‘Cancer treatment: Proton therapy has less side effects than X-Ray therapy’

However, proton therapy is considered a better treatment as it has comparatively lower risk of severe side effects, finds a research done by the American Cancer Society recently.

The oncologists regulate the energy of the protons and using advanced treatment planning systems target the tumour at the precise site of the cancer, thereby resulting in minimal damage to the surrounding healthy tissues and reduced side effects.

X-ray radiation therapy has certain side-effects such as fatigue, skin irritation, fever, nausea, vomiting, changes in appetite and difficulty in eating and swallowing. Dr. Brian C. Baumann, a radiation oncologist at the Washington University School of Medicine and the lead author of the study examined almost 1,500 patients with various forms of cancer, such as cancer of the lung, brain, and head and neck, as well as gastrointestinal and gynecological cancers.

The experiences of the patients receiving a combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy were examined and those who received proton chemoradiotherapy with those who received photon X-ray and chemoradiotherapy were compared.

The study revealed that the relative risk of severe side effects within 90 treatment days was two-thirds lower for people who received proton therapy, compared with those who received X-ray radiation. It was found that 11.5 percent of the patients who received proton therapy had a severe side effect within 90 days of starting the treatment, while around 27.6 percent of people who received X-ray therapy had a severe side effect within 90 days from the commencement of the treatment.

“Proton therapy was associated with a substantial reduction in the rates of severe, acute side effects, those that cause unplanned hospitalizations or trips to the emergency room, compared with conventional photon, or X-ray, radiation for patients treated with concurrent radiation and chemotherapy. While there have been other studies suggesting that proton therapy may have fewer side effects, we were somewhat surprised by the large magnitude of the benefit,” said lead researcher Dr Brian C Baumann.

Proton therapy is effective against many kinds of cancer, but is particularly effective in challenging cancer sites including tumours affecting the eye and brain. “Tumours close to the brain stem, spinal cord or other vital organs, head and neck cancers, deep seated abdominal and pelvic cancers, recurrent cancers and paediatric cancers where children and young adults are at a particular risk of lasting damage to organs that are still growing. Proton therapy also helps in situations where treatment options are limited or conventional radiotherapy presents an unacceptable risk to the patient,” said Dr Rakesh Jalali, medical director and head of Apollo Proton Cancer Center.