Radiation treatment for cancer is one of the most effective techniques for destroying tumors. Unfortunately, it can also be a little too effective, as too much exposure to radiation can lead to even more medical issues, especially if healthy tissues are damaged. However, with proton therapy for cancer, the healthy tissues surrounding the tumor are exposed to up to 60% less radiation. And because proton therapy lowers the risk of radiation damage to healthy tissues, it’s becoming one of the best non-invasive cancer treatments available today.
Proton therapy isn’t just popular among patients. The benefits of proton therapy over traditional radiation treatment for cancer have become an extremely popular research topic within the medical community. Already, some advanced cancer treatment centers have begun using proton therapy to treat things like prostate cancer.
Despite the effectiveness of proton therapy, right now only a handful of cancer centers have the capabilities and funding to offer this treatment to their patients.
That’s bad news for patients and providers; however, according to the Daily Express, proton therapy could soon revolutionize the way cancer is treated in the United Kingdom.
Fortunately, hospitals in the United Kingdom expect to have enough medical staff, technology, and funding to offer high energy proton beam therapy in 2018.
“With cancer on the rise, there is a growing need for patients to be offered a holistic and sophisticated level of cancer care,” said Professor Gordon McVie, chairman of Proton Partners International. “[Patients] will have access to a wide range of cancer services and a treatment plan will be implemented on an individual basis.”
Despite how many lives have been lost because of cancer, recent technological advancements have significantly improved the capabilities of cancer treatment centers. Using innovative therapies and technological advancements, medical professionals, researchers, and cancer specialists have helped lead the fight against the infamous disease. Now, many doctors believe that proton therapy could be the next revolutionary advancement in the battle against cancer. While chemotherapy and radiation treatment for cancer will continue to be used, doctors need more tools to fight this illness.
And compared to non-invasive cancer treatments like radiation therapy, proton therapy not only significantly limits the amount of radiation exposure, but the entire treatments is also much quicker. Proton treatments typically take just 15 to 45 minutes, and it only takes one to two minutes to deliver the protons themselves.
Even though this groundbreaking new treatment isn’t available at every hospital, it can still be used to treat illnesses like prostate cancer right now. Contact Provision Proton Therapy Center if you want to learn more about this revolutionary treatment.
