Radiation Therapy Room Types

Particle Therapy

• Proton Therapy - the most prevalant form of particle therapy to date, and the only FDA-approved form. Proton therapy utilizes protons, with typical energies ranging from 70 to 250 MeV. Proton therapy boasts fewer side effects than conventional radiation therapy; protons' large mass prohibits lateral scatter and a narrow pencil beam conforms to the shape of the tumor. By adjusting the energy, radiation oncologists can adjust the depth of the Bragg Peak, reducing the radiation dose to healthy tissue in front of the tumor, and almost completely sparing healthy tissue obscured by the tumor.
  
  
• Fast Neutron Therapy - produced from proton beams impinging upon beryllium targets, fast neutron therapy involves the emission of high energy neutrons at an energy exceeding 20 MeV. Fast neutron therapy is relatively uncommon.
  
  
• Heavy Ion Therapy – typically carbon ions, some facilities feature hybrid equipment that produces both carbon ions and protons. Carbon ions are, in theory, the most effective radiation treatment because their high density of ionization causes the most damage to cancer cells, disabling their ability to repair themselves. While carbon is the only effective treatment for certain types of cancer, it may still cause more damage than protons due to the dose beyond the Bragg peak, which does not decrease to zero.