The phone calls have been confusing. First, the doctor told you that your tests came back negative and that there was no cancer. A mere 24 hours later, however, the doctor called again and said that after further consideration it appeared that you did have cancer, and that it was very aggressive. The office was going to send your results into the National Cancer Research Center for advice, and their report only complicated matters. Agreeing with what the doctor’s first diagnosis, it appears that you do not have cancer, but a condition that needs to be closely monitored.

This last piece of news should have been a relief, but given the roller coaster of information that you have received in the last two weeks, it is difficult to know who to trust and what to expect. As a result, you have decided to get a second, and in some ways a third, opinion about the confusing test results the doctors are finding.

Cancer Treatment Centers Offer a Variety of Treatments

Once the test results are finally conclusive, the diagnosis of cancer requires a variety of treatments. In many cases, doctors are considering proton therapy centers as the newest, best option. In fact, proton beam radiation is an effective treatment that many breast cancer doctors are choosing on a frequent basis. Defined as a type of radiation that stops at a very specific point in the targeted tissue, proton therapy for cancer does far less overall damage than conventional radiation that is known for continuing beyond the tumor. In breast cancer, for instance, the proton treatment option means an average of no radiation to the heart and an average of 50% less radiation to the lung when it is compared to conventional radiation.

Cancer treatment centers that implement this kind of treatment continue to increase in number. In fact, by the beginning of the year 2015, there were more than 30 particle therapy centers. In total, these 30 centers provided nearly 80 treatment rooms. Now, of course, there are even more of these centers under construction across the world.

Even in the best and most clear circumstances, a cancer diagnosis can be both frightening and confusing. Once your doctors decide on a diagnosis, however, it is important to get the care that you need, particularly with the most effective treatment options.