Proton Therapy

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Proton therapy has greatly impacted cancer treatment in our world today. While chemotherapy or surgery come to mind when most people think about cancer treatment, several other treatments exist. Among these treatments is proton therapy. It provides a precise way of removing cancerous cells without harming other healthy tissue. This procedure cannot be matched by other types of radiation therapy. It has certainly helped many more people defeat cancer ever since it became a commercially available treatment option.

Proton radiation therapy is a form of external beam radiation therapy just like standard x- ray radiation. It delivers the needed amount of radiation to the patient without harming the surrounding healthy tissue. Proton therapy begins
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In 1929, Ernest O. Lawrence invented the cyclotron to speed up nuclear particles to high velocities Proton therapy was first thought of as a medical practice in 1946 by physist Robert R. Wilson. In the 1950s proton therapy became a practice that was used on patients. Because cyclotrons were not able to speed up proton particles fast enough, and linear accelerators were not able to reach the desired amount of high energy, only certain tumors that were not located deep in the body could be treated. In 1954 the first patient was treated with protons. In 1964 the very first patient was treated with proton therapy with a cyclotron. In the late 1970s many advancements were made to the contribution of proton therapy. Cancer treatment facilities made advancements in the amount of energy the linear accelerator could produce, higher quality imaging, and the use of better and faster computers that worked alongside the treatment machines. In recent years proton therapy facilities have been established. In 1990 Loma Linda University opened the very first proton therapy treatment facility, treating hundreds of people.Today there are 13 proton therapy treatment facilities. Each facility uses high-tech machinery to deliver the Best proton treatment …show more content…
The three main types of cancer treatment surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. When a patient undergoes surgery for cancer treatment, the cancerous tumor and surrounding affected tissue is removed. After the surgery has been done, the patient may experience pain, swelling, weakness or nausea. Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses a variety of drugs to irradiate cancer cells. Chemotherapy is usually used to when a cancer that spreads rapidly is present. The chemotherapy drugs get rid of, control, or ease cancer. Side effects of chemotherapy in clued: anemia, appetite changes,bleeding problems, constipation,diarrhea, weakness, fatigue,hair loss, memory loss,infection, mouth and throat changes, nausea and vomiting, nerve changes, pain, skin and nail changes, fluid retention, urination changes, and fertility changes in men and women. Radiation Therapy uses high energy radiation to destroy minimize or control tumors. There are many forms of radiation therapy, but proton therapy is the most effective and precise form. Side effects of radiation therapy are fatigue, skin problems such as peeling blistering and dryness, and other site specific problems. When comparing the three main types of cancer treatments, surgery is the most