive areas. In addition, pencil-beam scanning capability is a prerequisite for a proton center to offer intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT). IMPT is a highly specialized proton therapy delivering a precise dose of protons, often to tight spaces.