Current Perspectives on Proton Therapy: Techniques Shaping the Future of Cancer Treatment

Abstract

Traditional Radiation Therapy (RT) predominantly comprises a targeted therapeutic strategy focused on improving localised tumour control and achieving a cure while minimising the occurrence of adverse side effects. It could be feasible to take advantage of the better dose distribution by enabling larger RT dosages to the malignancy while preventing a rise in the toxicity of RT-induced healthy tissue, or by reducing adverse reactions to manageable levels. Poor local disease control and important dose-limiting normal tissue, which prevent safe dosage increase with conventional photon RT, have been the key justifications for RT. Proton treatment, on the other hand, delivers therapeutic protons or positive particles using proton beams. The potential advantage of protons’ physical properties allows for more localised RT delivery. By increasing the dosage to equitoxic levels, it is also possible to take advantage of the potential improvement in normal tissue sparing to support local tumour management and, ideally, longevity. Proton treatment preserves more important structures than photon therapy because of its unique physics. Thus, there is a need for wide usage of Proton Therapy (PT) for successive cancer treatment. The present review focuses on PT based on tumour site, clinical studies, biological barriers, instrumentation of PT, significance, and limitations.

Keywords

• proton beams
• proton treatment
• radiation therapy
• tissue toxicity