Proton Therapy Basics
Proton beam therapy (PBT) is a U.S. FDA approved technology that delivers external beam radiation with positively charged atomic particles to tumors. Due to its unique radiation dose deposition properties, PBT delivers radiation to tumors while reducing radiation exposure to surrounding normal tissues. This confers a clinical advantage for some patients compared to conventional X- ray (photon) treatment.
Proton Therapy Center
Our physicians are UW Medicine Department of Radiation Oncology faculty and have trained and worked at some of the best proton therapy centers nationwide, including Harvard, MD Anderson, University of Pennsylvania and Loma Linda.
The Seattle Cancer Care Alliance Proton Therapy Center is equipped with the most advanced cutting-edge proton therapy technology available, a highly skilled medical professional team, and provides a supportive environment for exceptional and personalized patient care, multiple clinical trials and latest research-based cancer therapies.
Children and Proton Therapy
Proton therapy is a particularly important treatment option for children because their higher vulnerability to the effects of any radiation. Children can experience more serious short-term toxicity and more long-term side effects, such as developmental and growth delays, solid organ damage and new malignancies. Proton therapy may minimize these risks.
Second Malignancies
As powerful a tool as radiation is for the treatment of cancer, radiation exposure to normal tissues can cause secondary cancers. In fact, for some cancers, such as retinoblastoma, the most likely cause of death after radiotherapy is from a second malignancy. The Massachusetts General Hospital recently reported long-term outcome on their retinoblastoma patients treated with protons, showing significant reduction in second malignancies with protons.