Proton Beam Therapy in Singapore | Parkway Cancer Centre Singapore (original) (raw)

What is Proton Therapy?

Proton therapy, also known as proton beam therapy, is a highly advanced and precise radiation treatment that uses proton beams to destroy cancer cells.

How does Proton Therapy work?

Protons are positively charged particles and are extracted from hydrogen atoms. The proton particles are then injected into either a cyclotron or a synchrotron which acts as a particle accelerator.

Using electromagnetic fields, the cyclotron accelerates the protons in a circular path and increases their energy to a total of 70 to 250 million electron volts—energy levels that are enough to deliver the protons to the tumour at any depth within the patient’s body. A series of superconducting magnets then move these accelerated protons through a beam-transport system as they leave the cyclotron or synchrotron into the patient treatment room.

Historically, early Proton Centres adopted multi-room treatment systems—occupying much land—but increasingly, compact single room systems are becoming popular in land scarce or heavily built-up localities.

Proton versus Photon Therapy

Compared to traditional radiation treatment which uses X-ray beams or photons, the main difference with proton therapy is that when the proton beam is shot into the body targeting the area of cancer, it delivers minimal entrance radiation and stops without moving beyond the tumour. In other words, there is no exit dose, and surrounding healthy organs and tissues are spared from radiation exposure.

What conditions can it treat?

Proton therapy can benefit both adult and paediatric patients and it can be used to treat a wide range of cancers, including cancers of the brain, oesophageal, gastrointestinal, head and neck, liver, lymphoma, prostate, soft tissue, and spine.

Central nervous system tumours, sino-nasal tumours, base of skull and sacral chordomas comprise other examples. Re-treatment of tumours in previously irradiated sites may also benefit from proton therapy. For such patients, case selection is important.